Ecotourism, an emergent aspect of tourism, is considered one of the fastest growing industries in the world. According to the Economic Commission for Africa (2011), ecotourism is a panacea for promoting environmental conservation, socio-economic development and improving the living conditions of local people as well as sustaining their culture and traditions. This book discusses new research on the management, opportunities and challenges of ecotourism and sustainable tourism.

Offering an overview of worldwide ecotourism, showing how both the concept and the reality have evolved, this book examines the growth of ecotourism within the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya and South Africa, their political systems and their economic policies.

Published in association with the Royal Geographical Society.

This book offers conceptual and practical insights into the complex interactions between ecotourism and the natural environment, with consideration given to government policy, marketing by suppliers, consumer behaviour and visitor/environmental management. Illustrated by international case studies the roles of and interplay between tour operators, their clients, resource managers and local communities are examined. This creates a comprehensive and insightful overview of the factors that work for and against the achievement of environmental sustainability in and through ecotourism. The result is a critical examination of ecotourism and environmental sustainability that highlights ideas for best practice and proposes new directions for future research

Drawing on case studies from Pacific Islands, Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, this book examines ecotourism enterprises controlled by indigenous people in tribal reserves or protected areas. It compares indigenous ecotourism in developed and developing counties and covers cultural ecotours, ecolodges, and bungalows, hunting and fishing tours, cultural attractions and other nature-based facilities or services.

Sustainable Tourism in the 21st Century provides students, professionals and policy makers with a global overview of the growth of the tourism industry, its impacts, supply chains, environmental management techniques, and research requirements. It provides input on how policy makers should approach the tourism industry in future in the fields of environment, business, governmental policy, and sustainable development.

Sustainable Tourism is vital reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities associated with sustainable tourism development, and how government and industry have responded to the challenges the concept poses. The major areas addressed in this edited volume are: * perspectives and issues associated with the concept of sustainable tourism development * accreditation, education and interpretation, including specific examples such as Green Globe 21, the European Blue Flag Campaign and the WWF's PAN Parks Programme * sustainable tourism case studies of tourist destination regions, natural areas and tourism enterprises drawn from Africa, Australia, the South Pacific, North America, South-east Asia and the Caribbean An impressive international editorial team has combined to present in this text not only a variety of perspectives on sustainable tourism development, but also significant insights into barriers, challenges and current industry and government responses to it in various parts of the globe. 'Sustainable Tourism' will be a welcome addition to the libraries of tourism industry professionals, individuals involved in the management of natural areas; tourism policy makers; tourism academics; and students with an interest in the future sustainability of tourism and the industry that supports it.