Untitled

166 Ecotourism Society, The
Further reading
Boo, E. �1990) Ecotourism:The Potentials and Pitfalls,
Washington, DC: World Wildlife Fund, 2 vols.
Lindberg, K. and Hawkins, D. �eds) �1993)
Ecotourism:A Guide for Planners and Managers,
North Bennington, VT: The Ecotourism Society.
Wall, G. �1997) `Is ecotourism sustainable?',
Environmental Management 21�4): 483±91.
Weaver, D.B. �1998) Ecotourism in the Less Developed
World, Wallingford: CAB International.
GEOFFREY WALL, CANADA
Ecotourism Society, The
The Ecotourism Society �TES), launched in 1990,
is an international non-profit organisation dedicated
to finding the resources and building the
expertise to make tourism a viable tool for
conservation and sustainability. TES is run by
a Board of Directors.
The philosophy of the Society is `uniting
conservation and travel worldwide', and its longterm
objectives are to establish education and
training programmes, to provide information
services, to determine standards and criteria for
the field, to build an international network of
institutions and professionals, and to research and
develop state-of-the-art models in the field of
ecotourism.
Major activities of the Society are geared to
meet its long-term objectives. A series of international
ecolodge forums and field seminars have
been held to formulate an international set of
guidelines for ecolodge development and operation.
Workshops have been held at the George
Washington University since 1991 in order to
review the characteristics of the ecotourism market,
current approaches in government-level ecotourism
planning, and planning and management
tools for local communities. TES also organised the
International Ecotourism Partners meeting in 1994
to explore how the Society can form a partnership
with autonomous local ecotourism organisations,
distribute its publications, and develop joint
projects and membership initiatives. To provide
information, TES completed and distributed its
first International Membership Directory in 1995.
The Directory fosters an exchange of interaction
among members. The Society also provides
information to tourism communities seeking to
make their operations environmentally sound, to
monitor ecotourism development and to support
conservation. Its headquarters are in North
Bennington, Vermont, USA.
Ecuador
BONG-KOO LEE, USA
Ecuador offers a diverse range of natural and
historical attractions. In 1996, 420,000 tourists
visited Ecuador �with 47,000 going to the Galapagos
Islands). Income from tourism amounted to
$281 million �1.7 per cent of GNP), an increase of
7.5 per cent from 1995. The Ministry of Tourism
and CETUR, the Ecuadorian Tourism Corporation,
plan policy, provide education and training,
implement international marketing and
enforce regulations for the private sector. Promotion
of nature tourism is a high priority.
JEAN COLVIN, USA
Ecumenical Coalition on Third
World Tourism
In 1982, churches from throughout the world
formed the Ecumenical Coalition on Third World
Tourism �ECTWT) to assist Third World people
in responding to the impact of tourism. The
Coalition publishes Contours �a quarterly journal)
and other publications such as proceedings of
conferences it hosts. While not initiating actions, it
researches documents and publicises social justice
issues and supports those working to secure the
rights of those affected by tourism.
education
PETER HOLDEN, THAILAND
The increasing size and sophistication of the
tourism industry has brought increasing pressure
for a substantial upgrading of the professionalism