Reflections on the Connotations of Ecotourism

As the most desirable option for sustainable development of tourism industry, ecotourism still suffers from lack of a clear-cut and widely accepted definition, posing many risks and threats in its practices. Based on collection and collation of various concepts and explanations of ecotourism both at home and abroad, this paper reflects on the current connotations of ecotourism in terms of four aspects, namely, objects of ecotourism, ecotourists, nature of ecotourism as well as the relationship between ecotourism and communities. In-depth analysis was performed in an effort to revise the misinterpretation of ecotourism and provide implications for ecotourism initiatives. The main conclusions and fruits of this article include： 1） The objects of eeotourism should go beyond natural, pristine, or even only primitive natural areas to including cultural resources together with their natural context which also deserve preservation. 2） Tourism operators, compared to tourists, have more leverage and hence should shoulder more responsibilities for conservation. 3） Ecotourism should serve as a principle to guide tourism initiatives towards sustainability, rather than merely a special tour package. 4） The theoretic foundation was laid for community participation in ecotourism.

As the most desirable option for sustainable development of tourism industry, ecotourism still suffers from lack of a clear-cut and widely accepted definition, posing many risks and threats in its practices. Based on collection and collation of various concepts and explanations of ecotourism both at home and abroad, this paper reflects on the current connotations of ecotourism in terms of four aspects, namely, objects of ecotourism, ecotourists, nature of ecotourism as well as the relationship between ecotourism and communities. In-depth analysis was performed in an effort to revise the misinterpretation of ecotourism and provide implications for ecotourism initiatives. The main conclusions and fruits of this article include: 1) The objects of ecotourism should go beyond natural, pristine, or even only primitive natural areas to including cultural resources together with their natural context which also deserve preservation. 2) Tourism operators, compared to tourists, have more leverage and hence should shoulder more responsibilities for conservation. 3) Ecotourism should serve as a principle to guide tourism initiatives towards sustainability, rather than merely a special tour package. 4) The theoretic foundation was laid for community participation in ecotourism.