Question

what is meant by: “Conceptualizing ecotourism as a 'holistic activity' that complements other economic activities and supports social cooperation, cultural pride, women participation, conservation, and tourist’s education seems to be a more realistic opportunity to attain sustainability.” What do you see as 'a sense of place' for this culture?

Answer 1

Creating a sense of place is a very important starting point for promoting any tourist destination. Ecotourism creates a sense of place by making tourism a means of promoting indigenous small business, local architecture and crafts, and the environmental resources. It also enables creation of employment in the economy by providing jobs to local people in the tourism development sector. Since the benefits of tourism are passed on to the local people, it creates a sense of responsibility among people to protect and nurture the local culture and natural resources by collectively cooperating with each other. It also provides an opportunity to women and marginalised sections to participate in creating a better tourist experience by actively participating in conservation activities. Holistic tourism development also involves educating the tourists about the value of local culture and environment and encouraging them to protect it by not littering or spoiling the balance of nature. So, the sense of place is created by the locals through their efforts at making the destination a unique spot for the tourists.