Ecotourism 2E

Ecotourism, second edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect contemporary developments in ecotourism. Building on the strengths of the first edition, the text discusses the significance of ecotourism in the domestic and international tourism sector. Ecotourism origins, markets, venues and impacts form the basis of the first part of the book. Business aspects of ecotourism, external environments, organisations and policies are examined in the second part of the book, along with special environments and activities such as whale watching, islands, polar regions and indigenous territories. The management of ecotourism is covered comprehensively and is illustrated by extensive industry and destination examples derived mainly from the peer-reviewed literature. A highlight of the book is a regional survey of ecotourism that offers comparative insights into ecotourism in Australia, the South Pacific, Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa.


Ecotourism is a high yield tourist category within the national tourism industry and issues such as site planning and development, operator obligations and best practice, strategic management and the role of indigenous communities have become crucial professional and industry considerations.

* Focus on best practice for planning and strategic management of ecotourism venues

* Integrated discussion of the role of local and indigenous communities (balance, respect, knowledge) in ecotourism management

* Inclusion of field surveys and research activities

* Extensive use of literature from fields other than tourism studies

* Recognition of 'hard' and 'soft' varieties of ecotourism

* Pedagogical features include:

* Chapter vignettes that profile relevant industry experiences and issues. In the Field presents relevant issues from fieldwork research and Practitioner's Perspective profiles issues, experiences both successful and failed, relevant to ecotourism and sustainability.

* End of chapter questions that build student understanding of the concepts and test knowledge

* End of chapter comparative case studies examine topical and industry issues. They are ideal for tutorial review or for assignment activities.

1 Criteria and Context
2 Emerging Markets
3 Ecotourism Environments
4 Ecological Impacts
5 Economic and Socio-cultural impacts
6 Ecotourism as a Business
7 External Environments
8 Organisations and Policies
9 Selected Environments and Activities
10 Ecotourism World Survey