Ecotourism: Principles, Practices & Policies for Sustainability - Research Paper Example

Methodology The methodology that is used forms the important part of the project as it is a means through which the result is reached that has been projected as the aim & objective. The approach followed in this paper is primary research to see whether the principles of ecotourism are implemented in the Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park and how effective they are. The data collected is a combination of quantitative and qualitative data. The literature survey includes past studies that have been done and this is where secondary research comes in. A descriptive research is carried out which discusses about the implementation of ecotourism in Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park (PCNP) and the reasons why it has been referred as an ecotourism site. The procedure thus followed in this project is mainly secondary and descriptive research followed by primary research. (Visit Prembrokeshire 2009; Prembrokeshire coast National Park, n.d.; Stopher and Metcalf, 1996)   Primary data being a direct source of information is more reliable as it is collected directly by interviewing the relevant person or from government records. There is no possibility of the data being modified by a third party and this helps in deciding which analytical techniques to use and how to interpret the results. There cannot be a better way to study the tourism industry, which is formed by tourists from different cultural and emotional background, and whether they as well as the local people are aware of the importance of sustainable development and their views about the implementation of ecotourism. At times, much relevant information cannot be gathered from official sources. First- hand information hence can be more apt.  But one disadvantage of primary research is that, it may not be always possible for individuals to travel due to time and financial constraints. (Ithaca College library, August 2009) The secondary research done here is based on existing works in this field. The resources are gathered from government publications, books, journals and articles of the United Nations Environment Program and economic periodicals. This is the very essence of secondary research. Such a research is advantageous as it saves time and money incurred for the research with easy and fast collection of data. Often secondary data is available for broad subjects about which it would be impossible to gather primary data. But the negatives lies in the fact that the quality of secondary research need to be scrutinized as the source is questionable and there is a possibility of incomplete information. It is also difficult to find data, which meet the exact needs of the researcher, and when capturing the people’s response, secondary data is considered outdated. (Ithaca College library, August 2009) The descriptive research done here is a theoretical analysis of the definition and principles of the concept, which has been later, used to frame the questionnaire for primary research and derive the results through analysis of the responses. Descriptive research, being only theoretical has a limitation. When we are looking to get the response of people and the resultant implication on the steps undertaken, it cannot be brought out through a theory. It has to be backed by primary or secondary research or both. So, in this paper I have done descriptive research, which have formed the basis for the analysis, and the primary research done later in this paper.    The primary research was conducted among 50 individuals through a questionnaire comprising of 19 questions. The questions are structured and close-ended, response to which have been gathered by face-to-face interview. There are some likert questions to bring out the degree of importance attached to a particular issue by the respondent, which would not have been brought out, by a close-ended question. The design of questionnaire has followed the positivist approach instead of phenomenological research. Positivist research implies using quantitative methodology through surveys and questionnaires. (Bradburn Sudman and Wansink, 2004; Oppenheim, 1992) Positivists are of the notion that this approach can distinguish between good solutions and current trends. (Gratton & Jones, 2004) Whereas, phenomenological research is a qualitative approach which is based on “lived experience” of participants through interview or a self-repot from the participants. There must be non-directive instructions so that, the participants’ descriptions are in no way influenced. But the disadvantage is, the participant being fully or partially unaware of the study, may cite facts, which are irrelevant to the study and understate facts, which are necessary for the study. So, here the positivist research works best. In our present study, I have limited the area of study to PCNP, thus addressing the questionnaire to the tourists only to get the general consensus about the very idea of ecotourism and also their attempts, if any for conservation and sustainability of the environment. This is the pilot survey that we conducted before performing the survey on a larger group. Most of the data gathered have been about the tourists visiting the park of different age group and different educational, cultural and professional background.  Now, the same questionnaire is used on a larger group of 300 people. The target population is the same as that of the pilot survey. (Marshall, 1996) The sample that has been interviewed comprises of tourists both from UK itself and tourists from other countries and the selection has been purely on a random basis. The chosen sample is expected to define the mood of the entire population. Thus, the motive is to achieve the most accurate answers from the respondents. Foreign tourists show interest in the local culture, interact with the locals more, buying locally made goods while local tourists visit the place just a vacation site of natural beauty. This difference in the thinking is aimed at. The data being a qualitative one and the amount of knowledge varying among the said population, the chances of sampling error are high.  The common notion about ecotourism and PCNP being an eco-tourist site has been that it is some way related to nature and the scenery of the place. There understanding of the term itself is very vague. This can be seen, when the people faced questions like,” What is your idea about ecotourism? ”, more than 35% of them answered, it is about “Travelling to natural destination”. But simply visiting a natural area is natural tourism and in no way ecotourism. But this trend gives an indication about the shift in choices of the people from traditional destinations to natural destinations. This increase is a long step towards ecotourism. Another problem that has been a hindrance for the survey was that, the vague idea that has been discussed above made people avoid any approaches made for the interview. This again has only one solution that has been already discussed. Another aspect that most of the respondents suggested is that the government should take up initiatives to educate people about this emerging concept, without which proper efforts from people cannot be expected. Like there is a misconception among people who find the concept of ecotourism identical with sustainable tourism. Sustainability is one very important aspect of ecotourism, but there are other principles. The general suggestion was that, the government should provide special benefits for travelers who are interested to visit natural areas. Low costs and good traveling provisions will add to this. This will encourage more of such eco-tourists. The study also showed, the travel choices especially of the local tourists, is not based on the ideals of conservation of the environment and the welfare of the local communities. This area should be checked. Tourists should be made more responsible to the environment and hence their travel choices should be guided by the ecotourism principles. (Wood, 2002)   Including the people from local communities and some of the park authorities, business houses and also governmental and non-governmental organizations could have broadened the scope of the study. This would have provided us with the local understanding and the measures taken for conservation of the environment, the negatives of ecotourism that result and the quality of interaction between the locals and the tourists, mainly the foreign tourist could have been analyzed. This is an important aspect as more of such interactions help generate revenue for the hosts, which could be used further for better ecotourism implementation by attracting more tourists to PCNP. Business houses involved must be encouraged to provide tourists with proper guidelines, certification and regulation. And local communities must be ready if necessary, to provide fund for ecotourism management or they will risk harming their own cultural and natural resources, ending up damaging their position in the competitive and fast-growing international tourism industry. In the last few decades, ecotourism grew rapidly in this growing tourism industry and if applied properly has the ability to impact the environment and also the society positively, but if it is not done properly, can be damaging similar to mass tourism and being usually located in fragile ecosystems, the environmental assets which help run the ecotourism projects, can be destroyed by affecting bio-diversity and wild-life adversely and giving rise to pollution which has already been a major concern. Another way to get a clearer picture about this issue is by conducting the research for a larger number of people (Wilson, 2002). Large data size is always favorable as the trend can be more efficiently studied and a result, is closer to the original picture can be reached. The study otherwise, is reliable and valid. The analysis that follows is based on the nature of the data. The target group being the tourists, proper understanding of their knowledge about ecotourism and its implementation in PCNP has been reached. It can be suggested from the study that more and more use of tour operators, guidelines and adequate training both for the tourists and the locals can minimize the negative impacts that results from increasing visitor impacts which is further a result of globalization. More and more innovations by researchers can be another solution. With the discovery of unique species, more tourists will be drawn to such location and the travelers paying for conservation and research initiatives. Educational programs and workshops allow people to join such field seminars and take initiative in environmental works. Local vendors like restaurants, taxis, recreation services (like kayaks, horses, boats, rafts), food stalls, guiding services, which are mostly run by the local people, play a crucial role in bringing about ecotourism. This further creates a market for local products and culture. Thus, the underlying principles of ecotourism have set new objectives for the tourism industry and lots remain to be done. (Wood, 2002)                       Questionnaire 1. Gender ? a. Male b. Female   2. Nationality   _________________________________   3. Age ? a. 16-20 b. 21-25 c. 26-30 d. 31-35 e. 36-40 f. 41-45 g. 46 and above 4. Occupation ? a. Technical b. Management / Administration c. Housewife d. Students e. Retired f. Others, please specify _______________________________   5. Rank according to your importance : 1 being the ‘most important ‘ to 6 being the ‘least important’   a. Natural ambience   b. Quality and Convenience c. Nature-Based Activities d. Recreational Activities e. Resort and related activities     6. How many times do you go on a holiday per year? a) 1 b) 2                c) 3                  d) 4                    e) More than 5                f) Never    7. What is your idea about ecotourism ? a. Travelling to natural destination b. Minimal impact to the environment c. Create environmental awareness d. Provide financial benefits for conservation e. Provide financial benefits for locals f. Respecting local cultures and ideologies g. Involves active community participation h. Mainly revolves around ecological protection i. Tourism that makes use of the natural attractions as destination j. Protection of natural habitats from urban transformation k. Other, please specify 8. Based on your knowledge and understanding on ‘Ecotourism’, please Highlight an answer for each statement below: 1. Yes 2. No 3. Not sure                                       a) Ecotourism is similar to sustainable tourist                 b) Ecotourism implies observing and appreciating the  nature     c. Ecotourism will educate the locals and tourists.   d. Ecotourism benefits the locals financially.   e. Ecotourism damages the environment.   f. Ecotourism activities are thrill-seeking   g. Ecotourism creates job   h. Ecotourism are managed by a Non Profit Organization   i. Ecotourism means to leave the nature habitat unaffected   j. Ecotourism has minimal impact on the local’s environment and culture.     9. Rank the activities below, in order of your preference as to what affects your choice of an eco-tourism holiday. Use numbers 1 to 6: 1-most important, 6-least important  Local people  Wildlife / Bird watching  Adventure sports  Historical sites  Meeting people of similar interests For relaxation and sight-seeing Experiencing diverse culture Good lodging facilities 10. Which one do you consider the most important factor/s when planning your holiday? Rank by numbers 1 to 5:  1- most important, 5-least important  Destination  Price   Referrals  Popularity  Conservation interest  11. How much of your holiday is spent in contact with nature?  a) All of it b) Most of it c) Some of it  d) Not a lot of it e) Almost none  12. How much environment conscious are you?  a) Very much responsible b) Not always responsible   c) Not responsible              d) Irresponsible           13.  How long do your holiday are?                  a) 1-2 weeks                  b) 2-3 weeks                  c) 3-4 weeks                  d) More than a month        14. Do you belong to any organization that works for environment conservation?                 a) Yes                 b) No      15. Have you been to Pembrokeshire Coastal Nature Park?                a) Yes                b) No If Yes, then answer Question 16 & 17    16. How many times have you been there?               a) Once               b) 2- 5 times               c) More than 5 times  17.  What do you find the best here?                a) Scenery                b) Activities                c) Experience                d) Informative                e) Guided Tour                 f) Other, please specify  18. Which of the following eco-tourism conservational measures you find applicable for PCNP?                a) Provision of energy-efficient vehicles for tourists                b) Use of solar energy and wind power by hotels and lodges                c) Least use of disposable items                d) Strict rules with heavy compensation for wildlife and greenery protection                e) More participation of local staff                 f) Provision for proper promotion of locally made goods  19) What is your view about the level of conservation?      In the National Park and wildlife: a. Excellent b. Good c. Fair d. Poor e. Very Poor   In the coast path: a. Excellent b. Good c. Fair d. Poor e. Very Poor In the beaches: a. Excellent b. Good c. Fair d. Poor e. Very Poor In the castles: a. Excellent b. Good c. Fair d. Poor e. Very Poor      References 1) Wood M.E. (2002). Ecotourism- Principles, Practices & policies for sustainability. UNEP & International Ecotourism Society. Retrieved on July 12, 2010 from http://www.ecotourism.org/atf/cf/%7B82a87c8d-0b56-4149-8b0a-c4aaced1cd38%7D/2002_UNEP-ECOTOURISM-PRINCIPLES_EPLERWOOD.PDF 2) Marshall M.N. (1996). Sampling for quantitative research. Family practice, 13(6), Retrieved on July 12, 2010 from http://fampra.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/13/6/522.pdf 3) Wilson T.D. (September 2002). Alfred Schutz, phenomenology and research methodology for information behavior research. ISIC4 - Fourth International Conference on Information Seeking in Context. Retrieved on July 12, 2010 from http://informationr.net/tdw/publ/papers/schutz02.html 4) Visit Prembrokeshire (2009). Prembrokeshire coast National Park- National park, Coast, beaches, mountains and Wildlife. Retrieved on July 12, 2010 from http://www.visitpembrokeshire.com/content.asp?nav=4%2C5&parent_directory_id=1 5) Gratton C. & Jones I. (2004). Research methods for sports studies. London: Routledge. 6) Prembrokeshire coast National Park (n.d.). The Park. Retrieved on July 12, 2010 from http://www.pcnpa.org.uk/website/default.asp?sid=55 7) Ithaca College library (August 2009). Research guides: Primary and secondary source. Retrieved on July 12, 2010 from http://www.ithacalibrary.com/sp/subjects/primary 8) Stopher P.R., Metcalf H.M.A. (1996), National Cooperative Highway Research Program, National Research Council (U.S.), NCHRP Synthesis 236- Methods for Household travel surveys. Washington: Transportation research board 9) Oppenheim A.N. (1992). Questionnaire design, interviewing and attitude measurement. London : Continuum 10) Bradburn N.M., Sudman S.& Wansink B. (2004). Asking questions : the definitive guide to questionnaire design for market research, political polls, and social and health questionnaires. San Francisco : Jossey Bass       Read More