Green tourism and local economic development
Activity in the green/sustainable/responsible/eco/alternative tourism sector is characterised by small scale activities which are locally owned. Their negative impact locally will be lower as leakages are minimised and profits retained (Holden 2008).
As indicated above it is also ‘the reach’, the economic benefits to remote rural areas that makes it an important contributor to rural economies, worldwide.
As Wood (2002) indicates, ecotourism is primarily about tourism experiences in groups of 25 or less, based in local hotels or lodges of 100 beds or less, mostly locally owned and often in remote locations. The tour companies tend often to be local too and present local nature and cultural features of interest to ecotourists through local specialist guides providing an educational and entertaining service interpreting the local context. In the sector even external green/ecotourism operators train and hire local people to be the public facing element of their business to provide an authentic and credible experience to such ‘alternative’ tourists (ibid).
