STU 2063 ECOTOURISM MANAGEMENT

HILMI IBRAHIM

STU2063 ECOTOURISM
INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA

LECTURE 6

ECOTOURISM MANAGEMENT

Outline of Lecture

Phases in Ecotourism Management
1.Site Assessement
2. Planning
3. Implementing
4.Monitoring and Evaluating
5. Conclusion

Phases of Ecotourism Management

1. Site Assessement- study the destination
2. Planning
3. Implementing
4. Monitoring and Evaluating

1. Site Assessement Goal for Ecotourism

1. Nature-based forms.
2. Increased motivation of the tourists is the
observation and appreciation of nature.
3. Increased motivation of the tourists is the
observation and appreciation of traditional
cultures prevailing in natural areas.

1. Site Assessement Suitability

Bunruamkaew, K., & Murayam,
Y. (2011). Site suitability
evaluation for ecotourism
using GIS & AHP: A case study
of Surat Thani province,
Thailand. Procedia-Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 21, 269-
278.

2. Planning

1. Involves element of prediction what is
expected to happen/occur in future.
2. It’s more of methods and means used in
making decisions about the future.
3. A process of setting goals and then
developing the actions needed to achieve
them.

2. Planning in Ecotourism

Development strategy where natural
resources can be. utilized as tourism
attractions without causing harm to. the
natural area.



2. Planning in Ecotourism: Important

1.Provide guidelines in developing this sector –
systematic approach in development (as mandated by
the law).

2. Ensure all elements are developed in an integrated
manner to serve tourism as well as general needs.

3. Enable careful matching of tourist markets &
products through planning process – response to
increase use.

4. Optimize direct indirect benefits through
integrated planning (socio cultural environment).

2. Planning in Ecotourism: Important

5. Enable changes/adjustment to be made to revitalize
badly developed tourism areas – ensures flexibility of
development.
6. Achieve controlled tourism development – avoid or
minimize negativeimpacts/conflicts.
7. Provides a rational basis for development staging &
project programming

Planning process

1.Establishing goals & objectives
Goals are general statements of desired future
conditions
Objectives are specific, measurable & attainable

2. Determining strategies & actions
Management directions (e.g., providing interpretative
opportunities for visitors)
Actions are specific details of what need to be done
(e.g., providing visitor centre in a specified place.

E.g., Ecotourism Planning

1.Define what experience visitors will have.
2.The experiences they want to produce.
3.The visitors they want to attract.
4.The limits to environmental modification deemed
acceptable.



Ecotourism Diagnostic and Planning Guidelines

1.Designed to help parks and protected areas determine their
relationship with tourism

2.Can be used:
To help protected area managers evaluate the issues of
ecotourism
As a tool for a more formal planning process that would result
in an official ecotourism strategy for an area
As a framework for a planning process but does not detail how
to implement these strategies.

First Planning Steps: Assess the Current
Location/Situation

Doing a series of questions to guide assessment of current
situation:
1. In the Park Boundaries such as about
Natural Resources
Visitor Information and Use Levels
Park Infrastructure
Park Personnel

First Planning Steps: Assess the Current
Location/Situation

Doing a series of questions to guide assessment of current
situation:
2. In the Outside Park Boundaries such as about
Interactions With Local Communities
Regional (Within Country) Infrastructure
Other Regional Attractions
National Perspective (Legal, Policy, Budgetary)
Private Sector Involvement

Second Planning Steps: Determine a desirable tourism
situation & identify steps to reach this situation

Purposes:
Bring together representatives from many sectors (park
representatives, local community, tourism industry, ministry
of the environment/tourism, conservation community)
Build a coalition – form an ecotourism committee
Identify preferred ecotourism development scenario
Determine a strategy for pursuing scenario

Second Planning Steps: Determine a desirable tourism
situation & identify steps to reach this situation

Strategies:
List of activities needed to develop ecotourism in the park
Include a monitoring system – a dynamic process

Strategies Elements

Strategies Elements

Strategies Elements

Third Planning Steps: Write An Ecotourism Strategy
Document

Record, publish and distribute the strategy document:
Potential funding sources, donors, investors.
Becomes the officialecotourism plan for the area.
Changes must be approved by the ecotourism committee.
Incorporated into the overall management plan for the
protected area.
May be useful to hire a consultant for this phase.

3. Implemanting: Conservation and Eco-tourism

Ecotourism has both costs and benefits:
Ecological
Aesthetic
Economic
Social

3. Implemanting: Conservation and Eco-tourism

Ecotourism has both costs and benefits:
Ecological
Aesthetic
Economic
Social

3. Implemanting: Need of Tourist

3. Implemanting: Need of Tourist

4. Monitoring and Evaluating

Conclusion

Ecotourism management is a process that attempts to
minimize the negative impact of tourism on the
environment while maximizing the positive impact of
tourism on the local economy. Proper ecotourism
management requires a comprehensive understanding of
both the natural and cultural resources of an area, as well
as the economic factors that influence tourism.

THANK YOU

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