Benifits from Tourism

Tourism has a particular potential in developing countries, which have a distinct advantage in possessing a wide range and high quality of attractive natural resources.

The benefits to a local economy are likely to be greater than those arising from conventional tourism and, as the emphasis is on nature, ecotourism provides an economic incentive for conservation.

Established ecotourism destination areas are thus located predominantly in developing countries but recent growth in ecotourism has included new areas such as Australia, and remote landscapes of the polar regions.

Well-developed destinations, such as Scotland, have also diversified into ecotourism with growth, for example, in whale and dolphin watching activities. Early ecotourism destinations such as Kenya, the Galápagos Islands, and Thailand have already suffered extensive impacts as a result of inadequate development controls and increased numbers of tourists.