Ecotourism development in ASEAN one of breakthrough leap to bring ASEAN Vision into reality, charts a future direction for ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward-looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in a just, democratic, and harmonious environment, dynamic development and ever-closer economic integration and in a community of caring societies, conscious of its ties of history, aware of its shared cultural heritage and bound by a common regional identity.
The active role of the young people in south east asia through their participation in ecotourism, environment, social and cultural programs will contribute positively and significantly towards reaching the aims and goals of ASEAN in the future. By emerging environment’s awareness, promoting ecotourism and embracing cultural’s diversity. In my opinion ecotourism is a conservation tool. Ecotourism appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals. Generally speaking, it focuses on volunteering, personal growth and learning new ways to live on the planet.
The main distinction between these ecotourim and other conventional tourism is the motives and ethics behind them. Is the environment being cared for? Is there genuine effort to help the local economies? Are resources being left intact for future generations? Is the local culture being honored and valued and not just photographed? These questions will cut through the semantics and allow you to see what is really being offered. I believe by finding balance in tourism will create new way to brings postive impact to culture, local people, tourist and earth. Objective
Ecotourism will lead people become a responsible traveler to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people. A walk through the rainforest is not eco-tourism unless that particular walk somehow benefits that environment and the people who live there. A rafting trip is only eco-tourism if it raises awareness and funds to help protect the watershed. My objectives in this proposal are : Creating Network Creating networks will enforce effectively to the ecotourism’s development in Indonesia and in the other country.
These networks will connecting travelers to the inspiring ecotourism initiatives, local people to tourism industry and tourism regulator in this case government institution to the tourism industry and other important network. Only by good communcation and network we could make sure that everyone will get positive impact and benefit from ecotourism. For example in orang utan’s case in Kalimantan, Indonesia, The traditional solution to ecological protection in Indonesia has been to enclose specified areas, in the hope of limiting human activity.
Ironically, if the government were to succeed in adequately protecting the forest in this way, the results would be devastating for human communities dependent upon the forest for their survival. in the other hand if the government is not successful in completely enclosing protected areas. As a result, environmental protection is limited, because disenfranchised groups continue to use forest resources illegally and unsustainably.
Whether the forest exploitation is to meet subsistence needs or for short-term commercial gains, these illegal uses further deplete the habitat of the orangutan while, in the long term, adding to human poverty as forest resources decline. Environmental objective By encouraging travelers to behave in an environmentally responsible way. Giving information and advice on how travelers can minimize their impact on the ecosystem as well as how they can contribute to the protection of fragile ecosystems. By offering travelers the opportunity to participate in conservation or preservation projects.
An important element of this type of project is education. The goal is that through participation, eco travelers will return home with increased awareness and concern for environmental issues and therefore continue to behave in an environmentally conscious way. Social objective By involving the local community in aspects of planning, decision-making and management of ecotourism. This encourages the empowerment of individuals. By educating travelers through leaflets, interpretation and advice from Tour operators or guides about the culture, customs and etiquette of locals.
This prevents conflict or offence between local and traveler interactions that may be caused through misunderstanding or ignorance. Problem statement Based on my literatures study and my opinion, there are some problems and obstacles to meet a good quality of ecotourism which give positive impact. There are problems to give positive impact to local people, ecotourism’s mismanagement, regulation, negative impact to the environment and other problem to develop good quality ecotourism. Local people
Most forms of ecotourism are owned by foreign investors and corporations that provide few benefits to local communities. An overwhelming majority of profits are put into the pockets of investors instead of reinvestment into the local economy or environmental protection. The limited numbers of local people who are employed in the economy enter at its lowest level, and are unable to live in tourist areas because of meager wages and a two market system. In some cases, the resentment by local people results in environmental degradation.
As a highly publicized case, the Masai nomads in Kenya killed wildlife in national parks to show aversion to unfair compensation terms and displacement from traditional lands. The lack of economic opportunities for local people also constrains them to degrade the environment as a means of sustenance. The presence of affluent ecotourists encourage the development of destructive markets in wildlife souvenirs, such as the sale of coral trinkets on tropical islands and animal products in Asia. Ecotourism’s Regulation
Very few regulations or laws stand in place as boundaries for the investors in ecotourism. These should be implemented to prohibit the promotion of unsustainable ecotourism projects and materials which project false images of destinations, demeaning local and indigenous cultures. Direct environmental impacts Although ecotourism is intended for small groups, even a modest increase in population, however temporary, puts extra pressure on the local environment and necessitates the development of additional infrastructure and amenities.
The construction of water treatment plants, sanitation facilities, and lodges come with the exploitation of non-renewable energy sources and the utilization of already limited local resources. The conversion of natural land to such tourist infrastructure is implicated in deforestation and habitat deterioration As one scientist observes, tourist rarely acknowledge how the meals they eat, the toilets they flush, the water they drink, and so on, are all part of broader regional economic and ecological systems they are helping to reconfigure with their very activities.
Nor do ecotourists recognize the great consumption of non-renewable energy required to arrive at their destination, which is typically more remote than conventional tourism destinations. For instance, an exotic journey to a place 10,000 kilometers away consumes about 700 liters of fuel per person. Significant study The Indonesian coastal zone supports approximately 60% of Indonesia’s 182 million people. In some areas, local people are heavily dependent on a wide variety of reef and reef-associated animal for home consumption and trade, including turtles, fish, molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms.
Sustainable eco-tourism requires the protection of natural beauty, yet conservation often conflicts with traditional users of those habitats, for example when fish become more valuable when they can be seen again and again by divers and snorkelers, “paying” for themselves many times over, versus their value as a single meal. In Pemuteran Bali, hotels, dive shops, village fisher folk, scientists, and conservationists have united in a project to protect and restore coral reefs and increase fisheries resources for both tourism and fisheries.
Fishermen in Pemuteran Bali can become more productive by growing high value marine species by “farming” their reef habitats than they would be if they continue to use destructive methods to hunt out the last wild fishes. The techniques needed are simple and easily taught. By training fishermen to grow coral reefs instead of destroying them, destroyed habitat can be restored, and Indonesia’s priceless underwater natural heritage can be preserved, and even increased as damaged areas are restored back to productive reefs.
This will require fishermen learning new skills, funding for sustainable energy production, investment in fisheries in the form of micro-credit loans to fishermen organized in cooperatives to effectively manage their fisheries resources. Indonesia’s coral reefs are the richest in the world, but only action now can save them for future generations and allow their sustainable use for both fisheries and tourism. Conceptual framework An environmental protection strategy must address the issue of ecotourists removed from the cause-and-effect of their actions on the environment.
More initiatives should be carried out to improve their awareness, sensitize them to environmental issues, and care about the places they visit. Tour guides are an obvious and direct medium to communicate awareness. With the confidence of ecotourists and intimate knowledge of the environment, they can actively discuss conservation issues. Natural resource management can be utilized as a specialized tool for the development of eco-tourism. There are several places throughout the world where the amount of natural resources are abundant.
But, with human encroachment and habitats these resources are depleting. Without knowing the proper utilization of certain resources they are destroyed and floral and faunal species are becoming extinct. Methodology approach Capacity Building Improving technical capacity is one of the key success factors in achieving a sustainable ecotourism management. Empowerment will not only be enhanced at local community level, but more importantly at the level of tourism developer, manager and decision maker.
Indecon is building the capacities of ecotourism planning and management by facilitating information access, providing human resources development through training and provide opportunity for internship. Destination Development Facilitating regional and local partners to develop their area to become ecotourism destination is one of priorities. destination development is creating models for ecotourism development which is appropriate for and can accommodate nature conservation, cultural heritage and community participation. Marketing
Promote ecotourism products, in the form of books, newsletter, policy papers and ecotourism packages. As marketing is one of the biggest obstacles in community based ecotourism development in Indonesia, Monitoring and Evaluation To guarantee visitor satisfaction, local economic growth, natural resources protection, positive cultural exchange, heritage preservation, and community involvement in ecotourism. developing guidelines for monitoring and evaluation for ecotourism destination as part of its responsibility to minimize negative impact. Conclusion
Indonesia covers only 1. 3% of the earth’s surface, yet harbours 10% of all flowering plants, 12% of the world’s mammals, 16% of the world’s reptiles and amphibians, 17% of all birds, and more than a quarter of known marine and freshwater fish species. Overall, it is one of the richest countries in terms of biological diversity. The many islands of the archipelago support a wide range and variety of habitats, from lowland rainforests, mangroves, savannah grassland, swamp forests and limestone hills, to mountain forest, alpine meadows and snowcapped mountains near the equator.
In my opinion Indonesia therefore has great potential for development of ecotourism. However, the threat to biodiversity is also high with some apparent threats such as illegal logging, hunting, and other forms of destructive utilization of natural resources. Hence, a sustainable form of nature utilization, for instance ecotourism, is one of the alternative options in making the most of nature potential and at the same time conserving it. I believe ecotourism is a bridge for us to finding new balance in nurturing earth, respecting culture, embracing people and having fun.
