Ecotourism has emerged over the last twenty years not just as a market niche, but also as a strategy for combining development with conservation in the developing world. Ecotourism, NGOs and Development considers the basis for advocacy and argues that it is premised upon a very limited and limiting view of the potential for development.

Jim Butcher examines the advocacy of tourism as sustainable development in a range of NGOs and within the general literature. The research reveals that in spite of the plethora of critical commentaries on the operation of ecotourism projects, there is generally an uncritical take on the ideological basis of the projects.

This book offers a timely critique of key assumptions underlying ecotourism's status as sustainable development, arguing that ecotourism as development strategy ties the fate of some of the poorest people on the planet to localized environmental imperatives.

Reviews

'An excellent trenchant critique which makes us re-think the concept of ecotourism from its first principles.' - Kevin Hannam, University of Sunderland, UK

'Beyond its clarity of methodology and vital contribution to academic discourse, the case studies in this book provide phenomenal insights. To do justice to the aspirations of our peers in the developing world the truths in this inimitable work must be taken onboard and acted upon.' - Ceri Dingle, Director of WORLDwrite, a UN, DPI accredited NGO

'Butcher provides a critical examination of the assumptions underpinning the advocacy of ecotourism, integrated conservation and development projects in the rural developing world. His research basis is a series of case studies that critically engages with the claims of a number of ecotourism-advocating NGOs: the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, SNV (a Dutch-based independent development agency) and Tourism Concern (the UK-based community tourism campaigning organisation), as well as the United NationsaEURO (TM) International Year of Ecotourism.'Daniel Ben-Ami, Spiked Review of Books Issue 4, Aug 2007

Book Information
ISBN 9780415393676
Author Jim Butcher
Format Hardback
Page Count 190
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 530g