234
A. Machnik
should be invested for the needs of the hosts and for the protection of nature. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to the formation of a neo-colonial attitude towards
tourists in the societies visited and a consolidation of attitudes of immature involvement. The educational value of such trips cannot be overestimated, however, being
enhanced by the experience of contact with nature or other people. Observations of
wildlife often help to arouse understanding among tourists for the need for protection; the delightful experience of meeting a beautiful, wild animal and the positive
emotions evoked can be translated into further relationships between nature and
human beings (Schanzel and McIntosh 2000). Unfortunately, this does not always
happen (Sutcliffe and Barnes 2018). Sometimes events designated as ecotourism can
also have bad consequences for animals (Geffroy et al. 2015; Haussmann et al. 2017;
Orams 2002)—especially like sharks (Gallagher et al. 2015; Montero-Quinkana et al.
2020), sea lions (French et al. 2011), penguins (Schanzel and McIntosh 2000) and
hoatzins (Mullner et al. 2004).
Ecotourism has the proper potential to promote environmental consciousness,
awareness and environmental education. As another form of tourism, but from
its nature more efficient, it is also an ideal tool for creating or shaping attitudes
toward nature and another people (Machnik and Królikowska-Tomczak 2019) and for
creating an environmentally-responsible personality—the recognition of the sustainable development principles as the guide for how to shape social and individual relations between humans and the natural environment (Ponomarenko et al. 2016). But
as claims Beaumont (2001), although many scientists assumed that ecotourists would
become active advocates for the environment, there still has been little evidence to
support these opinions. Moreover, some perceive the whole idea of sustainability in
tourism as a deceptive and unfair greenwashing practice (Cohen 2002; Self et al.
2010).
The main problems connected with ecotourism development in tourism destinations are presented in Fig. 2.
On the other hand, examples of prosperous local communities that based their
financial existence on ecotourism (often called community-based tourism at the time)
also can be given. One of them is definitely the Tumani tenda—a Gambian village
founded about 30 years ago by a representative of the Jolla tribe, where you can
come to feel as if you are in the ‘real’ Gambia. It has about 300 inhabitants, de facto
members of seven families (Jones 2005; www.tumanitenda.co.uk). Jasmin Garraway
(2011) described selected Caribbean examples, including the Maroon community in
Misty Blue and John Crow Mountains in Jamaica; the Mayan community of Punta
Allen and Xcalak in Quintana Roo, Mexico, as well as residents of the Toledo District
in South Belize. It is not known, however, what the future of such enterprises will be.
Another one is the Wakatobi Marine National Park in south-east Sulawesi, Indonesia,
the second largest marine protected area in Indonesia, which includes approximately
80,000 residents on the four major islands within the park (Clifton and Benson 2006).
There is a special training place for UK-based higher education students undertaking
field work projects, which are designed to meet longer-term conservation objectives
whilst also serving to form the basis for their final year undergraduate and Masters
level dissertation projects. Bluwstein (2017) describes how the ecotourism territories
A. Machnik
should be invested for the needs of the hosts and for the protection of nature. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to the formation of a neo-colonial attitude towards
tourists in the societies visited and a consolidation of attitudes of immature involvement. The educational value of such trips cannot be overestimated, however, being
enhanced by the experience of contact with nature or other people. Observations of
wildlife often help to arouse understanding among tourists for the need for protection; the delightful experience of meeting a beautiful, wild animal and the positive
emotions evoked can be translated into further relationships between nature and
human beings (Schanzel and McIntosh 2000). Unfortunately, this does not always
happen (Sutcliffe and Barnes 2018). Sometimes events designated as ecotourism can
also have bad consequences for animals (Geffroy et al. 2015; Haussmann et al. 2017;
Orams 2002)—especially like sharks (Gallagher et al. 2015; Montero-Quinkana et al.
2020), sea lions (French et al. 2011), penguins (Schanzel and McIntosh 2000) and
hoatzins (Mullner et al. 2004).
Ecotourism has the proper potential to promote environmental consciousness,
awareness and environmental education. As another form of tourism, but from
its nature more efficient, it is also an ideal tool for creating or shaping attitudes
toward nature and another people (Machnik and Królikowska-Tomczak 2019) and for
creating an environmentally-responsible personality—the recognition of the sustainable development principles as the guide for how to shape social and individual relations between humans and the natural environment (Ponomarenko et al. 2016). But
as claims Beaumont (2001), although many scientists assumed that ecotourists would
become active advocates for the environment, there still has been little evidence to
support these opinions. Moreover, some perceive the whole idea of sustainability in
tourism as a deceptive and unfair greenwashing practice (Cohen 2002; Self et al.
2010).
The main problems connected with ecotourism development in tourism destinations are presented in Fig. 2.
On the other hand, examples of prosperous local communities that based their
financial existence on ecotourism (often called community-based tourism at the time)
also can be given. One of them is definitely the Tumani tenda—a Gambian village
founded about 30 years ago by a representative of the Jolla tribe, where you can
come to feel as if you are in the ‘real’ Gambia. It has about 300 inhabitants, de facto
members of seven families (Jones 2005; www.tumanitenda.co.uk). Jasmin Garraway
(2011) described selected Caribbean examples, including the Maroon community in
Misty Blue and John Crow Mountains in Jamaica; the Mayan community of Punta
Allen and Xcalak in Quintana Roo, Mexico, as well as residents of the Toledo District
in South Belize. It is not known, however, what the future of such enterprises will be.
Another one is the Wakatobi Marine National Park in south-east Sulawesi, Indonesia,
the second largest marine protected area in Indonesia, which includes approximately
80,000 residents on the four major islands within the park (Clifton and Benson 2006).
There is a special training place for UK-based higher education students undertaking
field work projects, which are designed to meet longer-term conservation objectives
whilst also serving to form the basis for their final year undergraduate and Masters
level dissertation projects. Bluwstein (2017) describes how the ecotourism territories