Abstract
Though ecotourism has become a new concept in modern tourism, it has not been practiced by ventures in its true sense. This issue is also true for the eco tourist ventures in Sri Lanka since they have been unable to identify the eco tourist markets and customer segments clearly. As a result, there is a lack of common principles and frameworks of ecotourism to guide the eco tourist ventures who then only try to satisfy their ecotourism destinations to a basic level. Such a short-term orientation can prevent eco tourist ventures to focus more on the sustainability of their business. The present study using a comprehensive framework of ecotourism, examines the ecotourism practices of an ecotourism lodge in Sri Lanka and it has revealed that the company has given attention to the best practices of ecotourism to a greater extent. However, the broader issue faced by the company as an ecotourism venture in Sri Lanka is the lack of ecotourism standards and practices maintained by Sri Lanka as a nation to meet the international ecotourism principles.
Highlights
Ecotourism has emerged as an alternative to mass tourism since the late 1960s triggering a concern for the nature-based elements of holiday activities
The Case and Findings Being a developing country, Sri Lanka has a great potential for ecotourism
Most of the plant species in this forest are considered to be rare and over 60 percent of these species are endemic. This unique vegetation type plays host to a unique collection of faunal species which consist of over 90 percent of Sri Lanka’s endemic birds and over 50 percent of endemic butterflies, mammals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. This unique degree of bio diversity provides RFEL with the perfect natural setting, which is an essential component of international principles of ecotourism
Summary
Ecotourism has emerged as an alternative to mass tourism since the late 1960s triggering a concern for the nature-based elements of holiday activities. In modern tourism there is a high demand for ‘ecotourism’; it is viewed just another buzzword by some scholars (Sirakaya, Sasidaran, & Sönmez, 1999). Practices such as ‘green washing’ have undermined its legitimacy, lack of understanding of the term has led to many issues in the practice of ecotourism (Wood, 2002). The practice of ecotourism needs to be considered and realized focusing on its sustainable use, including the community and ethical aspects, which is more relevant to the ecotourism ventures in the developing context (Australian Department of Tourism, 1994; Beaumont, 1998; Bjork, 2000; Weaver, 1998; Wight, 1993)
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