The Experts below are selected from a list of 24834 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Lewis T O Cheung - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
expectations and willingness to pay for Ecotourism services in hong kong s conservation areas
International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 2014Co-Authors: Lewis T O CheungAbstract:The nascent Ecotourism market in Hong Kong has much potential for development which could benefit from research findings. This study evaluated the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for Ecotourism activities in protected conservation areas and assessed the potential for Ecotourism development in Hong Kong. Our questionnaire surveys gathered data from 960 general tourists at four popular tourism hotspots and 456 nature tourists at four Ecotourism hotspots. Both groups were willing to pay more for Ecotourism activities in the protected areas. Nature tourists would pay 40% more than general tourists and preferred high-quality products. The mean WTP of general tourists and nature tourists was, respectively, HK$167.3 and HK$223.6 (US$1.00 = HK$7.80) to participate in Ecotourism activities, being 39% and 86% above the average price of a general tour (HK$120) offered by travel agents. Younger tourists, better education, and higher income raised the WTP for ecotours. The results were compared and contrasted with cognate ov...
-
Ecotourism service preference and management in hong kong
International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 2013Co-Authors: Lewis T O CheungAbstract:The embryonic development of Ecotourism demands proper planning and management to avoid common pitfalls. The recent Ecotourism initiative in Hong Kong calls for understanding of the resource base and visitor attitude and expectation. Preferences for Ecotourism services were evaluated by 456 questionnaire surveys at four remote Ecotourism hot spots. In choosing Ecotourism products, respondents preferred good-quality information and tour guides and low-impact activities. Destination selection was influenced by high ecological value and good site management; site facilities and accessibility were accorded less importance. Education and income correlated positively with preference for good-quality guides. Females preferred low-impact activities more than males. Young ecotourists expressed stronger preference for low-impact activities and sites of high ecological value. Elderly respondents were more concerned about good facilities and accessibility. The results were compared and contrasted with cognate overseas studies. A typology of ecotourists classified them into knowledge seeker, leisure traveller and nature lover. A survey of local Ecotourism policies and operations highlighted room for improvement. The findings could help to steer the incipient Ecotourism development on a sustainable, environmentally friendly and user-relevant track. The urge to increase local and overseas ecotourist patronage could be accompanied by optimising resource usage, minimising deleterious impacts and raising the quality of ecotourists, guides and operators. Relevant policies and strategies could be moulded to match genuine ecotourists’ preferences and fit local natural and socioeconomic conditions.
Ralf Buckley - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Ecotourism principles and practices
2008Co-Authors: Ralf BuckleyAbstract:Ecotourism is a useful concept, but not a very well defined one; it has been debated in theory and attempted in practice for nearly two decades. Its key goal is to reduce the net environmental impact of the tourism industry, via mechanisms including minimal impact management measures, education, community involvement, private conservation, contributions to public protected areas, expansion of Ecotourism enterprises and mainstreaming of Ecotourism principles. Focussing on fundamental Ecotourism concepts, this broad-based textbook provides a basis for studies into environment-based tourism. It covers key topics such as the management, economics and potential environmental impacts both positive and negative of this popular and growing sector. Written for tourism students and an ideal resource for undergraduate courses, Ecotourism: Principles and Practices will also interest industry practitioners and researchers.
-
Ecotourism in Scandinavia: Lessons in Theory and Practice
Annals of Tourism Research, 2007Co-Authors: Ralf BuckleyAbstract:This book describes, analyses, and evaluates Scandinavian Ecotourism. It includes overviews of the state of Ecotourism development in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland and focuses on aspects of sustainability, among others. This book will appeal to researchers and students of Ecotourism. It has 17 chapters and a subject index.
-
environmental impacts of Ecotourism
Environmental impacts of ecotourism., 2004Co-Authors: Ralf BuckleyAbstract:Impacts positive and negative: links between Ecotourism and environment The cost of getting there: impacts of travel to Ecotourism destinations Impacts of hiking and camping on soils and vegetation Environmental impacts of motorised off-highway vehicles Impacts of recreational power boating on freshwater ecosystems Impacts of Ecotourism on terrestrial wildlife Environmentally sustainable trail management Managing impacts of camping
Oliver Kruger - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
the role of Ecotourism in conservation panacea or pandora s box
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2005Co-Authors: Oliver KrugerAbstract:Does Ecotourism contribute towards conservation of threatened species and habitats or is it just a marketing ploy of the tourism industry? Using 251 case studies on Ecotourism from the literature, I looked at the distribution of case studies over continents, habitats and flagship species types and what factors influenced whether an Ecotourism regime was perceived as ecologically sustainable by authors. Over 50% of Ecotourism case studies were reported from Africa and Central America. The overall distribution of Ecotourism case studies did not reflect vertebrate endemism, nor overall tourism distribution in terms of tourist numbers and receipts. There were significant differences between continents and habitats with regard to the proportion of sustainable case studies: Ecotourism is perceived to be less sustainable in South America and Asia, and in island and mountain habitats. The type of flagship species also influenced whether Ecotourism was classified as sustainable or not: Ecotourism with no flagship species was rarely classified as sustainable while charismatic bird and mammal species were associated with a higher probability of sustainability. In a multivariate analysis, flagship species type and local community involvement were important predictors of sustainability in Ecotourism. Detailed a priori planning, local involvement and control measures were perceived by authors of case studies to increase the success of Ecotourism in conservation. They also perceived that Ecotourism can only be an effective conservation tool under certain conditions. If these are met, the evidence indicates that Ecotourism can make a contribution to conservation.
Geoffrey Wall - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
evaluating Ecotourism the case of north sulawesi indonesia
Tourism Management, 1999Co-Authors: Sheryl Ross, Geoffrey WallAbstract:Abstract Ecotourism can contribute to both conservation and development and involves, as a minimum, positive synergistic relationships between tourism, biodiversity and local people, facilitated by appropriate management. This paper applies a framework for the development and evaluation of Ecotourism to three protected areas in North Sulawesi. Due to its spectacular endemic biodiversity, the potential for providing quality nature experiences in North Sulawesi is high and tourism development is occurring rapidly. Site-level evaluations of Ecotourism in three protected areas were performed to illustrate the application and the utility of the framework as a tool for evaluation and to assess the status of tourism in North Sulawesi. It is revealed that current relationships between people, resources and tourism in North Sulawesi have yet to provide the mutual benefits necessary for successful Ecotourism. The approach and framework used to arrive at these conclusions have wide applicability for assessing the achievements of Ecotourism at specific sites and for directing appropriate management strategies for Ecotourism in protected areas.
-
FORUM: Is Ecotourism Sustainable?
Environmental Management, 1997Co-Authors: Geoffrey WallAbstract:/ It is legitimate to ask whether and in what form tourism might contribute to sustainable development. This is not the same as sustainable tourism which, as a single-sector approach to development, may overlook important linkages with other sectors. If tourism is to contribute to sustainable development, then it must be economically viable, ecologically sensitive and culturally appropriate. Ecotourism is often advocated as being a sustainable form of tourism but imprecision in terminology clouds basic issues and there are strong economic, ecological, and cultural reasons for believing that, even in its purest forms, Ecotourism is likely to present substantial challenges to destination areas, particularly if it competes for scarce resources and displaces existing uses and users. Sustainable tourism and Ecotourism are not synonyms, many forms of Ecotourism may not be sustainable, and if Ecotourism is to contribute to sustainable development, then careful planning and management will be required.KEY WORDS: Ecotourism; Sustainable development; Development; Tourism
Pierre Walter - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
how do you know it when you see it community based Ecotourism in the cardamom mountains of southwestern cambodia
Tourism Management, 2013Co-Authors: J K Reimer, Pierre WalterAbstract:In this case study of a community-based Ecotourism project in the rainforest of southwestern Cambodia, Honey’s (2008) analytical framework for “authentic” Ecotourism is applied to examine the social dimensions of sustainable Ecotourism. Following a discussion of the meaning of Ecotourism in the literature and an overview of Ecotourism in Cambodia, the study site, research methodology and findings are presented. In this exploratory case study, qualitative research methods included participant observation, interviews, focus groups and analysis of project documents. Findings for each of Honey’s seven analytical categories showed the complexity of community-based Ecotourism in addressing often contradictory concerns of environmental conservation, local livelihood, and cultural preservation, and the importance of local context to management of Ecotourism. The social dimension of gender, while not explicit in Honey’s framework, was also seen to be a key analytical category for community-based Ecotourism and sustainable development.
