Ecotourism's Role: Balancing Profit, Demand, and Conservation

This essay explores the role of ecotourism in achieving sustainable development within the tourism industry, emphasizing the need to shift from exploitative practices to responsible measures. It highlights the importance of balancing economic development with environmental conservation and the well-being of local communities. The author reflects on a visit to the Taj Mahal, observing the detrimental effects of over-exploitation and advocating for proactive conservation measures. Ecotourism is presented as a solution that engages local communities, provides livelihoods, and ensures the long-term sustainability of tourism destinations by protecting natural and cultural resources. The essay concludes that by prioritizing environmental conservation and community needs, the tourism industry can maintain its profitability and demand in a sustainable manner.

Reflective Exercise: Four
With global warming on its persistent rise and the tourism industry reaching its peak,
the government of all the nations should call for sustainable tourism. The exploitative nature
of tourism should be replaced with responsible tourism measures. Ecotourism is a step
towards achieving sustainable tourism. Ecotourism ensures sustainable development of
tourism is achieved through economic development and conservation strategies. (Kiper,
2013) Through sustainable measures of the tourism industry, conservation strategies for
environmental protection could be achieved and the livelihood of the local community will
also not be hampered. If nature is nurtured and conserved, the profit and the demand arising
from the tourism destination can also be maintained in the long-term. Last year, I happened to
visit Taj Mahal in India. I was appalled at the over-exploitation of the tourist spot, which is
leading to the blackening of the marble of the monument. The government has mandated a
measure wherein no fuel driven vehicle will be operating in the near vicinity of the
monument and the tourist are provided with batter driven cars. However, the measure of
conservation should have taken long back. Ecotourism will engage the local community in
the development of the tourism of a place, which in turn can help in providing a livelihood
for them. Further, the mandate of administration for the protection of the tourism destination
will help to conserve the spot or monument which will ensure that the demand and revenue of
the tourism industry continue for long. Thus, it is possible to balance profit and demand of
tourism along with th environment conservation and people’s needs.

Reference
Kiper, T. (2013). Role of ecotourism in sustainable development. In: M. Özyavuz, ed.,
Advances in Landscape Architecture. [online] Available at:
https://www.intechopen.com/books/advances-in-landscape-architecture/role-of-ecotourism-
in-sustainable-development [Accessed 25 May 2019].
Kiper, T., 2013. Role of ecotourism in sustainable development. InTech.