What is the difference between ecotourism and traditional tourism

Tourism can also refer to the commercial organization and operation of holidays and visits to places of interest. Ecotourism is a special category of tourism, which is concerned with the conservation of nature and sustaining the well-being of local people.

The key difference between tourism and ecotourism lies in this involvements with nature; tourism is not much concerned about the well-being of local people and conservation of nature, but ecotourism tries to create a minimal impact on the people and on the environment. Tourism can be categorized as domestic, inbound and outbound. Domestic tourism refers to residents of a country traveling within that country.

Inbound tourism refers to non-residents traveling in the given country whereas outbound tourism refers to residents of a country traveling in another country. Tourism is a vital source of income for many countries and regions. Destinations with flora and fauna and cultural heritage are the main attractions of ecotourism.

Ecotourism programmes will attempt to minimise the negative aspects of traditional tourism and develop awareness and respect for culture and the environment, providing a positive experience for visitors and hosts. Nature tourism can refer to any trip with a natural area or a feature such as destination or fire. The intentions and activities of natural tourism are different from ecotourism. Nature tourism involves visiting natural attractions that have geographical or biological characteristics that have a specific appeal to the tourism market.

Some natural attractions common in tourism include rainforests, rivers, deserts, beaches, caves and cliffs, as well as a flora and fauna unique in these places birds, reptiles, plants etc. Tourists visit these natural attractions to enjoy the beauty of nature, explore different landscapes, escape the busy life, experience outdoor adventures in a natural environment and learn about the environment.

Some natural attractions may be close to cities, while some may be far from cities and cities. Ecotourism and sustainable tourism both have a focus on the environment, nature and promoting tourism and welfare of peoples at a local level. These commonalities shine a light on the urgent need for traditional tourism to transition into a more earth- friendly, community-focused form of tourism.

The differences, although are what separates these forms of tourism. Ecotourism must be more focused on nature conservation, environment or local culture and be of benefit to the local community. Sustainable tourism can be a bit more widespread as it can better fit all forms of tourism across a broader spectrum.

Nature tourism is a nature-based focus on nature activities only. Based on the information available, it is advisable to select from options which fall under the categories of ecotourism and sustainable tourism, if you are wanting your tourism selection to truly have an impact. Mass Tourism — involves the primary goal of making money from the tourism service provider, and the primary goals of experience, recreation and satisfying individual needs by the tourist paying for the service.

Conventional Tourism — can involve mass tourism, but also includes non mass tourism in the form of custom and niche tourism too. Sustainable tourism considers the short term and long term economic, social and environmental impact of tourism on all tourism stakeholders. This is especially important for attractions that are home to important ecosystems, biodiversity or wildlife.

For example, the impact of waste generation on a tourist area, and the experience of the local that have to live there if waste management is poor. Another might be that local decision makers should consider the impact that resource use by tourists has on the local population if certain resources are scarce.

Ecotourism is a specialized concept of tourism placing specific emphasis on the short term and long term impact of tourism on the environment, ecosystems and wildlife.

Environmental degradation, and a lack of long term social and economic planning by local decision makers might be common to mass tourism. Overcrowding, over saturation, congestion and large numbers of people and tourism products and services in one geographic area.