Some critics point out that a lot of that money that is brought in by tourists ends up back in many of the developed nations in terms of “profits earned by foreign-owned businesses, promotional spending abroad or payments for imported labor and goods.”


The international Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment and improves the well-being of local people”. Cox (2006) in her article notes that in the booming global travel business, ecotourism is one of the fastest-growing segments. Those who strongly advocate for this kind of tourism see it as a “benign tool for sustainable economic development in even the poorest nations” However, those who are critical of ecotourism point out to the dangers to fragile ecosystems which visitors flock to see, and the threats to the wellbeing of indigenous cultures as they come in contact with outsiders.

Cox notes that in the last twenty five years, many travelers have enjoyed expanding opportunities to visit locations once considered impossibly remote. Places like the Antarctica, Galapagos Islands and Mount Everest, have become popular destination spots for many tourists in recent years. Cox notes that for those tourists who seek meaningful experiences during their vacations, ecotourism has been able to provide them with these kinds of opportunities. Tourists are able to learn about different cultures and how other people live and are also able to observe and learn about unique natural settings and ecosystems. Advocates of ecotourism also point to the benefits that local economies gain by participants in the ecotourism business. In fact a number of development economists have pointed out that ecotourism is one of the best methods of local community development especially in many poor communities. This is especially so in communities where the indigenous people are made a part of the decision making process and are closely involved in the ecotourism    projects.

Indeed there has been some evidence that this kind of program has worked in some communities. In Kenya for instance, the Masaai and Samburu ethnic people who live near many of the most popular wildlife destination spots in the country that receive thousands of international tourists a year have partnered with the government and both local and international tour operators to manage some of the game parks and national reserves so that all the stakeholders can benefit from the tourism trade. In the past these communities had been marginalized and denied the benefits accruing from the tourism trade and this had led to a lot of disenchantment and retaliation from the local communities. Today, the development of these kinds of partnership has led to increasing trust and openness and even led to greater efforts at conservation and preservation of the natural environment by local communities and other key stakeholders.

Those who are critical of such development however, point out that for many other local communities around the world, ecotourism has not been the boon they thought it would be. Some critics point out that a lot of that money that is brought in by tourists ends up back in many of the developed nations in terms of “profits earned by foreign-owned businesses, promotional spending abroad or payments for imported labor and goods.”

Some have contended that many groups have joined the ecotourism or “green” bandwagon just to make quick profits and not necessarily because they care too much about the environment or even whether their services or tour offers are really ecotourism related.
Even as ecotourism has benefited numerous communities around the world, there has been increasing concern that fragile ecosystems are in great danger of tremendous damage. Cox (2006) gives an example of Costa Rica, where as a result of an explosion of visitors to some of its beautiful park systems, hundreds of Costa Rican workers moved into these areas to provide services to the tourists creating a negative environmental impact on the fringes of the preserves. This shows that more needs to be done to balance population needs with environmental protection.