What is Ecotourism?
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In the words of WTO Secretary General Francesco Frangialli during the opening of the 2002 World Ecotourism Summit, “Ecotourism is a form of leisure and travel that represents the happy face of tourism. It brings out the best qualities of tourism, such as its capacity to create economic activity in the poorest regions, where there is no other alternative that can take the place of traditional livelihoods such as herding and agriculture, which are fast disappearing. It also opens up new outlets for such activities, as well as for fishing, handicrafts and the local building industry. It helps reduce the burden of the most indebted developing countries and finance their imports. And above all, it creates jobs – lots of jobs – jobs in the categories where they are most needed by young people, women and indigenous populations, jobs for highly qualified workers as well as for those who are less skilled, jobs in more remote areas that are ideal for hiking and discovery tourism, thus preventing the tragedy of the marginalization or forced emigration of young people who are just entering the job market.”
Click here to view speech by WTO SecGen Francesco Frangialli at the 2002 World Ecotourism Summit