Linking Culture and the Environment

Y.-F. Leung et al. 31
tour operators and tourists. Environmental codes of conduct for tourism developers
focus on selecting environmentally resistant locations for facilities,
energy-saving green designs and waste minimization practices (Sweeting et al.,
1999). Codes of conduct for tour operators and tourists often relate to sociocultural
and wildlife protection issues (e.g. Mason and Mowforth, 1996; Mason,
1997). Perhaps most widely known are the Ecotourism Society’s ‘Ecotourism
Guidelines for Nature Tour Operators’, which instruct operators and guides to
encourage less-impacting behaviours and practices (Wood, 1993).
In the USA, several land management agencies and the National Outdoor
Leadership School developed the Leave No Trace (LNT) programme that
communicates outdoor skills and ethics targeted to park and natural area
visitors. This programme is based on a set of LNT principles used to communicate
more detailed low-impact outdoor practices. The LNT programme has
expanded to Mexico, Chile, Canada, Australia and other countries where
ecotourism is booming. A review of US studies found that most low-impact
educational efforts did effectively improve visitor knowledge, behaviour
and/or resource and social conditions (Marion and Reid, 2007).
Recreation ecology knowledge has and will continue to provide a scientific
basis for low-impact educational guidelines and practices (Hampton and
Cole, 2003). Such knowledge can be applied to inform visitors about lowimpact
travel, camping and wildlife observation practices. Other important
applications include the development of low-impact practices for motorized
travel, travelling with recreational stock and minimizing visitor crowding
and conflict.
Concluding Remarks
The growth in nature-based tourism and ecotourism is likely to continue
with increased global environmental awareness, increased scarcity and therefore
attributed value to undisturbed areas, improved access to remote portions
of the world and an ageing and better-educated population. While the
Agenda 21 for Travel and Tourism advocates a global effort devoted to conservation,
protection and restoration of the Earth’s ecosystem through the
power of tourism (WTTC et al., 1995), such effort would be challenged if tourism
impacts continue to intensify and proliferate. Impacts need to be
addressed from the point of origin to destination, including services and
attractions, and across country, state/provincial boundaries. As tourism professionals
and researchers address the issues of ecological sustainability,
tourism and ecotourism research from an ecological perspective will become
increasingly important (Marion and Leung, 1998; Buckley, 1999b; Tyler and
Dangerfield, 1999).
This chapter has introduced the field of recreation ecology to sustainable
tourism and ecotourism researchers and practitioners. It demonstrates
the strengthening links between recreation ecology and tourism research
and discusses three potential contributions recreation ecology knowledge
can make to enhance the symbiotic tourism–environment relationship