What are some problems with so-called ecotourism?

The "promise" of eco-tourism is it increases the monetary value of standing (vs. logged, degraded, extinct) biological systems and thereby hopefully encourages the preservation of biological diversity. The problem is that some kinds of "eco-tourism" end do not contribute much to the local economy, meaning that they can enrich a few people while leaving others left out of the loop. In this case, for those left out, there is still little incentive to engage in conservation. So the fulfillment of the promise depends on the details of how an eco-tourism business is established -- whether it's community-owned or owned by just a few individuals.

Another "promise" of eco-tourism is that it is supposed to bring people closer to nature and thus instill a greater desire to protect it. It is very difficult to define eco-tourism, however, so not all "eco-tourist" activities do this equally well. For example, is off-roading eco-tourism? Is swimming with captive dolphins in an artificial lagoon eco-tourism? Is trekking through a rainforest in a small group eco-tourism? They may all be, but they probably impart different impressions of nature and the desire to preserve it.

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