types of nature based tourism

What is nature tourism and why is it so popular?

Nature tourism is a fantastic type of tourism and it is on the rise! But what is it and why is it so popular? Read on to learn more…

What is nature tourism?

Why is nature tourism important, what is the difference between nature tourism and ecotourism, types of nature tourism, bird watching, scuba diving, scenic driving, bush walking, visiting parks, fishing , cycling , nature tours, nature tourism- further reading.

Nature tourism is all about visiting natural areas and is closed aligned with the concept of rural tourism . Places that nature tourists might visit include might include beaches, forests or national parks. Activities focus on the natural environment rather than visiting man-mad features; think stargazing and hiking, for example. There are locations right across the globe which are perfect for nature tourism.

The CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries) in the Netherlands define nature tourism as follows:

Nature tourism, also called nature-based tourism, is tourism based on the natural attractions of an area. It consists of responsible travel to experience natural areas and their landscape, flora and fauna, protecting the environment and improving the quality of life of locals.

Nature tourism is important as it allows people to see and appreciate the beauty of our natural environment. Through this kind of tourism, we are able to escape the pollution and pressures of city life – it is good for our physical and mental wellbeing to be out in nature, breathing in fresh air and seeing lush greenery or sparkly blue seas. Nature tourism also encourages visitors to take an interest in the natural environment, which may then translate to them making a more conscious effort where environmental issues are concerned. With climate change being an ever-present and ongoing issue, this is definitely a good thing.

Following on from this, nature tourism gives land owners, local communities and local governments more reason to preserve and take care of natural areas. If they know people will come to visit, it is in their best interest to look after these places and is a great incentive for developing their sustainable tourism provision. Visiting tourists can do wonders for local community pride this way.

As with all tourism, nature tourism brings in money . This economic boost trickles down through a whole community; people need places to stay, and food to eat, and they want to buy souvenirs. Hikers may need to buy replacement walking boots, and weary explorers will always need somewhere to rest their heads at night. Jobs are created and economies are boosted through natural tourism, in the surrounding areas of the specific locations too.

Is nature tourism different from ecotourism? Put simply, yes. They are very similar, but ecotourism is perhaps a more specialised branch of nature tourism if we were looking to clearly define the difference in some way. Nature tourism is about visiting an area – responsibly, yes – rather than actively aiming to learn about the environment and participating in its protection. A nature tourist might visit a beach and admire its beauty, while an ecotourist might join in with a beach clean-up. The lines are blurred, of course, as they so often are when we try to differentiate between types of tourism .

There are different types of nature tourism. This is where we will see similarities with another kind of tourism: adventure tourism. You can read all about adventure tourism here if you’re interested! However, the similarity is that both can be split into two ‘types’: hard and soft.

Soft nature tourism might involve bird watching, visiting a beach to sunbathe, gentle walks through country parks and so on. Hard nature tourism is a bit more tough going: mountain climbing, bush walking and scuba diving, for example. Below I’ll go into some of these specific examples, so you can see how diverse nature tourism is!

Nature tourism examples

There are many examples of nature tourism to be found. Keep reading to see what they are, and whether they fall into the hard or soft category.

Bird watching is an example of soft nature tourism. People of all ages and abilities can do this, with or without a guide. You just need some background knowledge of bird species (or a book explaining them) and perhaps some binoculars. the Gambia is a hotspot for bird watching!

This is more of an example of hard nature tourism. It’s much more adventurous, and requires specialist equipment and a guide or a lot of training/experience. Head under the water to see what kind of nature is on display down there: coral, fish, shells and so much more. It’s subjective, but Barracuda Point in Malaysia is apparently the most beautiful place in the world to scuba dive… and I am a big fan of diving in Dahab , Egypt too!

This is another ‘soft’ activity in that it is low-risk and doesn’t require physical exertion. The North Coast 500 in Scotland is an example of a famous scenic drive – this is a great way to experience nature. From rolling hills to winding rivers, there is so much to see out of the window from the comfort of your car. Another fantastic example is the Kings Highway in Jordan , where you will see endless desert, canyons and incredible rock formations.

Camping is, again, an example of soft nature tourism. While it’s a little more ‘involved’ than scenic driving, for example, it is still relatively low risk and most of us are able to participate. Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand is said to be one of the most beautiful places in the world to camp, with its green landscapes and snowy mountain scenery. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro gives you some fantastic camping opportunities too- just make sure you buy the best wild camping tent !

While controversial, hunting tourism is an example of nature tourism as it takes place in natural spaces. It is definitely one for the hard category, as you need special equipment to do so and it can obviously be quite dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. It is also often a discussion point for ethical tourism .

For the most part, this is a very safe activity and therefore falls into the soft category again. Guided tours are available in all of the very best stargazing locations, such as El Teide National Park in Tenerife, and it has even spawned its own branch of tourism. This is known as dark sky tourism, and there are many examples of activities that fall within this. They include stargazing, of course, alongside seeing the Northern Lights, watching an eclipse, astronomy tours and staying in accommodations that offer a clear view of the night sky such as glass domes.

This can be dangerous in that it is all about going off the beaten track, and walking through bushes/on rough ground. Therefore we can categorise this as hard nature tourism; it is something you would do when hiking, and gives you a bit of an adrenaline kick!

One of the easiest and most common forms of nature tourism is simply visiting a park. Whether this is a UK national park or your local green space at home, visiting a park is a definite example of this type of tourism. You’ll see birds, insects, flowers, trees, grass and more. Have a leisurely stroll, cycle through or sit and eat a picnic surrounded by nature.

Fishing falls in the middle of the soft and hard categories. You do need specialist equipment, but with most types of fishing there is little to no risk to life involved. But you need to be in nature – by or even on a lake or river – to do it, so it definitely counts as a form of nature tourism. People have obviously been fishing for years as a source of food gathering, but it is also a recreational hobby enjoyed by many.

This is another middle of the road activity. Kayaking can be dangerous, although it usually isn’t – you’ll often have a guide with you, and of course specialist equipment (the kayak) is required. It’s a really fun activity that many people enjoy!

You can visit a beach and simply do… nothing! This is still an example of nature tourism, as beaches are natural environments. Bali has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and tourists flock there to relax and soak up the sunshine. Beaches are also usually near to bars and restaurants, and you might find people doing beach yoga or watching the sunrise/sunset. Thailand even has all-night moonlight beach parties. They are versatile and beautiful locations!

Again, another activity that could be considered hard or soft. It depends where you go, really. A gentle bike ride along a specific cycle lane through a park is nothing like mountain biking in harsh terrains. It’s all about the level of ability you have and what risks you’re willing to take. But cycling is definitely a great way to get out and about in nature. It is also a low-cost and eco-friendly activity, which makes it a winner from many angles.

These tend to be a longer duration than many activities mentioned above, which you may do regularly but for a few hours at a time. Nature tours are days or even weeks-long trips, out into the wilderness with nature and wildlife experts. You might travel by air or train, or go on a cruise, and your guide will be on hand to point out every aspect of nature there is to see. These nature tours will take visitors to some of the most beautiful destinations on earth, such as trekking in Chiang Mai , Croatia, seeing the glaciers in Iceland and Alaska, and gazing at the best waterfalls in Finger Lakes . They’ll set you back a fair bit, but the memories you’ll make seeing bears and waterfalls and glorious sunsets will more than make up for it!

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Nature Based Tourism

Nature Based Tourism: The experience involves and revolves around the area’s natural products and will include either or all of these animals, plants and human cultural variety. Certain principles that have to be included and made a part of the plan are: Geographic and Historical Education; Resource Use with Sustainability; Zero Environmental Degradation; Adding to the Region’s Sustainable Development; Respectful of Local Societal and Cultural Norms; and Merging it with health business and tourism.

The importance of nature based tourism for a destination can be multiple. Nature has a high stake in attracting tourists to a place. Tourism is not a single industry but is a multi dimensional. Often the studies have focuses don considering nature tourism with tourism activities done in nature areas, where the players are visitors and their experiences in a nature based environment or of nature itself.

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Often nature based tourism is confused with ecotourism or green tourism which is incorrect. Ecotourism is a higher version where travel is to fragile, protected and virgin areas where tourists are engaged in a way that they have minimal effect on natural-social and cultural fabric of the place. Thus Nature based tourism is a universal set where ecotourism is a sub set. Ecotourism also takes note of the attitude of the visitor, visitor’s knowledge and defines how ecotourism should proceed nature based tourism is free from all these shackles. Nature is an inseparable part of elements of tourism and is one of the expectations of the visitor for any destination.

Who is a nature based tourists and who is not is not an easy task to define as a tourist may be attracted because of nature at a place but whether he/she will practice and indulge in nature based activities is questionable. Because of improper definitions even getting the size of the segment and collecting statistics, doing research is a challenge faced by many. One way such tourists can be recognized are the activities that the tourists undertake and the amount of involvement they do with the nature and the overnight stay aspect that can solve the definitional issue. But in such a scenario often outdoor recreationalists also comes in the segment of nature based tourists.

Often the service providers for nature-based tourism are not properly segregated or classified. Often in economic terms also it is solely the activity that is counted rather than the accommodation, transportation and food services that they take. So we get a part of their economic effect.

CATEGORIES OF NATURE BASED TOURISM / TOURISTS

Nature based tourism can be classified into many categories depending on the place, kid of activity, motivation or reason, and the type be it sustainable, organized or commercial. It provides ease in quantifying tourism and tourists on nature based basis and helps to produce concrete statistical results. Tourist classification can also produce nature based tourism segmentation. Few studies recognize six kinds of nature-based tourists:

Committed Nature Tourists – these tourists are few in number who does not only admire nature but takes step to conserve it, they show action.

Interested Nature Tourists- Such type of tourists shows a concern and interest in nature tourism but lacks a deep commitment towards the nature.

Casual Nature Tourists – they are combining a vacation with a visit to the nature based areas.

Nature Tourists- these tourists have certain very fixed cultural inklings.

Sport or Adventure Tourists- These type of tourists are interested in sports or in involving in adventure in natural areas.

Hunting And Fishing Tourists- For such type of tourist’s nature is just a ground for their activity and entertainment.

DEMANDS FOR NATURE BASED TOURISM

Nature based tourism in its broadest of meanings is a part of ever-growing tourism industry. The quest of tourist for something new and not experienced before is what is giving rise to such a phenomenon. The understanding of the human role in global degradation an destruction is much clearer than before, thanks to all the researches that have been done and studies undertaken. The consumers too have awaken and so does tourists and have started asking for sustainable substitutes and sustainable products. Alternative tourism, which is a shift from mass tourism or an escape from mass tourism, is a result of this new consumer awakening in the tourism industry. The tourists will now like small scale tourism and will move in smaller groups. The tourist will avoid more crowded and busier tourists centers. The tourists tend to skip mass organized events and trips. They would seek more original, authentic, and more localized experiences and interactions. Nature based tourism in many ways provide a good option to Alternative Tourism Seekers. Such experiences are more readily available in countryside and rural environment and have less of tourism development. Yet sacrificing the amenities and services for tourism is not easy.

Thus Nature Based Tourism is a global industry with economic and social importance both at local and global regions. Thus nature based tourism talks about the tourists experience and activities in nature while visiting the natural areas.

CULTURAL ASPECT

Nature based tourism does not involve shunning out people. It includes culture as an inseparable part of culture. It respects people’s viewpoint and the interactions with them. Cultural tourism actually can exist with natural tourism and can even support or complement it. Cultures are not only objects but also way of life. Culture “is both traditional and creative and it has both ordinary common meaning (way of life) and unique individual meanings (art and learning)”. Natural tourism is interested with ordinary common meaning i.e., way of life. This has given way to the broadest classification nature based attractions and cultural attractions. These both can be written under one head, which is Recreational Tourism.

There is a interdependence between cultural and natural tourism. Example can be ice fishing safaris; they are done in nature, have unique natural environment but has cultural element in it.

The three elements are important for tourist attraction — “the environment to observe, activities to participate and experiences to remember”. If environment here is nature then activities and experiences can be cultural too, proving the complementing relationship between the two. Rather a cultural element enhances the nature based tourism experience.

DEVELOPMENT OF NATURE BASED Tourism PRODUCT

Products can be services too and especially this is true in the case of tourism. There has to be an element of differentiation to position a product, be it service product in the market. It is not about high quality of a product but one need a good story behind the product too. This story should generate tourist involvement, deep connection and should move the tourists. The 6A’s of products have to be remembered

ATTRACTIONS
ACCESSIBILITY transport to and inside the destination
ACTIVITIES Tourists is out to do it.
AMENITIES these are services including accommodation, food etc.
AVAILABLE PACKAGES The bundling of various services.
ANCILLARY SERVICES Routine services not related to tourism.

These have to be built and a story has to be created behind it. It should be services and much beyond it. Creating stories and enhancing the appeal of the product is a tough balance. Kotler’s model present the five stages and how higher customer value can be attained.

First is the core benefit, is the service per se which the customer is buying egs snowmobile safari. Second Stage the core benefits transform into Basic Product egs. Renting of snowmobile and the guide services.

Third is the Expected Product. The features and characteristics that a tourist expects from a product egs a modern snowmobile, polite guide and a fun ride.

Fourth is the Augmented Product it should create a wow effect and exceed the expectations of the customer. Egs. The story behind the product and additional values.

Fifth step is the Potential Product all the augmentations and transformations a product may face in the coming times. Noveau ways for product distinguishment and customer satisfaction are searched.

Product development is an ongoing phenomenon and cannot be done in isolation. Market research and marketing are inseparable part of product development. Value chain has to be kept in mind which is creation of more customer value.

Stephen Smith presents a model which relates more closely to the Nature based Tourism.

The First element in this is the PHYSICAL PLANT . This is crux of tourism product and in this case may be a natural site, facilities, weather etc. It is physical which tourists want to witness.

Second element is SERVICE. The physical part needs some sort of service to establish a link with the tourists.

HOSPITALITY is the third element it is beyond great service quality but something extra. Hospitality define dthe way the task is being accomplished. Hospitality is comprehensive and less measurable. FREEDOM OF CHOICE is the fourth element which refers to the choices or the options that customers needs to take for making it satisfactory. There can be surprises also.

INVOLVEMENT here means complete engagement of the customer. These combinations of five elements in nature based tourism product can yield high quality and satisfying product.

Product development is not easy the product should meet the needs of the target market deals with request and expectation of the target market and add customer value.

SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES

Nature based tourism product development is incomplete without the issues of sustainability and the stakeholder’s participation. Stakeholders are any cohort or a person who has a power to affect or get affected by attainment of organizational’s objective.Stakeholder and sustainability are related in the sense that sustainability is the responsible attitude towards stakeholder’s, the environment and the economy. Responsibilities can be of variety like legal, ethical and economic. There can be multiple stakeholders where emphasis has to be on communication, interaction, win-win solution finding processes, equity and equitable representation of stakeholders.

Sustainability may look like a wastage of time but communicating with stakeholder’s for day to day operations and developments too create a strong base, results in environmental preservation and avoidance of negative attitude from different quarters. Overall it creates benefits.

Nature and Wildlife make India stands at the tenth position as a mega biodiversity country in the globe because of large variety of flora and fauna that exists. Its number is fourth in Asia. The Indian soil, land, climatic conditions, rainfall, temperatures and different seasons support the growth of natural areas. Southwest monsoons and also retreating monsoon elongate the rainy season. Approximately twenty two plus percentage of India’s total area is covered by the evergreen forests, which results in two per cent of the global forest cover. India has a variety in terms of vegetation and can be demarcated as Tropical rain Forests, Tropical Deciduous forests, Tropical thorn forests and shrubs, Mountain forests, Mangrove forests and Tropical rain Forests. There are commercial and non commercial trees growing in these regions. This abundance of food and cover helped wildlife to grow like elephants, lemurs, one-horned rhinoceros, deers, wild boars etc. The government is also ensuring steps to conserve this. There are fourteen defined biosphere reserves in the country. Botanical gardens are funded since the year 1992. There are various projects like project tiger, project rhino etc being run time to time. There are well defined national parks eighty nine in number, wildlife sanctuaries forty nine in number and many zoological gardens and wildlife conservations centres set up all over India.

The Indian Natural Tourism Products have a variety of natural resources such as areas, climate, landscape and natural environment. These attract tourism to India. India’s natural tourism products are in a variety and can be classified as:

COUNTRYSIDE
CLIMATE— Temperature, Sunny Days, Snowfall, Rains
NATURAL BEAUTY — Mountains, Hills, Deserts, Gorges, Backwaters, Terrains etc.
WATER — Lakes, Rivers, Ponds, Springs, Waterfalls, Sea, Oceans
FLORA and FAUNA
BEACHES — Rocky, Sand, White Sand etc.
ISLANDS — Lakshadweep, Andaman, Nicobar etc.
SCENIC ATTRACTIONS

Natural resources hold importance for developing tourism in the country. Ecotourism trails have been introduced to conserve resources. Lakes, rivers, sanctuaries and adventure sport points have been demarcated for touristic activities. Attached to this is the five thousand old histories twined with the products to provide a boost to tourism.

Indian weather variety adds to overall holiday experience. The population from the extreme climate areas of the globe move from one country to another. Having winter warmth, winter sunshine, is also nature’s benevolence. India has many upland cool areas which have been developed by the Britishers as “Hill Stations”. The mountains especially the mighty Himalayas, Vindhayas, Satpuras etc. Canyons, Coral reefs, Cliffs, Peaks are all attractions. Waterforms like canyons, geysers, lakes, waterfalls, backwaters of Kerala, Dal lake etc. attract tourists and provide recreational facilities. The forests of North Eastern states alongwith their wildlife attracts all. Trekking, rock climbing, wind surfing, scuba diving, mountaineering, canoeing and kayaking are sports that needs nature and India has abundance of places for its practice. Kerala with its serenity, greenery offers ayurvedic resorts and spas. Rishikesh, Haridwar etc. have become hub for spiritual and holistic retreats combing nature and wellness. Islands are full of flora and fauna. Thus islands are an ideal getaway for adventure, nature and cultural lovers. The topography of Islands is all encompassing and provide exotic flora and fauna as an add-on.

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Eco Tourism – Definitions, Types, History, Characteristics, and Functions

Around the world, ecotourism has been hailed as a panacea: a way to fund conservation and scientific research, protect fragile and pristine ecosystems, benefit rural communities, promote development in poor countries, enhance ecological and cultural sensitivity, instill environmental awareness and social conscience in the travel industry, satisfy and educate the discriminating tourist, and, some claim, build world peace.

Ecotourism is a form of tourism that attempts to minimize its impact upon the environment, is ecologically sound, and avoids the negative impacts of many large-scale tourism developments undertaken in the areas which have not previously been developed.

History of Eco Tourism

The origins of the term ‘ ecotourism ‘ are not entirely clear, one of the first to use it appears to have been Hetzer(1965), who identified four ‘ pillars ‘ or principles of responsible tourism: minimizing environmental impacts, respecting host cultures, maximizing the benefits to local people, and maximizing tourist satisfaction. The first of these was held to be the most distinguishing characteristic of ecological tourism.

Other early references to ecotourism are found in Miller’s (1978) work on national park planning for ecodevelopment in Latin America, and documentation produced by Environment Canada in relation to a set of road-based ‘ecotours’ they developed from the mid-1979s through to the early 1980s.

Ecotourism developed ‘within the womb’ of the environmental movement in the 1970s and 1980s . Growing environmental concern coupled with an emerging dissatisfaction with mass tourism led to increased demand for nature-based experiences of an alternative nature.

At the same time, less developed countries began to realize that nature-based tourism offers a means of earning foreign exchange and providing a less destructive use of resources than alternatives such as logging and agriculture.

By the mid-1980s, a number of such countries had identified ecotourism as a means of achieving both conservation and development goals. The first formal definition of ecotourism is generally credited to Ceballos Lascurain in 1987.

Definitions of Eco Tourism

According to Ceballos-Lascurain, ecotourism is the , ” traveling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestation (both past and present) found in these areas.”

Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as, ” responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

According to the Ecotourism Association of Australia , ” ecotourism is nature-based tourism that involves education and interpretation of the natural environment and is managed to be ecologically sustainable.”

This definition recognizes that ‘natural environment’ includes cultural components and that ‘ecologically sustainable’ involves an appropriate return to the local community and long-term conservation of the resource.

According to Tickell , ecotourism is “travel to enjoy the world’s amazing diversity of natural life and human culture without causing damage to either”.

Ecotourism is ecologically sustainable tourism that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.

Types of Ecotourism

Fennell considers that ecotourism exits within the broader classification of tourism types which, at an initial level, can be divided into the following types:

Mass Tourism
Alternative Tourism

Mass tourism we saw as the more traditional form of tourism development where short-term, free-market principles dominate and the maximization of income is paramount. The development of the tourism industry was originally seen as a desirable and relatively ‘clean’ industry for nations and regions to pursue. This was particularly true in terms of benefits in foreign exchange earnings, employment and infrastructural development such as transport networks.

These days we are more prone to vilify or characterize conventional mass tourism as a beast; a monstrosity which has few redeeming qualities for the destination region, their people and their natural resource base.

This is not to deny that ‘ mass tourism ‘ has caused problems, because it has. There has, quite justifiably, been a need to identify an alternative approach to tourism development that lessens the negative consequences of the mass tourism approach.

Thus the ‘ alternative tourism ‘ perspective has become a popular paradigm. This alternative approach has been described as a ‘competing paradigm’ to mass tourism, but it can also be viewed as a complementary approach to tourism. That is, it is not possible to have ‘alternative tourism’ to.

So, the discussion returns to a semantic debate, perhaps it is best to accept that alternative tourism is a natural outcome of the maturing understanding of tourism development and its strengths and weakness. Fennell states that :

Alternative tourism is a generic term that encompasses a whole range of tourism strategies (e.g. appropriate, eco, soft, responsible, people to people, and green tourism) all of which purport to offer a more benign alternative to conventional mass tourism in certain types of destinations.

However, Weaver quite rightly points out that there are also many criticisms of alternative tourism. It is clear that just because alternative tourism has developed as a reaction to the negative consequences of mass tourism it is not necessarily less harmful or better than its alternatives.

Nature of Ecotourism

Tourism activity is expected to grow by 4.3% per annum in real terms between 2008 and 2017. Ecotourism or nature-based tourism has become the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry growing 3 times faster than the industry as a whole.

There can be no doubting of the increasing trends in environmental concern allied with the historically prevalent trend of travel as for, of escape to nature, driven by the pressures of urban living encourage people to seek solitude with nature, therefore, increasing the numbers of visitors to national parks and other protected areas.

There are a number of dimensions to nature-based tourism. All forms of travel to natural areas are not necessarily ecotourism, but this provides a useful step in differentiating nature-based tourism from ecotourism and gives us a number of levels at which to distinguish the relationship between specific tourism activities and nature:

Those activities or experiences that are dependent on nature.
Those activities or experiences that are enhanced by nature.
Those activities or experiences for which the natural setting is incidental.

There are several classes of nature-based tourism, each utilizing a combination of these dimensions. Bird watching, for example, can provide a pleasant and relaxing holiday based around a general interest in nature and the environment. So that without the natural environment it would be difficult to carry out the activity.

Similarly, camping is an activity/experience which often enhanced by nature. Most people would prefer to camp in some type of natural setting rather than on the side of a busy road. Therefore, nature is an integral part of these experiences but not the fundamental motivation for them.

Principles and Guidelines of Ecotourism

Ecotourism attracts people who wish to interact with the environment and, in varying degrees, develop their knowledge, awareness, and appreciation of it. The Ecotourism Society gives the principles and guidelines of ecotourism. These are following as:

Prepare travelers to minimize their negative impact while visiting sensitive environments and cultures before departure.
Prepare traveler for each encounter with local cultures and with native animals and plants.
Minimize visitors impacts on the on the environment by offering literature, briefing, leading by example, and taking corrective actions.
Minimize traveler impact on cultures by offering literature, briefings, leading by example, and taking corrective actions.
Use adequate leadership, and maintain small enough groups to ensure minimum group impact on destination. Avoid areas that are under-managed and over-visited.
Ensure managers, staff and contract employees know and participate in all aspects of company policy to prevent impacts on the environment and local cultures.
Give managers, staff and contact employees access to programmes that will upgrade their ability to communicate with and manage clients in sensitive natural and cultural settings.
Be a contributor to the conservation of the region being visited.
Provide competitive, local employment in all aspect of business operation.
Offer site-sensitive accommodations that are not wasteful of local resources or destructive to the environment, which provide ample opportunity for learning about the environment and sensitive interchange with local communities.
Focuses on personally experiencing natural areas in ways that led to greater understanding and appreciation.

Characteristics of Eco-Tourism

Ecotourism is travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and (often) small scale. It helps educate the traveler, provides funds for conservation, directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights.

Some important characteristics of ecotourism are following as:

1) Involves travel to the natural destination . These destinations are often remote areas, whether inhabited or uninhabited, and are usually under some kind of environmental protection at the national, international, communal, or private travel.

2) Minimize impact . Tourism causes damage. Ecotourism strives to minimize the adverse effects of hotels, trails, and other infrastructure by using either recycled or plentifully available local building material, renewable sources of energy, recycling and safe disposal of waste and garbage, and environmentally and culturally sensitive architectural design.

3) Builds environmental awareness . Ecotourism means education, for both tourist and residents of nearby communities. Well before the tour begins, tour operators should supply travelers with reading material about the country, environment, and local people, as well as a code of conduct for both the traveler and the industry itself. Ecotourism projects should also help educate members of surrounding communities, schoolchildren, and the broader public in the host country.

4) Provides direct financial benefits for conservation . Ecotourism helps raise funds for environmental protection, research, and education through a variety of mechanisms, including park entrance fees; tour company, hotel, airline, and airport taxes. And voluntary contributions.

5) Provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people . Ecotourism holds that national parks and other conservation areas will survive only if, there are happy people around the perimeters. The local community must be involved with and receive income and other tangible benefits (potable water, roads, health clinics, etc.) from the conservation area and its tourist facilities.

6) Respects local culture . Ecotourism is not only “greener” but also less culturally intrusive and exploitative than conventional tourism. Whereas prostitution, black markets, and drug often are byproducts of mass tourism, ecotourism strives to be culturally respectful and the human population of a host country.

7) Supports human rights and democratic movements . The United Nations-sponsored World Tourism Organization proclaims that tourism contributes to “international understanding, peace, prosperity, and universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.

Such sentiments, however, are little reflected in conventional mass tourism. In this way, ecotourism supports humans rights and, to establish international peace.

Functions of Ecotourism

Eco-tourism is nature-based, environmentally educated and sustainably managed. Ross and Wall (1999) outline the five fundamental functions of ecotourism namely:

1. Protection of natural areas 2. Education 3. Generation of money 4. Quality tourism 5. Local participation

Economic Effects of Ecotourism

The job generated by ecotourism provide an important reason for interest in and support for, the phenomenon. These jobs often occur in areas relatively untouched by traditional development efforts and represent tangible economic benefits from natural areas.

Several studies have assessed the local employment benefits of ecotourism; not surprisingly, the level of benefits varies widely as a result of differences in the quality of attraction, access and other factors.

Some important economic effects of ecotourism are following as:

Fiscal Impacts (taxes, fees, expenditures)

Ecotourism not only generates government revenue through business and other general taxes but also through industry-specific channels, such as payment of occupancy and departure taxes.

Reduced access to the resource

Tourism utilizes various resources as inputs into the products and services provided to visitors. In the case of ecotourism, one of these products is nature in a partially or totally preserved state.

Preservation of natural areas often involves reduced local access to resources, such as wood or medicinal plants. In so far as tourism is a partial or sole rationale for preserving an area, it also causes reduced access to resources.

Many destinations have experienced increased price for goods, services, and land due to tourism development, and this is a cost borne by residents of the area who purchase these items.

Effects of the income distribution

In some cases, tourism development exacerbates existing income inequalities within destination communities, while in others it generates new financial elites.

Revenue sharing

At some ecotourism destinations, residents benefit from revenue-sharing programmes that either provide cash payments or, more commonly, funding for community projects such as well or schools.

Environmental Effects of Ecotourism

The impacts of ecotourism depend on what ecotourism is. The critical issue is that ecotourism should involve deliberates steps to minimize impacts, through the choice of activities, equipment, location and timing, group size, education and training, and operational environmental management.

There is now quite an extensive literature on impacts such as trampling, which is easy to quantify experimentally. However, very little is known about impacts such as noise disturbance, soil and water-borne pathogens, and interference with plant and animal population dynamics and genetics, which are likely to have far greater ecological significance.

Some important environmental effects of ecotourism are following as:

Crushing or clearance of vegetation.
Soil modification.
Introduction of weeds and pathogens.
Water pollution from human waste.
Air pollution from generator exhausts, noise from machinery, vehicles, and voices.
Visual impacts.
Disturbance to wildlife through all of the above, and through food scraps and litter, etc.

A new group of tourism clients has emerged who are demanding different activities, experiences and approaches to tourism from the industry: ‘ these are the ecotourists – people who require environmentally compatible recreational opportunities, where nature rather than humanity predominates ‘.

They are shrugging off the shackles of traditional tourism in search of knowledge and experience. Their interest is not in lounging by hotels pools or hectic sightseeing schedules. They are interested in visiting wilderness, national parks, and tropical forests, and in viewing birds, mammals, trees and wildflowers.

They want to experience new lifestyles and meet people with similar interests to themselves and they want to see their traveling dollars contributing toward conservation and benefiting the local economy.

Ecotourists can be generally characterized as having higher than average incomes, largely holding tertiary qualifications and there tend to be more female ecotourists than men.

According to the International Ecotourism Society, ecotourists are experienced travelers who are more likely to have a college/university degree and have a higher income bracket .

Ecotourists are expecting discovery and enlightenment from their ecotourism experience. Personal growth in emotional, spiritual, as well as intellectual terms, appear to be expected outcomes from ecotourism travel for the majority of these travelers.

Ecotourism Organizations

Ecotourism organizations are the administrative or functional structures that are concerned with ecotourism. Ecotourism organizations help into to minimize the negative impacts and maximize the positive impacts of ecotourism. These organizations can be sorted into three categories:

Membership non-government organizations (NGOs)
Public sector or governmental agencies
Non-membership organizations (NGOs)

Ecotourism organizations, found throughout the world, play important roles ranging from grass-roots advocacy to international policymaking.

International Organizations

In the international arena, many different organizations address ecotourism related issues. World Tourism Organization (WTO) plays an important role in the development of ecotourism. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is another international governmental organization that deals with ecotourism, through its international development assistance programme.

WTO and UNDP are just two examples of how international governmental ecotourism related organizations can play a role in making ecotourism a tool for sustainable development. At the international level NGOs also play a role.

Tourism Concern, a UK based NGO dedicated to ensuring tourism is just and sustainable form of business has worked for many years to make tourism more sustainable.

The US-based TES is dedicated solely to ensuring that ecotourism is a viable tool for biodiversity conservation and community development.

National Organizations

Government plays an important role in the national arena. Government related ecotourism organization active at this level generally come from areas: parks management agencies, universities, tourism ministries, and environment or natural resource ministries.

For example, in Kenya, much of the government related ecotourism activities at the national level is performed by the Kenya Wildlife Services (KYS), a quasi-governmental organization whose mandate is the management of wildlife in the country.

Every country has their national organizations for conservation and preservation of natural resources and ecotourism.

Sub-national Organizations

Below the national level is found regional, state and local areas for action. Ecotourism organizations play a role at each of these levels. Queensland Tourism and Tourism Saskatchewan are two examples of state-level public sector ecotourism organizations.

In Australia, Queensland Tourism’s environment division publishes a quarterly newsletter titled EcoTrends informing industry, NGOs, universities and the public sector about ecotourism- related events, accreditation recipients, department research and policy.

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Sustainable Tourism vs. Ecotourism: What's the Difference?

If you're starting to research more ways to become a more responsible traveler, you're bound to run across terms like "sustainable tourism,” "ecotourism," and "voluntourism,” sometimes even used interchangeably. But what do they all mean? In reality, ecotourism refers to the sector of low-impact tourism that includes natural areas, whereas sustainable tourism is a broader term describing sustainable practices within and performed by the tourism industry.

The environmental damages that can stem from irresponsible tourism have continued to come to light through complications from overtourism (when a destination or attraction suffers from overcrowding or an excess of tourists it isn’t designed to handle) and land degradation (when increased construction of tourism infrastructure negatively affects land resources and biodiversity). These terms are more than just travel industry buzzwords; sustainable travel is—hopefully—here to stay.

What Is Sustainable Tourism?

Sustainable tourism encompasses all forms of tourism that consider the long-term economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism while addressing the needs of visitors, the environment, host communities, and the tourism industry itself. According to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)—an organization that sets global standards for sustainable travel and tourism—sustainable tourism doesn’t refer to a specific type of tourism but is rather an aspiration for the impacts of all forms of tourism.

Specifically, "sustainable tourism takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities." This includes conservation efforts, preserving cultural heritage and traditional values, and providing equitably distributed socio-economic benefits.

Destinations and industries may practice sustainable tourism by prioritizing the natural environment when developing activities and infrastructure, respecting the cultural practices of host communities, and ensuring long-term economic operations to support the destination, to name a few.

Adopting a few sustainable practices into your travel routine isn’t just a win for the people, environments, and wildlife of your destination, it can often create more educational, meaningful, and authentic tourism experiences at the same time. Individual travelers can do things like buy locally made souvenirs, opt for public transportation instead of rental cars, buy an admission ticket to a protected conservation area (like a national park), or go low-impact camping to show their support for sustainable tourism.

What Is Ecotourism?

Sustainable tourism as a whole considers the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the travel industry, ecotourism tends to lean deeper into the environmental. The most cited definition of ecological tourism (or “ecotourism”) comes straight from the International Ecotourism Society (TIES), a nonprofit organization that’s been dedicated to promoting ecotourism since 1990. TIES defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education.”

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), ecotourism refers to nature-based forms of tourism where the observation and appreciation of nature and traditional culture in natural areas is the main motivation behind traveling. Specifically, ecotourism has the following characteristics:

Contains educational and interpretation features.
Generally speaking, tours are organized by specialized, small-group tour operators.
Destination partners are usually small, locally-owned businesses.
Minimizes negative impacts on the natural and cultural environment.
Supports the maintenance of areas used as ecotourism attractions.

This maintenance support is provided by the generation of income for communities, local organizations, and conservation management authorities as well as the availability of alternative employment opportunities and increased awareness of natural and culturally significant areas.

While ecotourism is just one of several different subsets of sustainable tourism, it tends to be the most widely recognized. Since it focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, ecotourism should be managed in such a way that helps contribute to the conservation and preservation of those very areas. It goes farther than wildlife, and focuses on both environmental and cultural understanding of the natural places visited. For this reason, there are some communities and even entire habitats that completely rely on ecotourism as a means for survival.

For example, Palau in the South Pacific requires all visitors to sign an eco pledge before entering the country saying that they will act in a way that is both ecologically and culturally responsible for the sake of future generations of Palauans. Tourists can also look out for Palau Pledge Certified businesses to support companies that have made a commitment to sustainability. In Africa, many governments have safeguarded national parks and natural reserves that generate revenue for the local communities while keeping some of the world’s most iconic wildlife and ecosystems protected from extinction. In turn, nature-based tourism creates countless jobs and contributes funds to help manage these protected areas.

Other Types of Sustainable Tourism

Although ecotourism is a popular niche segment of sustainable tourism in natural areas, it's not the only one. Other forms of sustainable tourism highlight different priorities such as volunteer work, small businesses, and unique local experiences.

Voluntourism

Voluntourism involves tourists who travel for the specific purpose of volunteering, such as teaching English in a foreign country, working with a wildlife rescue center, or offering medical services to underdeveloped areas. Voluntourists can travel internationally or domestically, typically for a charity or non profit, participating in voluntourism programs that positively impact local communities and benefits destinations long-term.

Soft Tourism

Soft tourism (as opposed to hard tourism) is characterized by small-scale, locally owned and operated businesses that employ local community members, respect the local way of life and local traditions, and allow tourists to experience the truly unique aspects of a destination.

Hard tourism conversely focuses on large-scale mass tourism development, which often leads to negative impacts on the environment or keeps money out of the local economies. Soft tourism typically values experiences over checking off the most popular tourist attractions, taking a class over traveling without gaining any in-depth knowledge about the destination, and spending more time in one spot over hitting a new city every couple of days.

Community Tourism

Community-based tourism puts a region's tourism industry into the hands of its local residents, and it is often sponsored by its governments or non profits with expertise in tourism development. Community members will manage homestays where tourists can get an authentic experience of local culture, become tour guides, or provide other tourism services themselves rather than sourcing out to multinational or commercialized companies. This type of tourism is important because economic benefits usually go straight towards local families and stay within the community.

Global Sustainable Tourism Council. " GSTC Sustainable Tourism Glossary: Definitions of Important Terms ." 2021.

The International Ecotourism Society. " What Is Ecotourism ." 2019.

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

Biodiversity.

ECOTOURISM AND PROTECTED AREAS

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Ecotourism and Protected areas

According to the UN Tourism's definition, ecotourism refers to forms of tourism which have the following characteristics:

All nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is the observation and appreciation of nature as well as the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas.
It contains educational and interpretation features.
It is generally, but not exclusively organised by specialised tour operators for small groups. Service provider partners at the destinations tend to be small, locally owned businesses.
It minimises negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural environment.
Generating economic benefits for host communities, organisations and authorities managing natural areas with conservation purposes;
Providing alternative employment and income opportunities for local communities;
Increasing awareness towards the conservation of natural and cultural assets, both among locals and tourists.

Source: The British Ecotourism Market, UNWTO 2002

UN Tourism has been involved in the field of ecotourism since the early 1990s and developed a set of guidelines focusing on the strong link between protected area and tourism, with the aim of ensuring that tourism contributes to the purposes of protected areas and does not undermine them.

In the framework of the UN-declared International Year of Ecotourism (IYE) 2002, UN Tourism undertook a wide range of activities, including the organization of regional conferences and the World Ecotourism Summit , and published guidelines and methodologies for ecotourism development and market studies, as well as supported regional and national activities.

At the request of the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Tourism prepared a report on the activities undertaken by States and major international organizations in the framework of the International Year of Ecotourism . Also UN Tourism prepared a series of market reports to increase the knowledge of seven important countries considered “Ecotourism generating markets”.

Nature-Based Tourism

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Caroline Kuenzi 4 &
Jeff McNeely 5

Part of the book series: International Risk Governance Council Bookseries ((IRGC,volume 1))

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Tourism is the largest industry in the world according to figures on employment and expenditures. Over 800 million people, the equivalent of roughly 12% of the world's population, travel internationally each year — with many more travelling within their countries of residence. Airlines, the hotel and restaurant business, and outdoor equipment manufacturers and vendors are among the supplier industries that are highly dependent on a successful tourism sector. Tourism furthermore relies on and provides income to national infrastructures such as airports, rail systems, road networks, electric power systems, agricultural production, and water supply systems. On a more personal dimension, travelling provides individuals with the opportunity to escape temporarily from the humdrum of every-day life, to experience the novel or unknown and, possibly, to make a long-time ‘dream come true’. ‘Discovering the world’ arguably figures amongst the top life goals for many people in developed countries. Consequently, the tourism sector as a whole seems to be fairly resilient to disruptions from economic downturns, political crises, extreme weather events, or even natural disasters (UNWTO press release of 24 January 2006).

The fastest growing element of tourism is ‘nature-based’ tourism, often involving excursions to national parks and wilderness areas, to developing countries where a large portion of the world's biodiversity is concentrated (Olson et al. 2001: 936; WWF 2001; Christ et al. 2003: 5). It may also include an ‘adventure tourism’ element that may carry physical risks. More and more people are living an urban life and the amenities and conveniences that come with globalisation increasingly lead to a near complete disconnect from nature: the living creatures behind the neat slices of fish and meat that we consume or behind the clothes that keep us warm are no longer visible to us; the seasonality of fruit and vegetables virtually has ceased to exist; and the furniture in our homes is impossible to picture as the trees from which it came. Yet at the same time we may have more intimate insight into the mystery of a giant sequoia, the hibernating habits of a grizzly bear or the hatching behaviour of a hummingbird than our rural ancestors could ever hope to have had - insights that are brought to us in breathtaking close-up pictures via the many media channels that cater daily to our information needs. For many people, ‘getting back in touch with nature’ thus provides the ultimately different holiday experience. Indeed, from snow-covered mountains to earth-coloured savannas teeming with exotic wildlife, lush rain forests, vast desert landscapes and pristine coastal strips offering spectacular bird and marine life, the opportunities for immersing oneself in nature seem countless.

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Kuenzi, C., McNeely, J. (2008). Nature-Based Tourism. In: Renn, O., Walker, K.D. (eds) Global Risk Governance. International Risk Governance Council Bookseries, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6799-0_8

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Definitions of Ecotourism, Nature Tourism, Sustainable Tourism, Responsible Tourism

What is the difference between ecotourism and responsible tourism? Is sustainable tourism interchangeable with responsible tourism? Often the term green travel is used loosely. Mallika Naguran of Gaia Discovery looks up the various tourism terms and definitions being floated and lists them here.

Singapore, 4 April 2017. 'Green travel' has been used very often but it is too generic a term and should be avoided at all cost. If you are describing some form of sustainability in travel, then try to be specific. There are differences in definition, principles and scope when it comes to terms such as ‘sustainable tourism’, ‘responsible tourism’, ‘nature tourism’, ‘ecotourism’ and more. Here are some definitions being offered by the tourism industry along with principles where applicable. Where there are multiple definitions, my preferred verion is marked by an asterisk. What do you think and do you have a definition to offer? Leave a comment below if you do.

Adventure tourism : Tourism that usually (but certainly not always) takes place in wilderness environments. Often, the natural environment is a venue or backdrop for adventure activities and the focus is on the activities rather than the environment. (Source: ACS Distance Education )

Ecotourism : Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education.(Source: The International Ecotourism Society )

Ecotourism : Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, socially and economically sustains the well-being of the local people, and creates knowledge and understanding through interpretation and education of all involved. (Source: Global Ecotourism Network )*

Ecotourism refers to forms of tourism which have the following characteristics:

All nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is the observation and appreciation of nature as well as the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas.

It contains educational and interpretation features.

It is generally, but not exclusively organised by specialised tour operators for small groups. Service provider partners at the destinations tend to be small, locally owned businesses.

It minimises negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural environment.

It supports the maintenance of natural areas which are used as ecotourism attractions by:

Generating economic benefits for host communities, organisations and authorities managing natural areas with conservation purposes;

Providing alternative employment and income opportunities for local communities;

Increasing awareness towards the conservation of natural and cultural assets, both among locals and tourists.

(Source: United Nations World Tourism Organisation or UNWTO )

Eco-tourism : Tourism that has minimal impact on fragile natural environments and which focuses on providing nature-based experiences. (Source: ACS Distance Education )

Ethical Tourism : Tourism in a destination where ethical issues are the key driver, e.g. social injustice, human rights, animal welfare, or the environment. (Source: Institute for Tourism)

Environmental tourism : Tourism that takes place in natural settings with an emphasis on understanding and conserving natural environments. (Source: ACS Distance Education )

Geotourism : Tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place – its environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture and well-being of its residents. (Source: National Geographic)

Nature Tourism : Responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people. (Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife )

Nature-based tourism : A broad term that covers all tourism experiences centered on wild or natural environments. (Source: ACS Distance Education )

Nature-based tourism includes all forms of tourism where relatively undisturbed natural environments form the primary attraction or setting (Buckley 2009; Newsome et al. 2002). It can include consumptive and adventurous as well as non-consumptive contemplative activities, which in turn can include ecotourism (Buckley, 2009; Fennell 2003; Weaver 2008) and conservation tourism (Buckley, 2010b). (Souce: Ralph Buckley in Nature-based Tourism in Breadth and Depth from " Critical Debates in Tourism ").

Pro-poor Tourism : Tourism that results is in increased net benefit for the poor people in a destination.(Source: Pro-Poor Tourism)

Responsible Tourism : Tourism that maximizes the benefits to local communities, minimizes negative social or environmental impacts, and helps local people conserve fragile cultures and habitats or species. (Source: City of Cape Town. Cape Town Declaration [2002])

Sustainable Tourism : Tourism that leads to the management of all resources in such a way that economic, social, and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity, and life support systems. (Source: United Nations Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform)*

Sustainable Tourism : Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.(Source: UNWTO )

Wildlife tourism : Tourism that provides close contact with wildlife and nature in general. (Source: ACS Distance Education )

Principles of Ecotourism

Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel . This means that those who implement, participate in and market ecotourism activities should adopt the following ecotourism principles:

Minimize physical, social, behavioral, and psychological impacts.

Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.

Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.

Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.

Generate financial benefits for both local people and private industry.

Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climates.

Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.

Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous People in your community and work in partnership with them to create empowerment.

(Source: The International Ecotourism Society )

Conceptual definition of Sustainable Tourism by UNWTO

Sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability.

Thus, sustainable tourism should: 1) Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.

2) Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.

3) Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.

Sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building. Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary.

Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them. (Source: UNWTO )

Editor's Note

The definitions provided by ACS Distance Education are not backed by any authoritative source.

*Gaia Discovery's preferred definition

References:

The Case for Responsible Travel – Trends & Statistics 2016 . Center for Responsible Travel

Making Tourism More Sustainable - A Guide for Policy Makers , UNEP and UNWTO, 2005, p.11-12

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Restoration of Visitors through Nature-Based Tourism: A Systematic Review, Conceptual Framework, and Future Research Directions

Mengyuan qiu.

1 College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; moc.liamg@321188nauygnem

2 College of Business Administration, Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Commerce, Nanjing 211168, China; gro.ude-htiffirg@ijahs

3 Gold Coast Campus, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia

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The original data is provided by all the authors. If there are relevant research needs, the data can be obtained by sending an email to Mengyuan Qiu ( moc.liamg@321188nauygnem ). Please indicate the purpose of the research and the statement of data confidentiality in the email.

Visiting natural environments could restore health and contribute to human sustainability. However, the understanding of potential linkages between restoration of visitors and nature-based tourism remains incomplete, resulting in a lack of orientation for researchers and managers. This study aimed to explore how visitors achieve restoration through nature by analyzing published literature on tourism. Using a systematic review method, this study examined destination types, participant traits, theoretical foundations, and potential restorative outcomes presented in 34 identified articles. A new framework that synthesizes relevant research and conceptualizes the restorative mechanisms of nature-based tourism from a human–nature interaction perspective was developed. Owing to the limitations in the theories, methods, cases, and the COVID-19 pandemic, interdisciplinary methods and multisensory theories are needed in the future to shed further light on the restoration of visitors through nature-based tourism. The findings provide a theoretical perspective on the consideration of nature-based tourism as a public-wellness product worldwide, and the study provides recommendations for future research in a COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 society.

1. Introduction

Urbanization, resource exploitation, and lifestyle changes have reduced people’s opportunities for preserving and improving their quality of life [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Furthermore, there exists a wide consensus that the outbreak and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic not only affects physical health but also mental health and well-being. It is most likely that society will face an increase in health challenges, behavioral disturbances, and substance use disorders as extreme stressors exacerbate or induce psychiatric problems [ 4 ]. While the pandemic will end eventually due to medical developments, its ill effects on the health and well-being of the general population will remain for a long time [ 5 ]. A growing number of people are craving for an opportunity to get close to nature to heal their bodies and minds when facing such a global crisis [ 6 ].

The need for restoration through nature has a long history, originating from ancient Chinese healers and Greek philosophers, and the belief that humans can improve their body and mind in natural environments repeatedly appears throughout recorded human history [ 7 ]. The process of renewing or recovering physical, psychological, and social capabilities that have become depleted in meeting ordinary adaptational demands is described as the concept of “restoration” [ 8 ]. Nature-based tourism, which primarily involves the direct enjoyment of undisturbed natural environments, is an important way for people to recover from stress and mental fatigue [ 9 ]. According to the visual characteristics of the restorative environment (e.g., natural color, spatial structural, vegetation coverage, etc.), Bell proposed the “place palette” and believed that spaces with different colors are varied in their restorative effects [ 10 ]. Green spaces and blue spaces are the most common natural destinations that may help recover health and well-being [ 2 , 10 ]. Such spaces range from gardens and parks to woodlands and forests as well as oceans, coasts, and inland water bodies, and they also include environments with various natural elements. Travel and tourism make up the largest service industry in the world, while nature-based tourism serves as a primary part of this industry [ 11 ]. In 2019, over eight billion people visited nature reserves around the world for relaxation or recovery, generating an estimated revenue of $600 billion [ 12 ].

However, while the term “restoration” is occasionally used within tourism theory, it has not been clearly defined, related to nature, and theorized or tested until recently [ 13 , 14 ]. Apart from the number of published empirical studies on the restorative experiences of visitors through nature, no structured overview of research findings on the relationship between visitors and nature-based tourism exists. A general understanding of how visitors achieve restoration through nature-based tourism is not only essential to maintain and improve the well-being of visitors in our rapidly urbanizing world but also provides a more balanced view of the conservation and utilization of nature [ 15 ].

With this background, the purpose of this study was to propose a conceptual framework to describe the relationship between restoration of visitors and nature-based tourism through a systematic review. A conceptual framework is defined as a network of linked concepts. It has significant advantages on its capacity for modification and its emphasis on understanding instead of prediction [ 16 ]. Before the review, the methodology of creating a comprehensive list of articles pertaining to the associations between restoration of visitors and nature-based tourism is provided. In the review, the results of identifying, selecting, appraising, and synthesizing the evidence for restoration of visitors through nature-based tourism are presented. Subsequently, a conceptual framework of how visitors achieve restoration through nature-based tourism is discussed. To support the conceptual framework, empirical findings relevant to environmental triggers, experience of visitors, and restorative outcomes are analyzed. Finally, directions for future research are discussed.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. systematic literature review.

This study performed a systematic review of relevant literature that specifically examined the restorative mechanism of visitors in natural environments. Systematic literature reviews (SLRs) differ from other forms of reviews, such as traditional literature reviews and commentaries [ 17 ]. A protocol of an SLR is identified a priori and details the study inclusion criteria, establishes a series of review questions, identifies relevant studies, appraises their quality, and summarizes the evidence to provide an overall understanding of the research on a certain topic [ 18 ]. The SLR is a suitable method for this study because it synthesizes findings from recent literature while reducing the effect of the reviewers’ own biases, thus identifying research gaps and providing suggestions and directions for further research. Hartig et al. agreed that an SLR is an improved method for the identification of academic evidence and that it is suitable for application in tourism [ 8 ]. In this study, we established a three-step system for identifying, selecting, and critically evaluating relevant literature to address the research questions.

2.2. Search Strategy and Selection Criteria

The first step of the three-step process involved a comprehensive literature search. We restricted our search to primary research articles in peer-reviewed scientific literature and focused on identifying articles relevant to this review through standardized search methods, including electronic database searches and opportunistic searches through relevant reference lists [ 19 ]. Our review considered articles published between 1 January 1989 and 1 October 2021. The year 1989 is important because seminal investigations on restoration were published [ 20 ]. The ISI Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus were used as scientific search engines to find appropriate literature. WoS is the most commonly used search engine for literature reviews; however, it does not contain a sufficient number of tourism journals. Scopus was thus used as a complementary database because its coverage of tourism journals is more comprehensive [ 21 ]. The search terms were entered using the categories “title, abstract, and keywords” for Scopus and “topic” for WoS. The search profile was based on several primary search terms, which can be divided into two groups: one group referred to the natural environment and the second group to the restorative experience of nature ( Table 1 ). The terms were chosen based on literature review on restoration through nature [ 8 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. In WoS, we used the category of “hospitality, tourism, leisure, and sports” to refine the search for articles. In Scopus, we used the titles of journals to find articles published in the field of tourism.

Search terms.

2.3. Study Eligibility Criteria

Second, articles were screened and those articles with titles or abstracts that did not match the main research objectives of our study were excluded. Articles on restoration through nature were included based on the following criteria [ 22 , 25 ]:

The article was an original research article or literature review.
The article reported data on any measure of restorative experience. The restoration could include psychological health, cognitive rejuvenation, social well-being, or spiritual improvement.
The article presented evidence suggesting that visitors are directly exposed to the natural environment. The natural environment was used in a broad sense to include any environment that appeared to be green and blue. “Direct exposure” indicated physical presence within the environment and the use of the environment as a setting for tourism activity. Both observational and experimental studies were included. However, experiences based on virtual environments comprising pictures, slides, or videos were not included as participants were not directly exposed to the real natural environment [ 25 ].
The article belonged to the field of tourism, hospitality, or leisure, but not sports.

Excluded from the review were studies that focused on the benefits of everyday athletics/exercise performance in natural environments and resilience to natural hazards (e.g., earthquake, debris flow, water, and soil loss) rather than on humans. To reduce assessment bias, the review of relevant literature was shared equally by the two authors. The primary author performed a final check of the selected journal articles to ensure equality in evaluation.

2.4. Narrative Analysis of the Selected Articles

Finally, owing to the heterogeneity of the literature selected (in terms of approach, key concepts, designs, and methods), a form of narrative analysis was applied [ 26 ]. Narrative analysis, which adopts a textual approach to synthesis, is a widely recognized and validated approach, and it is used when considerable differences in terms of design, methods, outcomes, and analysis exist. Basic information was extracted from all articles that met the review criteria, and the information was input into a standardized spreadsheet, including author names, year of publication, country, study design, study population, sample size, assessment of the environment, types of restorative outcomes measured, confounding factors, and other relevant information, such as information on potential biases. Two authors independently worked on data extraction and evaluation of the quality of the studies. An agreement was reached via consensus and the evidence was classified.

3.1. Overview and General Patterns

During the initial search process, 92 studies were identified, 65 using WoS, 17 using Scopus, and 10 using the snowballing system ( Figure 1 ). These studies reflected the widespread discussion on the restorative effects of nature on visitors. Based on screening of the titles and abstracts, 40 journal articles were selected. Most of the articles that were excluded did not meet the inclusion criteria or were not based on primary research. Full-text screening based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria identified a final list of 34 articles that were relevant for this review.

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Flow chart of the screening process. WoS, Web of Science.

Figure 2 shows that since 2009, an increasing number of publications have examined the restorative potential of nature in diverse types of nature-based tourism destinations. This indicates a paradigm shift in terms of restoration research by integrating environment, health, and tourism perspectives [ 27 ]. Figure 3 shows that research is dominated by findings from Western developed nations, while Africa and Latin America are poorly represented. The selected articles cover 21 study areas of developed countries or areas, such as the US, UK, Germany, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. An interesting phenomenon is the increasing number of articles from emerging countries and areas such as mainland China. The progress of research on restoration of visitors through nature-based tourism has been remarkable in these emerging countries in the last decade.

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Number of published journal articles meeting inclusion criteria (2008–2020). Note: Year 2020 was included in this figure and in all analyses, even though not all papers from this year are likely to have been published at the time of the review.

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Regional distribution of case studies of this review. Note: Regions are defined by the number of cases identified in them.

3.2. Groups of Publications According to Main Content

According to the narrative analysis, all the articles that met the review criteria were characteristically suitable in terms of design, methods, theoretical background, and outcomes. Based on the focus of the respective articles, they were grouped into the following four “content groups”:

(a) Articles that analyzed the direct and indirect restorative effects of nature-based tourism (articles 1–19).
(b) Articles that considered restoration as an important motivation for nature-based tourism destinations (articles 20–28).
(c) Articles that had a conceptual focus and considered scale development (articles 29–32).
(d) Articles that were literature reviews that specifically focused on restoration in the tourism field (articles 33 and 34).

Table 2 illustrates the structural details of these subgroups with frequencies of studies by country, methods used, and year of publication. Additionally, the theories, target groups, and natural destinations are summarized by screening the basic contents of these studies. Most of the studies focused on the direct and indirect restorative effects of nature-based tourism. Within this group, the number of published studies sharply increased over the last few years. Most of the articles presented studies conducted in Europe and the US, followed by studies from China and Australia. Quantitative statistics with questionnaire-based surveys were the most common method used (58%). Three studies (16%) used a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews and coding analysis. Only two studies (11%) adopted physiological experiments to measure the restorative outcomes of visitors participating in nature-based tourism.

Characteristics of tourism studies on restoration from nature.

The second group of papers dealing with restorative motivations mainly concerned undifferentiated “total” visitors (74%). Only one study directly addressed patients. Most of the studies conducted in China used a questionnaire-based survey as the main method (56%). Studies that combined qualitative and quantitative analyses contributed 22% of the total. The number of published studies decreased gradually with time.

The third group, which discussed methodology development, concerned effective measurement of restorative outcomes. Research in this field has been increasing in the last decade. Most of the studies were conducted in the US and China. Principal component analysis (PCA) and structural equation model (SEM) were the main methods applied in these studies.

The fourth group consisted of literature reviews that specifically focused on restoration of visitors through nature. The papers in this group exhibited disciplinary variations encompassing ecology, epidemiology, psychology, anthropology, public health, and urban/landscape design. Quality analysis was the main method applied in these review articles and some of them used the SLR.

Apart from the two review articles, 32 papers were case studies. The studies mainly focused on visitors to green or blue spaces in urban cities or rural areas, including forests, hot springs, mountains, and coastal areas and beaches ( Table 2 ). Only five papers referred to both local residents and visitors from outside. Three major theories were applied to explain restoration of visitors through nature-based tourism; namely, attention restoration theory (ART) [ 28 , 29 ], stress recovery theory (SRT) [ 30 , 31 ], and the biophilia hypothesis [ 32 ]. These theories are multidisciplinary in nature and the details are provided in the next section.

4. Discussion

4.1. restorative triggers: nature-based destinations and visitors.

Restoration is the result of human–nature interaction. As critical triggers, visitors are the subjects in the restorative process, while nature-based destinations provide available resources. A geographical bias toward developed countries in high latitudes was observed in natural destinations, particularly in North America and Europe ( Figure 3 ), probably because only papers in English were included. It is evident from our review that the focus of most of the studies was on visitors from the developed world or restoration through nature in developed countries. However, it is evident from Table 2 and Figure 3 that a significant amount of research also focuses on natural destinations in emerging countries, especially China. As Lehto stated, the specifics of Chinese visitors’ experiences of restoration through nature-based tourism has received growing attention from both academics and practitioners in the last decades [ 33 ], as the rapid pace of economic development and globalization has resulted in excessively intense and sub-health conditions. Nature-based tourism has increasingly become a part of the good life for the Chinese for their sustainable development [ 34 ].

Most of the studies analyzed refer to undifferentiated “total” visitor groups of nature-based tourism, including local recreationists and outside vacationers. They were often affluent or medium-income earners from developed countries or emerging countries, highlighting a positive relationship between affluence and interest in health and wellness [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. This is unsurprising given the current perceptions of natural areas as a luxury, and it reflects a broader trend identified in travel literature wherein older people and subsistence income earners appear less likely to visit natural environments than younger people and medium-/high-level salary earners [ 16 ]. In particular, elderly people from low-income groups struggle to meet the cost of transportation, park entrance fees, and access to recreational facilities in distant natural areas. This trend has been observed in several large cities in France, such as Paris and Marseille [ 40 ]. The characteristics of destinations and visitors support the notion that the use of and access to natural areas is socioeconomically driven and varies according to individual circumstances [ 41 ].

Nine of the selected 34 journal articles showed that visitors are motivated to visit natural environments, to some degree, by the need to restore their health ( Table 3 ). Getting away from daily routines and life stress is the primary distinguishing motivation for visitors seeking restorative experiences [ 42 ]. Health-related motivations are also common among certain types of visitors. Some specific health-related motivations mentioned by various restoration seekers include the improvement of overall health, enhancement of physical attractiveness, rejuvenation of one’s appearance, weight loss, fitness, and curing psoriasis [ 43 , 44 ]. Spa and hot spring destinations were deemed ideal. Apart from physical and psychological restoration, Chan et al. and Dryglas et al. identified enriching one’s travel experience, learning new things about nature, experiencing the beauty of nature, sharing knowledge with others, and enhancing social relationships as spiritual factors that motivate nature-based tourism [ 39 , 45 ].

Motivations of restorative tourism.

These multidimensional motivations reflect increasing notions within modern societies, suggesting that visiting natural destinations meets diverse needs through physical, psychological, and spiritual improvement [ 46 ]. Restoration-related motivations can be explained by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Health-related restoration is a physiological need of visitors, which is a basic prerequisite for higher functioning [ 47 ]. The primary distinguishing motivation of escape and stress reduction seems to fit most clearly at the psychological level. Strengthening social relationships also fulfills the psychological need for love, affection, and friendship. The highest level of need is that for esteem and self-actualization, wherein an individual fulfills the highest potential and obtains spiritual transformation ( Figure 4 ). Exposure to nature could provide a restoration that fulfills the lower needs and also allows the higher needs of esteem and self-actualization to be met.

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Correspondence between the restorative motivations of visitors in natural environments and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

4.2. Restorative Experience and Its Theoretical Explanation

In tourism literature, ART is the seemingly undisputable explanatory framework for the restorative process. It is a psycho-functionalist theory that distinguishes between directed attention and involuntary attention. After extended use, a visitor’s directed attention may become fatigued and lead to negative emotions and useless behaviors. For functionalists, natural environments seem particularly restorative because they provide an opportunity to “get away” from routine life, contain “fascinating” stimuli that effortlessly engage involuntary attention, allow visitors to be in a large enough world where the “extent” of the environment is perceived, and “compatibility” exists between inclinations of visitors and the environmental demands. These four restorative characteristics—“fascination”, “being away”, “extent”, and “compatibility”—have been used to explain the preference for nature-based tourism and to predict the type of destination that motivates visitors [ 48 ]. According to ART, the restorative process is explained well by a general push–pull framework. “Being away” and “compatibility” could be seen as intrinsic factors of visitors to push them to participate in nature-based tourism, while “fascination” and “extent” may serve as extrinsic factors in the destination that pull visitors [ 14 ].

SRT is a psycho-evolutionary theory maintaining that because humans have evolved over a long period in natural environments, exposure to certain natural environments automatically elicits a variety of stress-reducing psychophysiological responses [ 31 ]. While SRT and ART complement one another, they differ in what drives people toward the restorative nature: in SRT, it is physiological stress, whereas in ART, it is mental fatigue. Attention fatigue can be considered an after effect of stress and may be treated as a condition that increases vulnerability to stress [ 49 ]. Biophilia is an evolutionary theory that describes the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to nature. Various empirical studies have suggested that attraction to nature is evidenced across diverse cultures (e.g., [ 50 , 51 ]) and at very young ages (e.g., [ 52 ]). The difference between biophilia, ART, and SRT is that the former theory stresses that an environmental preference is an innate part of who we are, while the latter two theories hypothesize that it is affected by people’s need for restoration [ 53 , 54 , 55 ].

Beyond the idiosyncrasies of each theory, their implications are similar: (1) The properties of nature provide opportunities for visitors to have a restorative experience; (2) Environments perceived as natural tend to be more restorative than those perceived as urban or artificial. In the following sections, we provide a comprehensive review of the empirical research that tested this hypothesis.

4.3. Potential Restorative Outcomes and Measurments

The restorative benefits of nature can be divided into physical health, psychological wellness, psychosocial development, and spiritual upliftment ( Figure 5 ). This suggests that restoration through nature-based tourism should not only be limited to recovery from physical fatigue but also refers to a wider range of health benefits to the emotional state, attitude, and behavior [ 20 , 27 ]. The emphasis on mental restoration indicates that with the increase in the discretionary income of visitors, they have shifted their expectations from material products to more personalized socializing experiences [ 34 ].

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Restorative outcomes from experiences of nature.

4.3.1. Physical Health and Psychological Wellness

Direct physical health benefits have been reported from physical activity that results from engaging in contact with nature, including healed medical conditions [ 36 , 43 ], contributions to reductions in obesity [ 39 ], enhancement of physical fitness [ 41 , 56 ], and general good health [ 57 , 58 ]. Nevertheless, most studies (a total of 17 articles) in our review focused on the potential restorative outcomes of psychological wellness from nature-based tourism. One of the first studies that examined the relationship between mood and nature compared the experience of visitors visiting an urban park and people recreating indoors, and it was published in Leisure Science [ 59 ]. The study found that the moods of visitors changed slightly but more significantly than that of people indoors, which is consistent with predictions that suggest nature reduces stress. Interestingly, there were few observable differences between sick and healthy visitors with regard to receiving psychological restoration through nature. A substantial body of evidence suggests that visiting natural areas is mentally beneficial to visitors as a whole [ 34 , 56 ]. All 19 articles agreed that natural areas could promote attention recovery and stress relief through high levels of positive emotions, low levels of negative emotions, and a sense of satisfaction with one’s quality of life. For visitors suffering from mood disorders and attention fatigue, immersive natural environments, such as forests with hiking trails, can provide enhanced opportunities for nature connectedness and place attachment and can positively impact the visitors’ mood and feeling of satisfaction [ 37 ].

4.3.2. Spiritual Upliftment

Hall pointed out that people may find restoration each day to survive but seek a deep, prolonged restoration when they can afford to take a nature-based vacation [ 14 ]. Hence, spiritual upliftment is thought to be the key restorative outcome of nature-based tourism. Spiritual restoration is manifested through values, morals, ethics, and actions of a visitor, and it is at the core of his/her well-being. These positive changes are described as a “transformative process” by Wolf [ 16 ], which enables a visitor to increase personal awareness, empathy, and develop new values to become “someone” better than they were. Nature-based tourism embodies relevant properties such as efficacy, power, spirit of place, and existential values that foster transformation, and it can lead to moral development. From witnessing natural wonders, visitors may “become humble before forces greater than them or beyond their control” [ 60 ]. Participants of a thematic guided tour in Australian national parks reported a number of behavioral change benefits, including building strong personal relationships, committing to regular exercise, increasing environmental values and stewardship, developing new knowledge and skills, and making physical activity a habit [ 61 ]. Pomfret also describes such changes as personal spiritual journeys that visitors experience while participating in adventure activities during their packaged mountaineering holidays [ 62 ].

4.3.3. Psychosocial Development

Psychosocial restoration is specifically related to an individual’s development in society and the results of interactions with others [ 63 ]. Attention to psychosocial outcomes in tourism literature was given by Shins et al., who studied visitors to forest parks [ 64 ]. They classified the psychological outcomes according to the categories of “learning and self/other relations”, “social and self-development”, and “enjoying nature”. Home and Hunziker explored the relationships between each range of 11 activities and a set of 15 possible psychosocial outcomes by developing 11 linear regression models to examine relationships between expected outcomes and frequency of participation in an activity in a green space [ 65 ]. The order of psychosocial outcomes that were rated as being most important was similar between this study and that of Shin et al. Dryglas et al. also found that visitors visiting a spa resort in Poland had enhanced opportunities for social contact and could relieve individual isolation [ 39 ]. This review suggests that provision of and access to natural environments may ameliorate or even reverse some of these social challenges and ultimately increase social cohesion.

4.3.4. Measures for Restoration through Nature-Based Tourism

Research on restoration through nature often necessitates measurements of recovery. These include explicit measures, such as interviews and questionnaires, and implicit measures, such as psychological monitoring and cognitive tests. Self-report scales are the most common research tool, while most instruments have been developed by researchers that focus on specific restorative properties of a particular environment. Among the nine self-report scales identified in this review ( Table 4 ), Perceived Restorative Scale (PRS) is the most common approach for measuring the restorativeness perceived in nature conducive to visitors [ 34 ]. The long history and wide application of PRS demonstrate its generalizability and sensitivity. It has been developed into several versions that have different subscales, items, languages, targeted users, and even item wordings. Perceived Destination Restorative Quality (PDRQ) was used to expand the proposed structure of PRS and survey actual visitors on their restoration through vacation destinations [ 66 ]. Although the items of PDRQ used vary from study to study, the four dimensions of PRS (i.e., being away, fascination, extent, and compatibility) are present in each. In the Restoration Scale (RS) used by Han and Huang [ 67 ], restoration is demonstrated across emotional, physiological, and cognitive dimensions and generally manifests in behaviors. RS stresses changes in states and capabilities of self-perceived recovery. Restoration Outcome Scale (ROS) includes three dimensions (relaxation and calmness, attention restoration, and cleaning one’s thoughts) or five dimensions (plus subjective vitality and self-confidence). A previous study compared these scales and found that, if restorativeness perceived in nature is conducive to visitors and its mediating effect requires measurement, PRS best fits this approach. However, for measuring the perceived change in psychophysiological and mental restoration, whether as a mediator or an outcome variable, RS is the better choice [ 67 ].

Characteristics of the self-report scales.

4.4. The Effects of Restorative Outcomes on Human–Nature Nexus

Multiple benefits arising from nature-based tourism indicate that a visit to natural areas involves a better, healthier, and more sustainable future for both the visitors and the environment. Sloan et al. examined the restorative power of nature in tree house hotels and showed that the physiological and psychological benefits from forest recreation and sleeping in treetops have a positive influence on repeat and future visits [ 68 ]. Visitors who took part in nature-based recreational activities more frequently can get more health resources than those who are less involved in nature during their free time. Kim et al. showed that low (e.g., relax and get away from routine) and high order restorations (spiritual benefits) interact with each other to promote the sustainable development of visitors [ 69 ]. For example, the positive emotions induced by nature have the potential to strengthen bonds within families and communities through shared park experiences, which in turn builds social capital [ 70 ]. The emotional effect of mastering challenges experienced in natural areas yields important benefits for the individual in terms of reducing self-destructive and anti-social behaviors [ 57 ] and improving self-esteem and self-confidence, which can also influence spiritual health.

Moreover, Puhakka et al. suggest that the restorative benefits are similar during and after the tourist’s visit to the national park, and it is equal to many popular commercial wellness services, but the range of monetary values is much wider [ 63 ]. Accordingly, health and well-being benefits are increasingly used to justify financial and political support for the natural environment and committing to the preservation of biological diversity and ecosystem services [ 66 ]. Lehto et al. conducted a survey to understand the functions of restorative outcomes of nature-based tourism in the Chinese context. The research confirms that restoration has positive effects on environmental sustainability by promoting pro-environmental behavior among visitors [ 33 ].

4.5. Conceptual Framework of Restoration through Nature

The framework of restoration through nature-based tourism developed in this study shows the human–nature inter-relationships in the context of tourism ( Figure 6 ). Many types of natural destinations provide numerous opportunities for visitors to have contact with nature. In contrast, visitors with different demographic characteristics have variable visitor motivations to push them to visit these natural destinations. When visitors reach natural destinations, the human–nature interaction can induce restorative experiences such as direct attention recovery, physical stress relief, and innate emotional affiliation. These experiences are beneficial for the physical, psychological, spiritual, and psychosocial restoration of the visitors. Therefore, the restorative outcomes arising from nature-based tourism encourage visitors to regard nature as a personal health and well-being resource. Furthermore, these restorative outcomes can raise awareness on committees for the preservation of biological diversity and ecosystem services among the visitors. Thus, nature-based tourism can fulfill the mandate of conserving natural areas while contributing to the area’s sustainability. The conceptual framework echoes the finding of Mannell and Iso-Ahola suggesting that restoration is not passively escaping all perceptions; instead, it activates a more primal and natural mode of perception based on effortless fascination, resulting in recovery and rejuvenation [ 71 ].

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Framework for the restoration of visitors through nature: from a human–nature interaction perspective.

Most studies to date have only focused on one particular pathway from nature-based tourism to restoration, while few research studies have addressed combinations involving two or more pathways. Our framework synthesizes these studies and conceptualizes the human–nature interaction mechanism to produce restorative outcomes and promote sustainability. In the following sections, we provide a comprehensive review of the empirical research to support this framework.

4.6. Challenges in Conceptual Framework

By synthesizing the concepts presented in the selected articles, the conceptual framework was arrived at, and it sheds light on the restoration of visitors through nature; however, challenges remain. First, the human–nature interaction in the conceptual framework is heavily biased toward affluent earners who visit nature in developed countries. This bias may affect the intensities of different types of restorative outcomes because the distribution of biodiversity is spatially structured and cultural and socioeconomic differences between regions may influence responses to interactions with nature [ 40 ]. Our understanding of the restoration of visitors with different demographic cohorts in various parts of the world is limited because some specific groups are underrepresented. A comparison of restorative outcomes among specific groups is difficult. Thus, research on restoration through nature is still lacking in depth and we should, therefore, aim to determine where results may be translated from one scale to another, as is done in other multidisciplinary studies [ 72 ].

Second, while current theories have made important theoretical contributions, critics have pointed to important limitations in explaining the restorative experience of visitors resulting from nature-based tourism [ 73 ]. These limitations stem from weaknesses and perspectives of each theory discussed in Section 4.3 , suggesting that a more nuanced approach that builds upon existing theories or develops new theories is required [ 74 ]. To summarize:

5. These theories, singularly or in combination, do not conceptualize the full range of restorative experience from nature-based tourism.
6. They do not fully explicate how nature-based tourism, as a unique concept, supports health and well-being.
7. Existing frameworks have largely overlooked the inherently multidimensional, interactive, and multisensorial complexity of the relationship between visitors and nature-based tourism.
8. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, traditional theories have focused too strongly on the visual form of nature-based tourism by, for example, focusing on what natural destinations look like in terms of color and shape [ 75 ].

Therefore, the existing theories lack a clear operationalization process for destination management operators.

Third, in spite of the remarkable growth of using self-report scales to measure restoration, these scales require further examination and testing. The restorative outcomes often lack comparison with physiological and cognitive data from individuals, such as perspiration, skin conductance, muscle tension, blood pressure, heart rate, brain waves, regional cerebral blood flow, and cortisol, adrenaline, epinephrine, and standard concentration tests [ 56 ]. Further empirical research is needed to determine whether the recovery reported by visitors is equivalent to their actual restoration. Another challenge posed by the current framework is that most restorative outcomes do not include a control group of individuals with low fatigue for comparison with fatigued individuals. With this paradigm, it becomes impossible to determine whether superior performance after visiting natural areas in fatigued individuals is diagnostic of recovery or whether it signals an entirely different process unrelated to recovery [ 74 ].

Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a calamitous crisis in the tourism industry worldwide, and it has brought nature-based tourism almost to a standstill [ 76 , 77 ]. The spread of stress and depression from the emergence of new infectious diseases has become a growing social problem. In contrast, according to the framework proposed in this study, the restorative outcomes arising from nature-based tourism have positive effects on the development of visitors as well as the natural area’s sustainability. Post-COVID-19, tourism will be different from that before the crisis, and the hope is in tourism developing with a more nature-based focus [ 78 ]. Therefore, research on the restorative process of nature-based tourism in the novel context of COVID-19 will play a critical role in promoting both human and environmental sustainability. What are the short- and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis on the conceptual framework of the restoration of visitors through nature? Will visitors restore their health and well-being through nature-based tourism? If so, what does this mean for the sustainable development of the environment?

5. Conclusions

A visit to natural areas involves a better, healthier, and sustainable future. Most studies to date have focused only on one pathway for nature-based tourism to restoration of visitors, while few studies have paid attention to a general understanding of the restorative mechanism of nature-based tourism visitors. Partial or superficial phenomena prevent people from knowing the positive effects of nature-based tourism on human-environment sustainability. To fill this gap, this review provides a systematic synthesis and assessment of available literature that examined the potential linkages between restoration of visitors and nature-based tourism. By comparing the research backgrounds, themes, methodologies, and frontiers presented in the identified 34 papers, this study links the theoretical foundations, destination types, participant traits, motivations for restorative experience, and outcomes. A framework that synthesizes relevant research and conceptualizes restoration of visitors through nature is proposed from a human–nature interaction perspective. The findings refute previous arguments that suggest nature-based tourism is infrequent for most people and that it cannot be an effective means of restoration. Our study suggests that nature-based tourism can be regarded as a public-wellness product to improve the health and well-being of visitors. The positive relationships between visitors and nature-based tourism can also raise awareness of visitors on the dependence of human well-being on nature’s well-being [ 79 ]. Therefore, they should protect and utilize natural destinations from a sustainability perspective, and thus promote harmony between humans and nature. The challenges presented by the conceptual framework highlight several important future research directions as follows.

First, several general methodological limitations occurred throughout the reviewed literature. Innovative approaches are needed to understand the role and process of nature in promoting human health and well-being [ 1 ]. Interdisciplinary research that integrates social, health, and natural sciences is required. A greater emphasis on longitudinal and experimental design, by making use of mixed methodologies that include measurements of established perception surveys and physiological indicators such as electromyography (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), blood volume, pulse, and heart rate should be used to obtain transferable and objective results. Moreover, researchers should be wary of translating the findings of studies that have been conducted in specific settings and for defined indicators and subjects into generalized statements.

Second, since visual sense is relatively well understood as a pathway through which the benefits of experiencing nature are delivered, we suggest exploring a rich auditory, haptic, and visual interaction with the natural environment in restoration research. Based on our results, we hope to shed light on the role of sensory inputs in the restorative process. Moreover, the synthesis of multisensory stimuli in a natural environment is crucial because the monotony of stimulation can be a source of stress, and multisensory inputs can drive affordances, which is important for well-being [ 73 ]. Rather than focusing on various types of destinations, this approach recognizes that a multisensory interaction with nature underpins the important processes that support restoration of visitors.

Third, future research is needed to deepen the conceptual framework in order to understand the restoration of visitors through nature-based tourism in a COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 society [ 15 ]. COVID-19 is the greatest shock to tourism since 1950, but it presents opportunities for the development of nature-based tourism as well [ 76 ]. It is assumed that travel behavior will change after the COVID-19 pandemic. To counter this, a new conceptual framework of restoration of visitors through nature-based tourism must be developed. We expect that the new model will facilitate well-being-oriented design parameters for future destinations, which will promote the restoration of the public and foster sustainability of the environment.

Acknowledgments

We would like to extend our appreciation to the Library of Nanjing University and Griffith University for help during the data collection stage. We would also appreciate the support of the National Park and Protected Area Research Center of Nanjing Forestry University.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, M.Q., J.S. and N.S.; data curation, J.S. and N.S.; formal analysis, M.Q., J.S. and N.S.; funding acquisition, M.Q.; investigation, M.Q. and N.S.; methodology, M.Q.; project administration, M.Q.; software, M.Q.; supervision, N.S.; validation, N.S.; visualization, M.Q.; writing—original draft, M.Q.; writing—review and editing, M.Q., J.S. and N.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, grant number 41901174 and Social Science Researches in Jiangsu Province, grant number 2019SJA0112.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Market information
Nature and Ecotourism
Market Potential
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The European market potential for nature and ecotourism

Nature and ecotourism is one of the main tourism segments, which also includes adventure tourism. The products and services in this segment come in many forms, including wilderness and dark sky tourism. Attracting tourists to remote areas may disrupt their remoteness but may also offer many opportunities if you adopt practices that care for and respect nature. The Netherlands should be among your main target markets in this segment.

Contents of this page

Product description
What makes Europe an interesting market for nature and ecotourism?
Which European countries offer most opportunities in nature and ecotourism
What trends offer opportunities or pose threats in the nature and ecotourism market?

1. Product description

Ecotourism, often referred to as sustainable tourism , can be considered as a specialism within nature tourism. Its focus is on learning about the environment, minimising negative impacts and contributing to environmental protection. Ecotourism is defined as ‘Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education’ of all parties involved, according to the International Ecotourism Society and the Global Ecotourism Network . The main attractions in the ecotourism market are marine, national parks and other parks with a protected status, biodiversity, local cultures and traditional protectors of natural environments.

Nature and ecotourism attract people interested in a variety of natural and cultural resources, including being immersed in a rich, natural, cultural or historical experience.

Tourism New South Wales identifies four main categories in nature tourism, which are presented in figure 1.

Figure 1: The categories of nature tourism

Source: Tourism New South Whales

A wide array of products falls into the category of nature and ecotourism, including consumptive and adventurous as well as non-consumptive and contemplative activities. Examples include:

nature tours, observation of flora and fauna, cultural and local heritage tourism , volcano tourism ;
fishing tourism, cycling tourism , bird watching tourism , kayaking tourism, bush walking, hiking tourism, cold water tourism, hunting;
visiting parks, scenic driving, photography tourism, camping;
beach experiencing , relaxing, self-improvement travel.

One specific example is the trend of dark sky tourism to remote areas with a clear view of the night sky, away from artificial light pollution. This could include stargazing, watching an eclipse, watching the Northern or Southern Lights, visiting observatories, and attending guided tours, stargazing sessions, and astronomy tours. Dark sky tourism could be facilitated by a stay in a nature accommodation, such as a yurt, connecting with the local culture, specific stargazing hotels, or even dedicated cruises.

See these products for inspiration:

Hurtigruten and Princess Cruises offer cruises including stargazing nights. Hurtigruten also provides lectures on astronomy.
Elqui Domos hotel in Chile has telescopes for guests in their rooms.
Baines’ Camp in Botswana, provides star baths and sky beds.
Offer night walks for guest to observe the sky if you are in a remote area.
Invest in low-profile opportunities like a sky bed, if you can assure privacy and safety, including from mosquitos and your climate allows.

Another example is wilderness tourism , where tourists seek undeveloped land with minimal human imprints. An example is Wilderness Tourism Tour Company in India. Tourists are drawn into these areas because of their remoteness. The downsides are the negative effects on nature and local communities .

There is a wide assortment of products that relate to the category of nature and ecotourism, but keep in mind that travellers often combine products during their holidays. They also complement it with other products and services particular to the specific destination, such as culture, food, relaxation, self-improvement, accommodation, transport, etc.

Employ people from the local community. This contributes to the region, but also increases opportunities for community tourism.
Offer a range of activities to your customers, especially activities involving the nature around your location.
Promote your area’s different and unique natural attractions in your marketing, including its biodiversity.
Provide trails and routes of different lengths and difficulty levels to meet the needs of nature and ecotourists of all skill levels and ages. Make sure these trails don’t endanger the local nature and its ecosystem.
Consider producing festivals. When done well, they can contribute to local development goals. Festivals can raise awareness about local qualities and attract larger or novel target groups.
Because nature tourism has many niche markets, offer a limited choice and fully dedicate your approach to that niche, so your product remains convincing as genuine in the eyes of travellers.

The remainder of this product factsheet focuses on the ecotourism market, sometimes also called sustainable tourism, responsible tourism, soft tourism and green tourism.

2. What makes Europe an interesting market for nature and ecotourism?

The demand for nature and ecotourism is high and will continue to grow. For some years now tourists have become more aware of leaving a positive impact on the destinations that they visit. According to the UK’s Travel Foundation, 75% of British travellers wanted a more responsible vacation in 2012. Forum for the Futures, also in 2012, estimated that 66% of travellers wanted an easier way to identify a green holiday. In a 2018 Booking.com survey, 87% of global travellers said they wanted to travel sustainably. Euronews even suggests an ecotravel boom in Europe.

It is not only the type of holiday that shows signs of change, but accommodation types as well. According to Booking.com , interest in an sustainable accommodation increased from 62% in 2016, to 65% in 2017 and 68% in 2018; meanwhile, the proportion of travellers who have not considered eco-friendly stays because they were unaware of their existence declined from 39% in 2016, to 38% in 2017, to 31% in 2018. These studies’ results are in line with the outcomes of a survey among the readers of Condé Nast Traveler, which showed that 58% said they choose a hotel based on whether the hotel gives back to local people and the planet.

Travel companies have recently noticed an increase in the number of trips that involve trekking and hiking. For example, the number of trekking and hiking trips booked at Jacada Travel doubled between 2015 and 2016, and again between 2016 and 2017.

Based on these developments, Virtuoso considers sustainable tourism part of a global travel transformation rather than a passing trend. SKIFT suggests that sustainability will be the mark of luxury in the years to come. Tourism New South Wales considers ecotourists the early adopters of personal values which many other market segments with potentially larger visitor numbers will follow.

There are several reasons for the rise of interest in ecotourism, or sustainable, green, soft or responsible tourism. According to Booking.com tourists report:

being impressed by natural sights during their own travels (60%);
noticing a visible impact of tourism at the destinations they have visited (54%);
seeing the positive effect that sustainable tourism can have on locals (47%);
seeing the unsustainable effects of tourism in their home country (42%);
feeling guilty about the impact their vacation has had on the environment (32%).

Responsible Travel reports that travellers are increasingly seeking opportunities to reconnect with nature, other people, and seeking their own individual meaning, which may be caused by an increasingly digitally connected, work-centric, and material world.

Another driver is last-chance tourism , which is motivated by the desire to see threatened or diminishing natural attractions, including glaciers, coral reefs, endangered species and more.

Act sustainably and be transparent about it. Above all, promote your reuse and recycling of materials, waste management initiatives, etc.
Offer opportunities for travellers to contribute to the natural and social values of the destination and reduce their impact.
Developing nature-based tourism requires tailor-made approaches to fit often highly sensitive local contexts.
Consider serious leisure and project-based leisure for to visitors who are extremely interested in a particular leisure activity, even possibly hinting at a new career path. These travellers are very committed to their cause, more interested in staying longer to learn or to do more, and they are less hampered by barriers in terms of accessibility, travel time, and service level.
Make the destination attractive by providing multiple reasons to visit: combine nature-based tourism with other types of tourism and leisure activities. Seek collaboration with other entrepreneurs within and outside the region to create routes and packages connecting points of interest.

3. Which European countries offer most opportunities in nature and ecotourism

Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and the Czech Republic have the biggest share of outbound trips with nature as the primary motive. These six countries are considered the most relevant nature and ecotourism markets in Europe, with Germany standing out (see table 1).

Table 1: Top European nature and ecotourism markets

Sources: Statisca, Eurobarometer 432

The target market for nature and ecotourism is large. Probably the first studies conducted into the ecotourism market were the 2001 and 2002 UNWTO studies in the UK, Germany, Spain, France and Italy, which have not been updated. In a 2016 TNS study, respondents in the following countries mentioned ‘nature’ as the main reason for their holiday : Czech Republic (26%), Netherlands (25%), Bulgaria (23%), Romania (20%), Belgium (19%), and Poland (19%). Hover your mouse cursor or pointer over the map below to see the percentage of travellers who favour nature travel in each European country.

Keep in mind that these are statistics based on preferences. Because people in Western and Northern Europe generally have more money to spend, they will also spend more on nature and ecotourism as well. Keep in mind that these statistics show a preference for nature itself, not nature tourism, which also includes adventure tourism. Preferences for adventure tourism are included in our study on adventure tourism .

A proportion of 15% of German travellers see nature as the primary reason to visit a destination. Apparently, they are so impressed by the natural features of the destinations, that 25% mention it as a reason to return to the destination. Regardless of the duration of their holiday, most Germans like to purchase the components of their holidays themselves and separately (44% and 44% respectively). That might be the reason why the way they book their holidays is quite varied. Booking commercial services online (28%), booking private housing online (23%), booking via the counter of a travel agent (27%), and booking via a friend (26%), all have a similar share. Most Germans prefer to stay in a paid commercial accommodation such as a hotel, B&B, cruise or youth hostel, whether it is on a short (47%) or long (54%) holiday. During the orientation phase of a holiday, most Germans rely on recommendations by others (44%) or their own personal experience (39%).

Table 2: German key attitudes towards tourism

Of the European countries ranked in the top 6, France is where travellers least mention nature as a primary motive for visiting a destination, with a proportion of 14%. Nevertheless, natural features stand out as the primary reason to return (36%). Regardless of duration, package holidays (excluding all-inclusive packages) are the preferred holiday format (45%–46%). So, it might not come as a surprise that most holidays are purchased online in France, via providers such as tour operators or airline companies (33%) or concerning private housing (25%). The French prefer to spend their holidays with friends or relatives (long holidays 27%, short holidays 35%) or a paid accommodation, such as hotel, B&B, cruise or a youth hostel. Friends, colleagues and relatives provide the most important source of information when the French plan for their holidays (57%).

Table 3: French key attitudes towards tourism

Netherlands

A quarter of the Dutch travellers regard nature as the primary reason to visit a destination (25%). Twice as many refer to nature as the main reason to return: 53%. Most Dutch travellers prefer to purchase services and compose long (>13 days) holidays themselves (61%). Most holidays are booked online via commercial services, such as tour operators, airline companies, etc. (44%). The most preferred accommodation for the Dutch on long holidays is paid commercial accommodation, such as hotel, B&B, cruise, youth hostel, etc. (55%). The decision-making process is mainly informed by recommendations from friends, colleagues and relatives (47%).

Table 4: Dutch key attitudes towards tourism

One out of five Belgian travellers see nature as the primary reason to visit a destination (19%), while a slightly higher percentage mention it as the main reason to return (51%). If they go on a long holiday (>13 nights) they prefer a package deal (excl. all-inclusive) or to compose their package themselves staying in a commercially run accommodation (both a share of 38%). These are preferably booked via online commercial services, such as tour operators, airline companies, etc., excl. private housing from individuals: 38%. For these holidays, commercial accommodation such as hotel, B&B, cruise, youth hostel, etc. are the most popular type of accommodation (55%). When preparing their holidays, Belgians most often rely on recommendations by friends, colleagues and relatives (51%).

Table 5: Belgians key attitudes towards tourism

One out of five Polish tourists see nature as the primary reason to visit a destination (19%), while 58% see nature as their main reason to return. In the case of long holidays (>13 days), the Polish like to purchase and compose them themselves (45%), using online commercial services, private housing of individuals as the most frequent booking method (35%). Most Polish like to stay in a paid commercial accommodation, such as hotel, B&B, cruise, youth hostel, etc. (43%) these long holidays. Recommendations by friends, colleagues and relatives stand out among the information sources Polish travellers rely on when making their holiday decisions (61%).

Table 6: Polish key attitudes towards tourism

Czech Republic

A quarter of Czechs travellers regard nature as the primary reason to visit a destination (26%). More than twice as many mention nature as a reason to return: 59%. Most Czech travellers like package travel, but not all-inclusive (36% in case of long holidays, 37% with short holidays). There are three main methods the Czech use to book their holidays: through someone they know (26%), online commercial services – private housing individuals (24%), online commercial services, such as tour operators, airline companies, etc. (24%). During these holidays most Czech opt for a paid commercial accommodation, such as hotel, B&B, cruise, youth hostel, etc. (in case of long holidays a share of 42%, and in case of short holidays of 46%). During the preparation phase, recommendations by friends, colleagues and relatives (58%) are the most important information sources the Czechs rely on.

Table 7: Czech key attitudes towards tourism

Target the Netherlands, one of the European countries with the highest average incomes, where tourists also have a high preference for nature. For more information, study the Netherlands’ market profile .
Get certified if you own a hotel or accommodation or other tourism operator, as it will offer you many benefits . Depending on the kind of certification, it shows that you comply with the highest social and environmental standards. This is highly relevant in a market where environmental concerns among tourists is increasing and certification is increasingly used as a selection criterion by holidaymakers.
Consider B Corp certification , like Bodhi Surf + Yoga has done. Learn how this company facilitates memorable learning experiences using surf, yoga, nature immersion, and community engagement, including an app for gest to use before, during and after the holiday. This website has a database of B Corp certified travel and leisure businesses in various countries.
Promote your certification and the issuing body, especially if it is GSTC accredited. According to Booking.com , sufficient information on certification is a barrier to 32% of sustainable tourists. According to the Booking.com sustainable travel report 2019 , 72% of global travellers say they were not aware of the existence of eco-labels for vacation accommodations; 70% of them say they would be more likely to book an accommodation knowing it was eco-friendly; 62% would feel better about staying in an accommodation if they knew it had an eco-label; and 37% state that an international standard for identifying eco-friendly accommodation would help encourage them to travel more sustainably.

4. What trends offer opportunities or pose threats in the nature and ecotourism market?

Increasing demand for sustainable holidays.

Travellers are increasingly aware of and concerned with sustainability. When they choose a holiday destination, it is increasingly influenced by ethics, moral values, concerns about the environment and its ecosystems, including flora and animal protection and a desire to positively impact local communities. These travellers demand affordability and availability of environmentally friendly, sustainable and socially responsible tourism services and products. They want to reduce their holiday carbon footprint, but often want to improve the destination as well. That is why do good, feel good holidays and ecological tours are growing in popularity.

Various sources argue that ecotourists are generally willing to pay more for experiences, at least if they are authentic and meaningful, such as the Wildsea Network and others . Higher revenues allow to you to hire more qualified staff and to offer better travel experiences . However, costs are an obstacle for 42% of tourists to travelling more sustainably . Therefore, it might be easier to target tourists with more mainstream, nature-based interests and those seeking adventure activities, than ecotourists.

Among the reasons why European governments and travellers have been paying more attention to sustainability include climate change, plastic pollution, air and water pollution, land and water usage, dislocation of traditional societies, the negative impacts of overtourism on host communities, and international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.

The UNWTO has a dedicated platform for tourism initiatives relating to the Sustainable Development Goals called Tourism for SDGs . The UNWTO book Tourism for Development – Volume II: Good Practices has numerous examples of good practices. Others include:

Global Himalayan Expedition , India
Las Terrazas Complex , Cuba
El Carlos Ecotourism and Archaeological Centre , Colombia

Examples of businesses with strengths in specific areas of sustainability include:

In nature tourism:

La Choza Chula , in Guatemala, runs turtle and mangrove tours, cooking classes, homestay programmes, cultural immersion programmes, volunteer programmes. They also offer weekly English classes for their guides, funded the construction of a library, set up a mobile library, and built a computer lab and a secondary school.
Shewula Mountain Camp , in Swaziland, invites travellers to stay in their village and experience the rural lifestyle and culture of a Swazi community.

Environmentally friendly practices:

Uniworld Cruises , Ireland: environmentally friendly river cruises.
The Brando , in Tahiti, uses solar energy and sustainable coconut oil biofuel, running on 100% renewable energy.
Baines Camp , in Botswana, was built using a frame of elephant manure and recycled cans.
Jacada Travel , from London, invests in a portfolio of community projects aimed at helping fight climate change offsetting 100% of the carbon emissions from trips taken with them, including all flights.
The Kulala Desert Lodge , in Namibia, uses electric bikes for guests to explore the Kulala concession.

Protection of cultural and natural heritage:

Three Camel Lodge , in Mongolia, was built using ancient Mongolian Buddhist building techniques, without nails nor iron work.

Social responsibility and benefit sharing:

Aqua Expeditions , in Peru, has doctors on river cruises deliver medical supplies and healthcare to remote Amazon villages.
Children in the Wilderness and Wilderness Safaris : offer an environmental and life skills educational programme that inspires African children to care for their natural heritage.
Study the UN Sustainable Development Goals , which could help you to identify short and long-term priorities. In the short term, you could start small. For example: reduce waste by implementing reusable dishes, provide clear rules for customers or involve them in contributing to sustainability in a beach clean-up or ‘ plogging ’. In the long term, the UN Sustainable Development Goals could help you to develop a strategy that integrates protecting the destination, promoting environmental leadership and community health into the travellers’ experience.
Contribute to the local community quality of life and well-being, including economic and sociocultural well-being and fair incomes. See table 8 below for examples.
Ecotourists generally know what they want and are quite independent. They will often plan and book their trip, travel needs and experiences themselves. So, as an accommodation or provider of local activities, make sure you have good online presence targeting this group and matching their needs.
If you proceed with making your business more environmentally friendly or more sustainable you could try to get it certified . This will make it more visible to consumers who consider these labels during the planning phase of their holidays.
Make your business or product more sustainable by, for example: - Using renewable energy sources - Increasing energy efficiency - Optimising use of resources - Promoting environmental protection - Investing in waste management and minimisation, like reducing plastic waste by banning plastic straws - Addressing carbon emissions, pollution and littering

Table 8: Examples of initiatives contributing to local communities’ quality of life

Health wellness and sports holidays

Health and healthy lifestyles are becoming increasingly important in tourists’ decision making. Ageing tourists, the typical lifestyles of Generations Y and Z, the growing middle class, and the technological and digital revolution, all contribute to the growing importance of the health trend. Wellness tourism in Europe is soaring. In a 2015 Eurobarometer survey of 33,000 people in 33 European countries, 13% of the respondents said that wellness, spa, and health treatments were their primary or secondary motivation to go on holiday.

Concerns about obesity, food sensitivity, and health in general, have changed people’s attitudes towards healthcare, nutrition, beauty, physical activity, and overall self-improvement. This development stimulates demand for personalised health, mental well-being, clean labels, botanicals, athleisure, and home-tech health and wearables to monitor personal health.

A large part of wellness tourism and the subsector with the biggest increases over the past few years consists of people who simply want to stay healthy. This market offers lots of opportunities in nature and ecotourism for SMEs, such as:

activities in nature in combination with wellness, such as hiking for meditation, yoga and tai chi;
thematic health hotels in nature;
personalised health and wellness programmes;
rejuvenation and psychological well-being;
meditation and yoga;
healthy menus and cooking classes;
mobile health monitoring;
holistic holidays;
wellness trips and retreats built around a specific wellness activity, from bootcamps to meditation and silence retreats in a natural environment;
spiritual travel with an adventure component.
Read the Global Wellness Economy Monitor from the Global Wellness Institute , which provides relevant background information on this market segment.

Overtourism

The ongoing debate on overtourism is expected to have a positive effect on the demand for sustainable tourism , including nature and ecotourism that cause low impact on destinations and their natural and social environment. The increased public awareness is also motivating the travel industry to pay more attention to human rights and working conditions. The global growth of tourism overall is expected to further stimulate the debate on overtourism, its consequences, and the ways to manage it.

The overtourism problem, on the other hand, offers opportunities for businesses outside mass tourism, especially those promoting destinations that sell remoteness as a form of luxury.

Two companies that have tapped into this opportunity are:

Hosteria Helsingfors (Argentina) – Built in the remote Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia, this resort promotes its setting in the natural landscape, luxury services and sophisticated regional cuisine.
Hoanib Skeleton Coast (Namibia) – Accessible only by chartered flight, deep in the Namibian desert, this resort promotes game drives for guests to appreciate the landscape and desert-adapted wildlife.

This study was carried out on behalf of CBI by Molgo and ETFI .

Please review our market information disclaimer .

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