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ECO-TOURISM AND GEO-TOURISM IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Abstract
Eco-tourism and geo-tourism are both important sources of income for biodiversity conservation, geo-heritage conservation and local economic development. These activities also play important role in public education and awareness building on important ecological problems. Yet these activities might also have significant negative effects on local biodiversity, potentially undermining conservation goals. Modern technologies provide opportunities to reduce recreational pressure on sensitive ecosystems, simultaneously allowing human “access” to biodiversity and geo-heritage. There are multiple ways in which technological solutions may help achievement of this outcome. It is possible to either completely restrict anthropogenic pressure on ecosystems or integrate technology to partially limit recreational pressure. The concerns, however, that might arise due to technology application, include limiting financial streams, which might negatively affect local communities and reduce stakeholder support for implementation of technological solutions. Here, we discuss potential technological solutions, their benefits and limitations, as well as ways to overcome these limitations, including monetisation opportunities. We review a number of examples and propose recommendations that could help to improve environmental sustainability of eco-and geo-tourism, while not limiting economic benefits.
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