Effecting Positive Change through Ecotourism

This book is designed to show how ecotourism theory can be put into practice by exploring innovation, program applications, and research-supported case studies in ecotourism. The chapters reflect results of applied research focused on socio-economics of community development; the value of considering system-wide approaches to the relationships between communities and natural resources; the intricacies of capacity building and training facilitators in ecotourism; and education through ecotourism experiences. The cumulative impact of the research presented highlights innovative approaches to visitor management, community engagement, and education to critically address the complexities associated with visitation to natural areas and the dependence upon conservation of ecosystems and associated communities.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Ecotourism.

Kelly S. Bricker is a Professor and Director of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism in the College of Health at the University of Utah, USA. She has research and teaching interests in ecotourism, sense of place, community development, natural resource management, value of nature-based experiences, and the impacts of tourism. She serves on the boards of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the Tourism and Protected Area Specialist Group of the IUCN. With partners in OARS, and her husband, she developed an ecotourism operation called Rivers Fiji.

Deborah L. Kerstetter is Professor Emerita of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management at Pennsylvania State University, USA. She has published more than 100 manuscripts and multiple book chapters. Her research has been recognized through awards from various organizations including the Travel and Tourism Research Association and The Academy of Leisure Sciences.