AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Hospitality and Rural Resource Management

Graduate Program
Ibajay, Aklan

Master in Tourism Management Program

MTM 214- SUSTAINABLE AGRI-ECO TOURISM

Submitted to:

TONYLEN S. DE JOSE, MBA-HM

COURSE FACILITATOR

Submitted by:

REA MAE E. CERILO

STUDENT
ECOTOURISM AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES
INTRODUCTION
Ecosystem is a unit of biological organization interacting with the physical
environment such as the flow of energy and mass leads to a characteristic tropic
structures and material cycles.
Tourism
 World’s largest industry
 The practice of travelling for pleasure
 Fastest growing economic sector
 Positive and negative impact on people’s lives and environment.

Ecosystem + Tourism = Ecotourism

EMERGENCE OF ECOTOURISM

The word ‘ecotourism apparently first appeared in the English–language

academic literature as a hyphenated term (‘eco-tourism’) in an article by Romeril
(1985). However the Mexican ecologist Hector Ceballos-Lascurain used the Spanish
word ecoturismo even earlier in the decade (Boo 1990), and the national forestry
service in Canada was marketing the concept of an educational ‘ecotour’ along the
Trans-Canada Highway as far back as 1973 (Canadian Forestry Service 1973.
Fennell 2003). Intriguingly, Romeril used the word in reference to an earlier paper by
Budowski (1976), which is often cited as one of the earliest reference to the concept
of ecotourism.

Definitions:

What is Ecotourism?

Ecotourism- “Responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment

and improves the welfare of the local people.”

(The Ecotourism Society, Linberge &Hawkins,

1993).

“Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment,

sustain the well-being of the local people and involves interpretation and education.”

(The International Ecotourism Society, TIES,

2015).

Principles of Ecotourism

 It is Non-consumptive/ Non-extractive
 Creates an ecological Conscience
 Holds eco-centric values and Ethics in relation to nature
Segment of Ecotourism

 Ecotourism in wildlife
 Eco Adventure travels
 Sustainable tourism
 Responsible tourism
 Nature base tourism
 Green tourism
 Cultural tourism

Ecotourism in Wildlife
Wildlife tourism can be eco and animal friendly tourism, usually showing
animals in their natural habitat. Wildlife tourism in its simplest sense, is a watching
wild animals in their natural habitat.

Eco Adventure Travels

Eco adventure is the combination of adventurous activity with environmentally
responsible awareness.

Example: Floating a raging river, soaring through the three canopy.

Sustainable Tourism
Sustainable tourism is a tourism that takes full account of its current and
future environmental social, and economic impacts.

Any form of tourism that does not reduce the availability of resources and
does not inhibit future travellers from enjoying the same experience.

Responsible Tourism
Tourism which operates in such a way as to minimize negative impact on the
environment.
Responsible tourism is a tourism that respects the tourism destinations,
environment, community and culture.

Nature Base Tourism

A more generic term for any activity or travel experience with a focus on
nature.
Nature tourism, also called nature-based tourism, is a tourism based on the
natural attractions of an area. It consist of responsible travel to experience natural
areas and their landscape, flora, and fauna, protecting the environment and
improving the quality of life of locals.

Green Tourism
Green tourism stands for small-scale tourism which involves visiting natural
areas while minimising environmental impacts. In a nutshell, this type of tourism tries
to both minimise and reverse the negative effects of travel.

Cultural Tourism
According to the UNWTO, cultural tourism is “movement of persons for
essentially cultural motivations such as study tours, performing arts, and cultural
tours, travel to festivals and other cultural events, visits to sites and monuments,
travel to study nature, folklore or art, and pilgrimages.”

II. ROLE OF THE COMMUNITY IN ECOTOURISM

By increasing local capacity building and employment opportunities,

ecotourism is an effective vehicle for empowering local communities around the
world to fight against poverty and to achieve sustainable development.

In recent years, conservationist have come to recognize the crucial role and coastal
communities play in conserving biodiversity; many protected area managers have
developed mechanisms to incorporate these communities as stakeholders into the
planning and management process. At the same, the growing interest by tourist in
learning from and experiencing different cultures has led the tourism industry to
incorporate communities into its activities. This has led to a growing awareness by
communities of the opportunities tourism presents. Where communities are well
organized and have title to traditional lands they have been more successful in
capturing a greater share of tourism spending in natural areas. In the 1990s,
numerous indigenous and other local adopted ecotourism as part of their
development strategy.

Indicators for successful community participation in ecotourism.

Ecotourism Development

o The need for leadership

o Empowering the local community
o Linking community benefits to conservation
o Involving local people in ecotourism development project’s monitoring and
evaluation process
o Involving local role players at all stages of ecotourism development project.

III. PROTECTED AREAS AND ECOTOURISM

Protected area is defined as “an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated
to the protection and maintenance of biodiversity and other natural and associated
cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means” (IUCN,
1994).

The Philippines has always been considered one of the mega diverse country
in the world. With ecosystems that boasts of one of the highest levels of diversity and
endemicity of life forms and some of the most unique habitats in the world-home to
some of the planet’s critically endangered species of wildlife. With the country’s
habitats and ecosystems, which play a major role in maintaining ecological balance
in constant threat from illegal resource use and development activities increasing the
pressure on already declining resources, the country has become one of the
“Biodiversity hotspots” in the world.
In order to address these threats to biodiversity, the Philippine government in
cooperation and consultation with local and foreign conservation partners, embarked
on a mission to establish a system of protected areas in the country. Assessments,
researches and studies were conducted to determine and prioritize the conservation
of the last remaining Philippine species, habitats and ecosystems.

Two landmark laws were enacted for the establishment and management of
protected areas: Republic Act No 7586 or the National Integrated Protected
Areas System Act of 1992 and Republic Act No 11038 or the Expanded
National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) Act of 2018.
NIPAS and E-NIPAS define protected areas as “portions of land and water set aside
by reason of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance
biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation”.

With the passage of the NIPAS Act of 1992, priority conservation areas were identified
through innovative approaches and the legislation provided the framework for a
decentralized, community-based reserve management strategies.

Categories of Protected Areas under NIPAS and eNIPAS:

Strict Nature Reserve – is an area possessing some outstanding ecosystem,

features and/or species of flora and fauna of national scientific importance
maintained to protect nature and maintain processes in an undisturbed state in order
to have ecologically representative examples of the natural environment available for
scientific study, environmental monitoring, education, and for the maintenance of
genetic resources in a dynamic and evolutionary state.

Natural Park – is a relatively large area not materially altered by human activity
where extractive resource uses are not allowed and maintained to protect
outstanding natural and scenic areas of national or international significance for
scientific, educational and recreational use.

Natural Monument – is a relatively small area focused on protection of small

features to protect or preserve nationally significant natural features on account of
their special interest or unique characteristics.

Wildlife Sanctuary – comprises an area which assures the natural conditions

necessary to protect nationally significant species, groups of species, biotic
communities or physical features of the environment where these may require
specific human manipulation for the perpetuation.

Protected Landscapes and Seascapes – are areas of national significance

which are characterized by the harmonious interaction of man and land while
providing opportunities for public enjoyment through recreation and tourism within
the normal lifestyle and economic activity of these areas.

Resource Reserve – is an extensive and relatively isolated and uninhabited area

normally with difficult access designated as such to protect natural resources of the
area for future use and prevent or contain development activities that could affect the
resource pending the establishment of objectives which are based upon appropriate
knowledge and planning.

Natural Biotic Areas – is an area set aside to allow the way of life of societies
living in harmony with the environment to adapt to modem technology at their pace
Other Categories established by law, conventions or international agreements
which the Philippine Government is signatory.

Status of Protected Areas in the Philippines

 39% (2.7M of the 6.8 M forest cover of the Philippines are within
protected areas (as of 2015)
 93 of the 228 Key Biodiversity Areas are within protected areas

Under eNIPAS
 114 Protected Areas have backup legislation
 13 have previous Presidential Proclamation
 121 are remaining initial components

Additional Protected Areas under eNIPAS

1. Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA)
2. Ticao-Burias Protected Seascape
3. Buhi Wildlife Sanctuary
4. Tinuy-An Falls Protected Landscape

Update 2022: The following are the new protected areas categorized “Protected
Landscapes” under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS):

1. Mt. Arayat in Pampanga – Republic Act 11684

2. Mt. Pulag in Benguet – Republic Act 11685
3. Naga-Kabasalan in Zamboanga Sibugay – Republic Act 11686
4. Tirad Pass in Ilocos Sur – Republic Act 11687
5. Banao (Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park) in Kalinga – Republic
Act 11688

In terms of area, the following are 5 largest protected areas under eNIPAS
1. Tañon Strait, Cebu and Negros Islands (534,589 hectares)
2. Ticao-Burias Pass, Albay, Masbate, and Sorsogon provinces
(414,244 hectares)
3. Samar Island Natural Park, Samar (335,105 hectares)
4. Siargao Island, Surigao Del Norte (283,974 hectares)
5. Turtle Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Tawi-Tawi (242,958 hectares)

IV. Potential Positive and Negative Impacts

Positive impact of Eco-tourism
It acts as a deterrent to poaching as a steady flow of tourists hampers the secretive
activities of poachers, and provides no scope for collusion between forest officials
and poachers.
 Creates an interest and awareness among the people about indigenous flora and
fauna. It acts as a forum to educate and encourage conservation efforts
 Boosts economic development in areas surrounding reserves through sustainable
development
 Increases the revenue derived from tourism
 Preservation of local culture
 Creation of employment opportunities for the locals
 Encourages participation of local community in protecting and conserving the area
where they reside
Negative impact of Eco-tourism
The substantial economic benefits that are being derived from eco-tourism has
resulted in excessive commercialisation that has resulted in flagrant violation of
rules, guidelines etc that have been put in place for protecting the environment and
the rights of the people
 Eco-tourism propels only basic conservation of flora and fauna that is sufficient to
attract tourists. In reality, it does more harm than good. The tourists arrive in and ride
around the parks in vehicles which pollute the environment and scare the animals.
The incessant flow of tourist disturbs the animals. Also, tourists leave behind
garbage such as plastic bottles etc. which lead to environmental degradation
 To cater to the increasing demand for eco-tourism, land around parks and
sanctuaries is being cleared through deforestation, displacement of people etc. to
accommodate hotels, resorts etc.
 Mismanagement of eco-tourism sites causes more harm than any little good that
eco-tourism brought about
 Eco-tourism takes away livelihoods from the locals, and in return provides them with
low-paying subordinate positions in the resorts etc that are established. No viable
long-lasting employment opportunities with scope for growth are provided to the
locals.

V. KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT AT

THE COMMUNITY

Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable

travel.

 Minimize physical, social, behavioural, and psychological impacts.

 Build environment and cultural awareness and respect.
 Provide positive experience for both visitors and hosts.
 Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.
 Generate financial benefits for both local people and private
industry.
 Deliver memorable interpretative experience to visitors that help
raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and
social climates.
 Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.
 Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous People in
your community and work in partnership with them to create
empowerment.

ECOTOURISM AND THE TOURISM INDUSTRY

I. ROLE OF PRIVATE TOUR OPERATOURS IN THE PLANNING

PROCESS

1. Providing information about the potential market for ecotourism

activities.
2. Providing advice concerning visitor preference in terms of
attractions, accommodations, food and transportation services.
3. Marketing an ecotourism activity or program
4. Providing one or more of the services needed to facilitate visitors’
access to and appreciation of the ecotourism site.
5. Providing training of local guides and entrepreneurs.
6. Investing in an ecotourism operation. The investment will likely be
contingent upon an expectation of a certain level of financial return.
7. Operating an ecotourism operation such as ecolodge. Within a
protected area situation, these operators would be considered
concessionaries. As such, they would be subject to strict guidelines
covering everything from the energy sources used to the number of
guests they may handle at one time to the utilization of local
supplies and labor. They would also be required to pay concession
fee to the protected area administration.

II. THE DEMAND FOR NATURE TOURISM

The demand for nature and ecotourism is high and will continue to
grow. For some years now tourist have become more aware of leaving a
positive impact on the destination they visit. According to the UK’s Travel
Foundation, 75 % of British travellers wanted a more responsible vacation
in 2012. Forum for the Futures, also in 2012, estimated that 66% of
travellers wanted an easier way to identify a green holiday.

Reference

[Link]
57238509
[Link]
64745161
[Link]
[Link]
nature-eco-tourism/market-potential