Ensuring sustainability in the tourism industry

Sustainable utilisation of environmental resources has become a necessity for survival of humankind. Tourism is an important way of using natural environments in order to generate income much needed for conservation efforts. Traditional tourism however has been notoriously insensitive towards the environment on which the industry depends for survival. Recent developments have shown ecotourism to be an effective alternative for traditional tourism based on three principles, i.e. (1) conservation of the resource base; (2) benefits to the local population; and (3) ensuring an enlightening experience for the tourist. A strategy for environmental management is proposed by which sustainability of the ecotourism product is ensured.