Does nature matter? Arguing for a biophysical turn in the ecotourism narrative

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article argues for positioning biophysical nature as the central focus of the contemporary ecotourism narrative. Biophysical environment remains the most important attraction as well as the principal limiting factor of ecotourism due to its relative inelasticity to demand; and against the backdrops of increasing tourist numbers and a shrinking resource base, its condition should become the central concern for assessing ecotourism sustainability. Despite a modest increase of some species numbers, species habitats today are increasingly fragmented, and most ecotourism destinations harbor a long history of resource depletion. The article refers to key concepts and findings regarding the great acceleration of anthropogenic alteration of nature, and by connecting those insights with the central problems of ecotourism, it argues that in the Anthropocene – an era of sweeping changes to the geo-biosphere – a romanticized view of the ecotourism locale as pristine or grand is outdated, and a (re)evaluation of non-human nature, based on its rarity and fragility, as well as dynamism and complexity, is required. Relevant frameworks from Long-Term Ecological Research and landscape ecology are introduced and a checklist for praxis is proposed. It is posited that this conceptual reordering is necessary for developing ecotourism a viable tool for nature conservation.