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An examination of wildlife tourism as a sustainable form of tourism development in North West Scotland
Author(s) -
MacLellan L. Rory
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of tourism research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.155
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1522-1970
pISSN - 1099-2340
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1522-1970(199909/10)1:5<375::aid-jtr203>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - tourism , wildlife , wildlife tourism , sustainable tourism , sustainable development , geography , ecotourism , tourism geography , natural resource , element (criminal law) , economic growth , business , economy , natural resource economics , environmental protection , economics , political science , ecology , archaeology , law , biology
The far North West of Scotland may be viewed as peripheral in European and UK terms. It has many characteristics associated with remote locations: rural depopulation, marginal economies, high quality natural environment, and cultures in transition from traditional to modern. Tourism is an important element in the survival andrevival of the economy of this region as traditional agricultural and fishingindustries continue to decline. Tourism has, however, had mixed success, withfluctuating demand and a high incidence of business failure. Forms of wildlife tourism have always been present as an important and relatively stable element of tourism activities in this area. However, the global growth in demand for wildlife tourism has led to the expansion of this sector and amajor study has been undertaken into the potential for wildlife tourism in the Minch area of North West Scotland. There is evidence to suggest that, if well managed, and before major expansion occurs, this may be a sustainable form of tourism development in terms of long‐termeconomic benefits, community involvement and support for and preservation of the environmental resources, i.e. the wildlife itself. This paper reviews the background to this development in general then focuses on a case study of a particularly popular form of wildlife tourism, namely cetacean watching. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.