Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. An Introduction
2. Ecotourism Policy and Planning
3. Ecotourism and the Contested Grounds of Nature
4. Tourism in the Underdeveloped World
5. Ecotourism in India
6. Global Environmental Impacts Affect Tourism
7. The Practice and Concept of Ecotourism
8. Eco-tourism Policy
9. Ecotourism is South East Asia
10. Tourism Trends in Developing Regions
11. Eco-tourism in Future

The concept "ecotourism" provides destinations (whether they are small resorts or entire countries) with the opportunity to attract tourist revenue while maintaining the long term economic and environmental viability of the region. Ecotourism is a form of tourism that involves visiting natural areas-in the remote wilderness or rural environments. Ecotourism has been defined as tourism and recreation that is both nature-based and sustainable. It is a subset of natural area tourism and may combine elements of both nature-based tourism and adventure travel. However, it is also characterized by a number of other features-notably its educative element and conservation supporting practice. There are five key principles which are fundamental to ecotourism. They are that ecotourism is nature-based, ecologically sustainable, environmentally educative, locally beneficial and generates tourist satisfaction. The first three characteristics are considered to be essential for a product to be considered 'ecotourism' while the last two characteristics are viewed as being desirable for all forms of tourism. This book will provide tourism planners-on both a national and a community level-with recommended tools and strategies to develop and implement plans for effectively attracting and accommodating the "ecotourist" while conserving the areas natural resources and benefiting the local people.

College of Business and Accountancy Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management

In English