The responsibility to grow our rural communities is a shared
one. In fact, majority of the tourism sites in Nigeria are located in most of
the rural areas. Development in these areas are not as fast-paced as urban
communities. Every year, rural development always finds its way to the
government’s shopping list but somehow doesn’t make it to the priority list.
Reasons for this might include, but not limited to, insufficient budget, lack
of proper planning and measurable goals. Most of the tourism sites in the
country domicile within these rural communities. It is therefore surprising why
we are investing hugely to develop these communities, considering the fact that
we are making conscious efforts to grow our tourism and travel industry into a
melting pot.
Sustainable tourism implies that a tourist who visits a
place tries to make positive impact on the environment, society and economy as
well. There are a good number of ways to do this: respect the people who
call the location home, their culture and customs and the socio-economic system
in the area. While it is not surprising that often times people tend to confuse
sustainable tourism with ecotourism, whereas ecotourism is actually an aspect
of sustainable tourism; this article will focus on the economic importance of
ecological tourism (ecotourism).
Tourism has many merits, no doubt. One of its demerits is
that it causes damage on the environment. Ecotourism, on the other hand, seeks
to promote responsible travel to natural areas that protect the environment and
advance the prosperity of the local people. It aims to provide a fun, relaxing
vacation while protecting the surrounding ecosystem. It often works to train
and engage the participants in an eco-friendly lifestyle. The adverse effects
of hotels, trails and other infrastructure are reduced through the use of
either recycled supplies or abundantly existing local building materials,
recycling, renewable sources of energy and safe disposal of waste and refuse.
If well managed, ecotourism will contribute actively to the maintenance of
natural and cultural heritage, namely, inclusion of local and indigenous
communities in its planning, development and operation, which reduces poverty
and enhances intercultural & environmental understanding.
As a responsible traveler who is interested in minimizing
the negative impacts of his tour and if you take special interest in local
nature and cultures, ecotourism should appeal to you. Remote areas, whether
populated or unpopulated and are typically under some kind of environmental
protection at different levels are destinations for ecotourism. Regulating the
number of tourists and type of behaviour will ensure limited damage to the
ecosystem as well as contribute to the minimization of its impact.
Tourists and residents of nearby communities need to be
educated before departure through reading materials about the country they are
visiting, location and the people, as well as a code of conduct for both the
traveler and the industry. This information helps prepare the tourists.
Well-trained, multilingual naturalist guides serve to
educate members of the neighboring community, students and the larger community
in the host country. To do so, entrance and lodge fees for nationals must be
reduced and free educational travels for indigenous students and those living
near the tourist attraction should be encouraged.
In addition, it also helps increase funds for ecological
protection, investigation and education through a selection of apparatuses,
including park entrance fees, tour companies, hotels, hotel booking portals
like Jumia Travel, airlines and airport taxes and voluntary contributions.
National parks and other conservation areas will only
subsist if there are "happy people" around their borders. The
inclusion and participation of the local community is critical to the success
of ecotourism. These communities should receive proceeds and other physical
benefits (potable water, roads, hospitals, etc.) from the conservation area and
its tourist amenities. Campgrounds, hotels, chaperon services, restaurants and
other enterprises should be run by or in partnership with communities
surrounding a park or other tourist destinations.
For ecotourism to be seen as a tool for rural development,
total economic and political control must be given to the communal, township,
cooperative, or entrepreneur. This is the most challenging and time wasting
idea in the economic equation and the one that foreign operators most often let
it slip through the cracks or that they follow only partially or formally.
Tourism helps in building international understanding and
world peace although this does not happen automatically; frequently in fact,
tourism strengthens the economies of repressive and high-handed states. Mass
tourism pays scarce attention to the political structure of the host country or
struggles within it, unless civil unrest escapes into outbreaks on tourists.
Ecotourism demands a more holistic method to travel, one in which participants
try to respect, study about and profit both the local environment and local
communities.
In many emerging countries, rural residents around national
parks and other ecotourism attractions are sealed in contests with the
government and transnational corporations for control of the assets.
Eco-tourists should therefore be sensitive to the host country's political
environment and social climate and need to contemplate the merits of global
boycotts called for by those supportive of democratic reforms.
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