An Introduction to Research in the Field of Ecotourism

Sandra Rhodda
Research Manager
Tai Poutini Polytechnic.

Growing interest in Ecotourism and realization of its current importance and capacity for future growth has led to a flourishing in Ecotourism research in the last two decades.

This is witnessed in the establishment of journals dedicated to Ecotourism research:

• The Journal of Sustainable Tourism was launched in 1993 to provide a unique insight into the complex and rapidly evolving world of sustainable tourism.
• The Journal of Ecotourism came into existence in 2002 in order to advance the field by examining the social, economic, and ecological aspects of ecotourism at a number of scales, and including regions from around the world.
• The Journal of Heritage Tourism was established last year (2006) and focuses on exploring the many facets of this very old form of tourism.

In addition to these dedicated journals, research papers on Ecotourism have also appeared for a considerably longer time in older, well established and respected tourism journals such as the Journal of Tourism, the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the Journal of Applied Recreation Research, and the International Journal of Tourism Research.  Occasionally, research articles in Ecotourism have also shown up in other types of journal, for example, the Journal of Environmental Education, The Journal of Environmental Management, and The Journal of Agriculture and Applied Economics.

There have been a growing number of books published on the subject, and an even bigger number of websites devoted to everything from the philosophy of Ecotourism to the advertising of products claimed to be Ecotourism friendly.  The later is dominated by the large number of Ecotourism operations.

Worldwide, research is carried out by such bodies as:

• The United Nations (who declared 2002 to be the International Year Of Ecotourism) through the auspices of such organizations as the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
• The European Union and similar regional bodies
• Universities and polytechnics
• Government departments (national, local, and regional)
• Tourism organizations and interest groups
• Individual operators

Research topics have included:

• Geographic distribution and spatial analysis of Ecotourism businesses
• Ecotourism as a tool for achieving conservation
• Ecotourism and the creation of commodities
• The social and economic impact of Ecotourism
• How to set up an Ecotourism business
• Assessing community support
• Community based Ecotourism
• Impact of Ecotourism on the environment and on communities
• Barriers to success for Ecotourism enterprises
• Performance goals and evaluation
• Certification of Ecotourism businesses
• Training and certification of Ecotourism practitioners
• Philosophical incentives in the creation of Ecotourism enterprises
• Economic incentives in the creation of Ecotourism enterprises
• Rural and urban Ecotourism
• Definitions and characterisations of Ecotourism

This is in addition to the usual types of tourism research being applied in the field, for example, market research, consumer motivation and satisfaction, technical, financial, and capacity building aspects, and other more general areas of research.

In New Zealand, research in Ecotourism is carried out at such institutions as the

• Tai Poutini Polytechnic
• Otago University School of Business Tourism Department
• The Auckland University of Technology New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, AUT NZTRI  
• Victoria University of Wellington in several schools
• The Tourism Recreation Research and Education Centre
• Landcare

In my next article, I will describe in more detail some of this research.