English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Ecotourism is often touted as a new and responsible form of travel that is intended to ameliorate the negative social, cultural and environmental impacts of the traditional or mass tourism industry. As ecotourism is often promoted as a principled response to these impacts it is often presented in a light that accentuates its participatory, empowering and sustainable potentialities. While the popularity of ecotourism is rapidly increasing, its application as a tool for sustainable development is often cited as one of the main incentives for people who undertake this form of holiday travel. Drawing on a mix of library and ethnographic data, this thesis examines the ability of ecotourism to live up to it virtuous principles by observing ecotourism and ecotourists in the Belizean context. Through observations and information gained while participating as an ecotourist in Belize and by examining a large body of literature on the subject, my findings suggest that attempting to provide participatory, empowering and sustainable development to Belize is not often represented in the practice of being an ecotourist or the larger ecotourism industry. Rather, what motivates ecotourists and structures their behaviour is often an attempt to have an individually oriented experience of nature and culture. The primacy of these experiences for the ecotourist supersedes the stated principles of ecotourism and generates negative impacts reminiscent of the traditional tourism industry. Consequently, this thesis suggests that the specific experience of nature and culture most sought after by ecotourists tends to contradict ecotourism's stated purpose of providing economic development and modernization to the Third World.

"Mother nature's best kept secret": the principles and practices of ecotourism in Belize