Event Title
Poster - Analyzing the “Eco” in Ecotourism: Costs and Benefits of South American Case Studies
Start Date
21-4-2022 6:00 PM
Description
While frequently touted as an effective mechanism for environmental conservation and community development, the burgeoning ecotourism industry and its impacts on ecological health and sociocultural preservation require further scrutiny. The most successful examples of ecotourism offer “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people” (Stem et al., 2003, p. 323). Over time, however, ecotourism projects can also provoke negative impacts like increased habitat disturbance, solid waste generation, and the erosion of cultural autonomy. We seek to explore this multifaceted industry by analyzing different South American case studies of ecotourism projects and how they intersect with indigenous communities, ecological restoration, and economic growth.
Recommended Citation
Cash, Sydney; Novak, Delia; Pritchett, Sarah; and Tedesco, Rocco, "Poster - Analyzing the “Eco” in Ecotourism: Costs and Benefits of South American Case Studies" (2022). The Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education. 30.
https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/yeah-conference/april2022/all-events/30
Poster - Analyzing the “Eco” in Ecotourism: Costs and Benefits of South American Case Studies
While frequently touted as an effective mechanism for environmental conservation and community development, the burgeoning ecotourism industry and its impacts on ecological health and sociocultural preservation require further scrutiny. The most successful examples of ecotourism offer “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people” (Stem et al., 2003, p. 323). Over time, however, ecotourism projects can also provoke negative impacts like increased habitat disturbance, solid waste generation, and the erosion of cultural autonomy. We seek to explore this multifaceted industry by analyzing different South American case studies of ecotourism projects and how they intersect with indigenous communities, ecological restoration, and economic growth.