Ecotourism as a tool for Sustainable Development in Ecuador

Andr Granda Garrido

Abstract Development has become the ideal objective pursued by all societies and governments worldwide. However, development must be understood as a very broad concept that encompasses a number of factors that must be analyzed for their impact not only at the present but also by their impact on the future and the next generations. This is the foundation of what has been called "sustainable development" and represents a great opportunity for the countries of Latin America and especially for Ecuador. This paper analyzes the relationship of sustainable development in the rural area of Ecuador with ecotourism and environmental conservation. Thus, in first place this paper seeks to identify the importance of the concepts of development, sustainable development and ecotourism. Second, the paper will analyze the impact of ecotourism in rural communities of Ecuador, presenting specific examples of sustainable development in the Amazon rainforest and Galapagos Islands. As a conclusion, the paper will demonstrate the benefits of ecotourism and its implications for sustainable development in Ecuador.

Ecotourism as a tool for Sustainable Development in Ecuador The countries of Latin America have been characterized for having a lush biodiversity and extensive natural resources. Ecuador is no exception, being one of the countries in the region with most biodiversity and natural wealth. However, despite the vast natural treasures, these countries have suffered decades of poverty and inequality, and of course, the gradual destruction of their natural ecosystems. Given these circumstances, the development of the whole country and the region is an imperative; however, the development itself does not guarantee protection and long-term conservation of land and natural wealth, it is because of this and other factors that sustainable development becomes important. The beauty and biodiversity of Ecuador represents a huge tourism potential that must be carefully analyzed for their impact on the long-term sustainable development of the country. The concept of sustainable development has its origin in the very broad definition of development. The evolution of the concept of development has been related to the overall economic and social changes of the world. It is impossible to define development in a unique way, because it takes into account a variety of factors and characteristics. Although usually, development is defined from an economical perspective, this is a serious mistake, especially in developing countries. The use of the term development, rather than economic growth, implies acceptance of the limitations of the use of measures such as gross national product (GNP) to measure the well-being of nations. (Pearce, Barbier, & Markandya, 1990, pg. 1) Economic growth alone does not represents a real and holistic development for the population of a country. Development must be understood as a concept that encompasses various factors such as: educational attainment, nutritional status, access to basic freedoms and spiritual welfare. The emphasis on sustainability suggests that what is needed

is a policy effort aimed at making these developmental achievements last well into the future. (Pearce, Barbier, & Markandya, 1990, pg. 1) In other words, development must be oriented according to the needs and social goals of a human group, and in turn sustainable development is the projection in time and in the future of this development. Sustainable development depends strictly of the relation of this present social needs with time and the future generations. The best definition of sustainable development is given in the famous Brundtland Report: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts: 1. The concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and 2. The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs." (World comission on Environment and Development, 1987) Thus, sustainable development is a challenge that means thinking about the future, but act in the present. The world must be analyzed as a system that is continuously projected over time and space, space that is limited and in turn is composed of very limited resources. Because of this, the need to think of a sustained development over time is one of the most urgent responsibilities of the world, and at the same time implementing intelligent strategies and measures to ensure the sustainable development conditions. The ultimate goal of sustainable development is to promote use of the environment and resources to meet the

needs of present society without compromising the future. (Atkinson, Dietz, & Neumayer, 2007, pg. 79) Taking care of the environment and its natural resources is one of the most important aspects of sustainable development. The conservation of the planet ecosystems and the use of resources that future generations will make is one of the determinant factors in the development of strategies and policies for sustainable development. Without caring for the environment and the conservation of natural biodiversity, sustainability cannot exist. However, environmental conservation and concern for sustainable development are very difficult issues to promote in societies of developing countries such as Ecuador. Due to the great inequalities and deplorable economic conditions of these countries, the implementation of policies for sustainable development is a great challenge. Consequently, poverty is one of the main obstacles to sustainable development, due to the limitation and urgency that this scourge causes on the needs and welfare of the population in the short and long term. Ecuador insertion in the world economy and thus, the economic growth this brought, caused a gradual degradation of forests and natural landscapes of this country. The modernization of Ecuador and Latin American countries, resulted in the deforestation of the Amazon region and the gradual deterioration of biodiversity conditions as necessary for sustainable development projection in time. However, various measures have been implemented over the last years in Ecuador to offset the negative impact of environmental degradation and its serious consequences on development. Ecuador's response address this problem has been steadfast in various aspects, but above all, it is important to perform an analysis of the effective measures to promote sustainable development from an ecological perspective: ecotourism.

Ecotourism is one of the most original and effective initiatives to achieve the consolidation of sustainable development and ecological conservation. Ecotourism ventures provide a means to preserve natural resources and make a living in some tribal areas. (Zeppel, 2006, pg. 68) Various indigenous communities in Ecuador have the opportunity to benefit from their traditional territories through ecotourism projects in a community-based model. Ecotourism has been defined in several ways and has been closely associated with adventure tourism (Jimnez Bulla, 2013), but goes much further than that and should be understood as a form of tourism that is based on protecting the environment and supporting local communities. Since 1991, the Congress of Scientific Experts in Tourism (AIEST) defines Ecotourism as "...tourism that maintains a balance between social, economic and ecological interests."1 (Jimnez Bulla, 2013, pg. 4) Because of its special characteristics, ecotourism represents a unique opportunity for the region Latin American and especially for such a diverse country like Ecuador. Innovation of ecotourism is a big focus of sustainable development for the country, especially in two biodiversity dependent regions: the Amazonian rainforest and the Galapagos Islands. The Ecuadorian Amazon has a variety of ecotourism projects based on local indigenous communities that protect and administrate these tourist centers. The success of these communities have had to implement ecotourism projects is mainly due to the strong Indigenous leadership and organization that has managed to channel development projects in the Amazon territory in response to oil and logging activity. ( (Zeppel, 2006)) The various indigenous nationalities living in the Amazon rainforest have been able to organize and effectively implement ecotourism projects that bring benefits to the whole community, under

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a model of sustainable development. "Indian ecotourism supports nature conservation by retaining primary forest areas, subsistence hunting and controlled setting aside reserves on Indigenous territories where hunting and cultivation is prohibited." (Zeppel, 2006, pg. 70) There are several case studies that demonstrate the success of ecotourism for indigenous communities in various provinces of the Ecuadorian Amazon region: the Huaorani in the Yasuni National Park, tourism center Misahualli in Napo, Kichwa communities in the Cuyabeno, the Achuar Indians and Kapawi Lodge, etc. (Zeppel, 2006) Community activities promoted under the ecotourism are symbolic and cultural response to the threat of foreign extractive and logging companies, through these initiatives indigenous communities have acquired a greater role in the defense of their common and ancestral interests. "So the symbolic and economic values interpenetrate because globalized societies there is a tendency for social groups use their cultural assets as a means of demarcation and communicators, to establish barriers between some people (logging, mining and oil) and build bridges other (NGOs, associations, indigenous associations and international organizations."2 (Bustamante, 2008, pg. 100) While indigenous communities of the Amazon forest have taken advantage of the potential of ecotourism, the most successful ecological and community tourism example is found in the greatest natural treasure of Ecuador and America: the Galapagos Islands. Often cited as reference of exotic ecotourism and unique biodiversity, these Islands have received visitors,

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adventurers and scientists since 150 years ago. (Honey, 2008) The flora and fauna of the Enchanted Islands is unrivaled in the rest of the continent, "Half the birds, half of the insects, a third of the plants, and all the reptiles are endemic to Galapagos and are found nowhere else on the planet." (Honey, 2008, pg. 121) However, the touristic success of the Islands and the continuous influx of visitors provoked major problems that are characteristic of the modernization process that seeks to economically exploit the natural resources of this paradise. Therefore, the ecotourism conservation model is the best way to ensure the protection and conservation of the Islands while the community development of the local people is promoted. "In this fragile natural and political environment, ecotourism is widely recognized as the only viable commercial activity capable of both protecting the resource base and providing sustainable livelihoods." (Honey, 2008, pg. 122) Thanks to the history and beauty of the islands, Ecuador became a very attractive tourist destination recognized worldwide. Analysis of the impact of ecotourism in sustainable development of Ecuador cannot be complete without acknowledging and criticizing the negative effects that this tourism industry has had in certain areas of both the Amazon and Galapagos, mostly due to carelessness and irresponsibility in the environmental management and because of the pursuit of profit without a focus on sustainability. However, the threats and negative effects are not due to flaws in the model itself of ecotourism, but in mistakes that have occurred during the implementation of the model. Moreover, from an overview, ecotourism has been effective and positive for the efforts to promote conservation and sustainability in the natural regions of Ecuador. the ecotourism industrys contribution to conservation efforts on the Galapagos has, on the whole, been positive, because the industry recognizes that its long-

term success is based on a healthy and well-protected environment. (Honey, 2008, pg. 139) Undoubtedly, ecotourism has proven to be viable and effective in promoting sustainable development in Ecuador and Latin America, with significant benefits for local communities such as conservation of the environment, conservation of natural and cultural resources, the improvement of living conditions in rural populations and ultimately, promoting human and economic development in a sustainable manner.

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