1、中文 5255 字 毕业设计 (论文 )英文翻译 课题名称 院 系 专 业 旅游管理专业 班 级 姓 名 学 号 指导老师 2 012 年 5 月 10 日 Reflections on the Connotations of Ecotourism Abstract: As the most desirable option for sustainable develop-ment of tourism industry, ecotourism still suffers from lack of a clear-cut and widely accepted definition, posi
2、ng many risks and threats in its practices. Based on collection and collation of various concepts and explanations of ecotourism both at home and abroad, this paper reflects on the current connotations of ecotourism in terms of four aspects, namely, objects of ecotour-ism, ecotourists, nature of eco
3、tourism as well as the relation-ship between ecotourism and communities. In-depth analysis was performed in an effort to revise the misinterpretation of ecotourism and provide implications for ecotourism initiatives. The main conclusions and fruits of this article include: 1) The objects of ecotouri
4、sm should go beyond natural, pristine, or even only primitive natural areas to including cultural resources together with their natural context which also deserve preser-vation. 2) Tourism operators, compared to tourists, have more leverage and hence should shoulder more responsibilities for conserv
5、ation. 3) Ecotourism should serve as a principle to guide tourism initiatives towards sustainability, rather than merely a special tour package. 4) The theoretic foundation was laid for community participation in ecotourism. Key words: ecotourism, connotations, externality 1 Concepts and connotation
6、s of ecotourism Controversy has always existed over the definition and essence of ecotourism since the formal introduction of the term by Ceballos-Lascurain around two decades ago. Chinese experts Lu and Wang (2001) listed altogether 73 expressions of this term in their publication The Study of Ecot
7、ourism, some estimates that there have already been at least 100 definitions of ecotourism. Here are several defini-tions of considerable influence. As the first person to use the term of ecotourism, Ceballos-Lascurain (1991) initially defined it as traveling to relatively undisturbed or uncon-tamin
8、ated areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas. The United States Ecotourism Society (Blangy and Wood, 1992) gave the short-est possib
9、le but also comprehensive definition to ecotourism,Responsible travel that conserves the environment and sus-tains the well-being of local people. Black (1996) defined ecotourism in such a way as An experience with a focus on the natural and/or cultural environment, an ecologically sustainable activ
10、ity, an activity with a predominant educative and interpretive program, and an activity that contributes to local community groups and projects and to the conservation of the surrounding environment. IUCNs CNPPA (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1996) proceeding from their own tenet, defined ecotourism as Enviro
11、nmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cul-tural features-both past and present) that promotes conser-vation, has low visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involv
12、ement of local populations. Ceballos-Lascurain (1998) refined his initial definition by arguing that ecotourism should be An environmentally responsible mode of tourism, which entails traveling to or visiting natural areas without causing disturbance in order to enjoy, appreciate and study the natur
13、al attractions (landscape and wildlife) of these areas； as well as any cultural expres-sions (past or present) via a process that promotes conserva-tion, has a low environmental and cultural impact, encour-ages active participation and socioeconomically benefits the local population. Finally Honey (
14、1999) defined ecotourism as Travel to fragile, pristine and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and (usually) small scale. It helps educate the traveler, provides funds for conservation, directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, and
15、fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights. It can be found that, from the aforementioned definitions, as time went on, the concepts of ecotourism have continu-ously been broadened and the connotations enriched. To sum up, the present connotations of ecotourism mainly include the fo
16、llowing contents: (1) objects of ecotourism: natural areas, as well as ecosystem featuring co-existence between man and nature； (2) subjects of ecotourism: those who travel in a responsible form and shoulder obligations for environmental protection and social advance in destination areas； (3) nature
17、 of ecotourism: a new and special type of tourism products； (4) function of ecotourism: performing environmental education for travelers, improving their environmental outlook and ex-erting effect on their way of life； facilitating the participation of the local residents, and upgrading their standa
18、rd of living. 2 Doubts over connotations of ecotourism Owing to the lack of a clea r-cut and generally accepted definition and the subjective extension of the concept, the term of ecotourism has long been abused, misleading the decision making, planning and management in ecotourism initiatives. As a result, the accuracy of the connotations of ecotourism should be examined and analyzed to address the complexity of eco-tourism and the problems in ecotourism development in China.
