Managing legitimacy in ecotourism

Abstract

In this article, we discuss the legitimacy problem currently facing ecotourism. We argue that while ecotourism represents an important opportunity for the international tourism industry, its potential is currently limited by a problem of legitimacy growing out of the tension between economic and environmental goals; a problem which is exacerbated by the relative newness of the industry. This legitimacy problem is especially intractable as expectations and understandings vary so dramatically across critical stakeholder groups. In order to better understand the problem of legitimacy facing ecotourism, we draw on the existing literature in organizational analysis to develop a theoretical framework for understanding legitimacy and legitimacy management at the level of the firm, the organizational field, and the industry. Throughout the article, we draw on the example of the Canadian ecotourism industry to explore the crisis of legitimacy surrounding ecotourism and to provide a context for understanding how the management of legitimacy in ecotourism should proceed.