All Guides: Ecotourism Test Guide FY23: Culture

What is culture? Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music and is different all over the world. What is eco-cultural tourism? Eco-cultural tourism is a concept where both ecological and cultural aspects of a landscape are combined together creating a tourist paradise. It is travel to destinations where both cultural and natural endowments are the prime attractions and thereby considered to be a potential strategy to support conservation of natural habitats along with economic sustainability particularly to indigenous communities (link to article below).

Eco-Cultural Tourism: A Tool for Environmental, Cultural and Economic Sustainability (A Case Study of Darap Village, West Sikkim)
Eco-cultural tourism is a concept where both ecological and cultural aspects of a landscape are combined together creating a tourist paradise. It is travel to destinations where both cultural and natural endowments are the prime attractions and thereby considered to be a potential strategy to support conservation of natural habitats along with economic sustainability particularly to indigenous communities. North Eastern Region of India is one of the most mesmerizing regions of the Indian subcontinent that mirrors a perfect blending of life, culture and ecology. It is a relatively unexplored and unique area in terms of both ecology and cultural diversity and is characterized by the abundance of natural endowments; pristine forests with a huge diversity of flora and fauna, enchanting hills, fast flowing streams and meandering rivers, cascading waterfalls, snowcapped mountain ranges etc. Approximately there are 65 indigenous tribes in the region along with a host of sub-tribes having their own distinctive cultures, customs and traditions preserved till today. This article tries to argue through a case study of village tourism at Darap in West Sikkim that eco-cultural tourism is a potent force for the overall economic, social and cultural development as well biodiversity conservation in the region.

Romancing the Wild by Robert Fletcher
Call Number: G156.5.E26 F54 2014
ISBN: 9780822355830
Publication Date: 2014-03-12
The worldwide development of ecotourism—including adventures such as mountain climbing and whitewater rafting, as well as more pedestrian pursuits such as birdwatching—has been extensively studied, but until now little attention has been paid to why vacationers choose to take part in what are often physically and emotionally strenuous endeavors. Drawing on ethnographic research and his own experiences working as an ecotour guide throughout the United States and Latin America, Robert Fletcher argues that participation in rigorous outdoor activities resonates with the particular cultural values of the white, upper-middle-class Westerners who are the majority of ecotourists.

The Nara Document on Authenticity

Creating Green Roadways by James L. Sipes; Matthew L. Sipes
Call Number: TE175 .S52 2013
ISBN: 9781610913584
Publication Date: 2013-01-01
Roads and parking lots in the United States cover more ground than the entire state of Georgia. And while proponents of sustainable transit often focus on getting people off the roads, they will remain at the heart of our transportation systems for the foreseeable future. In Creating Green Roadways, James and Matthew Sipes demonstrate that roads don’t have to be the enemy of sustainability: they can be designed to minimally impact the environment while improving quality of life.
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development, Second Edition by Martha Honey
Call Number: G156.5.E26 H66 2008
ISBN: 9781597261258
Publication Date: 2008-08-18
Martha Honey presents an overview of the ecotourism industry and a first-hand account of ecotourism projects around the world. Based on interviews and visits to ecotourist hotspots in Latin America and Africa, she offers a vivid description and analysis of projects that meet the goals and standards of ecotourism as well as those that claim to be ecotourism but in reality fall short. She presents in-depth case studies of seven destinations (Galapagos, Costa Rica, Cuba, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa) that serve to illustrate the real world of ecotourism.
Nature Tourism, Conservation, and Development in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa by Bruce A. Aylward (Editor); Ernst Lutz (Editor); World Bank Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: G155.S57 N38 2003
ISBN: 0821353500
Publication Date: 2003-07-15
This book assesses how various institutional, policy and managerial options can enhance nature tourism's contribution to the 'triple bottom line.' There are win-win outcomes but also trade-offs between various policy objectives including: (1) Economic growth, (2) Poverty reduction, and (3) Conservation finance/Biodiversity conservation. This collaborative report highlights the complementarities and the trade-offs in promoting and managing sustainable nature tourism development and conservation.
Conservation by Monique Borgerhoff Mulder; Peter Coppolillo
Call Number: QH75 .M848 2005
ISBN: 0691049793
Publication Date: 2005-01-24
Conservation is a resource for all those who aim to reconcile biodiversity with human livelihoods. It traces the historical roots of modern conservation thought and practice, and explores current perspectives from evolutionary and community ecology, conservation biology, anthropology, political ecology, economics, and policy. The authors examine a suite of conservation strategies and perspectives from around the world, highlighting the most innovative and promising avenues for future efforts.

Media

In this episode, Lauren Chu of the Ridgeline report discusses sustainable travel with the hosts, and how we can minimize negative impacts on local people and environments of the places we visit.

In this episode, the hosts discuss eco-tourism and indigenous cultures in Australia, specifically on the Sapphire Coast and near Coffs Harbour.

Sumesh Mangalasseri, founder of Kabani tours, is a forerunner of sustainable tourism; an alternative outlook at the traditional and commercial income-generator. He covers how tourism from a community perspective in such a way that it does not hinder or damage the environment, along how the participation of the local community is the path to be taken has changed the face of tourism.