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Reading Discussion
Questions 1. The Martha Honey article provides a good overview of the evolution of the "ecotourism" concept as well as an analysis of ecotourism in Costa Rica. What is ecotourism? What were the ingredients of its success in Costa Rica? What are its major problems? Be familiar with the three different phenomena that Honey distinguishes on p. 412. 2. Why have Costa Rica and some other countries introduced certification programs for ecotourism? What has been the record of such efforts so far? What are the potential downsides to such approaches? How should countries deal with competition for the ecotourism mantle? 3. How does Deborah McLaren suggest that we need to "rethink tourism"? What does she mean by saying the remedy for tourism's ills "is within tourism itself"? What forms of rethinking and of "alternative tourism" do you think are most promising? How realistic do you think this kind of approach is? 4. Be sure to read Cleverdon and Kalisch's "Fair Trade in Tourism," available in WebCT references, for it pushes the discussion of alternatives in a different direction. Why has the "fair trade" approach been mainly applied to commodities so far? What has been the nature of that approach and how successful has it been? What might "fair trade" in tourism involve? Note the distinction between two different possible fair trade approaches noted on p. 181. Which would seem more promising to you? What are the obstacles to implementing such an approach? What on the other hand are the opportunities? 5. Appendix C, starting on p. 467, collects together several different sets of guidelines that have been developed to encourage responsible tourism. What suggestions do you find most useful in these various lists?
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