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Marshmallows for Alligators: Defining Ecotourism in S outhwest F lorida
Author(s) -
Jones Barbara K.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
culture, agriculture, food and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.308
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2153-9561
pISSN - 2153-9553
DOI - 10.1111/cuag.12058
Subject(s) - ecotourism , resource (disambiguation) , tourism , natural resource , operator (biology) , product (mathematics) , natural (archaeology) , service (business) , business , value (mathematics) , capital (architecture) , natural capital , marketing , ecosystem , advertising , computer science , ecosystem services , ecology , geography , biology , mathematics , computer network , biochemistry , geometry , archaeology , repressor , machine learning , transcription factor , gene
Should an ecotour operator feed marshmallows to wild alligators in the F lorida E verglades? Observing the operator encourage alligators to approach an airboat so that the tourists onboard could see them provoked questions about what ecotourism is and what value it has for both the tourist industry and resource preservation. Is ecotourism merely a new label for an old product or is it a real effort to reengage the public in our natural and cultural heritage resources, but in an environmentally sensitive and culturally appropriate way? To answer this question, this paper considers how the ecosystem service or natural resource capital model can help reconcile what ecotourism offers to both the traveling consumer and to those tasked with measuring and protecting our natural resources.