Some scholars say there is no such thing as eco-tourism in China. Many people disagree, pointed to the recent influx in eco-related concepts like eco-houses, eco-foods, eco-hotels, eco-parks, eco-villages etc. flooding the media. The world has become a place where the term “eco” is commonly used. As an ecologist, I am happy to see that. In this new “eco” trend, eco-tourism deserves particular attention. Many Western provinces here in China are proposing eco-tourism plans and products. The Chinese National Tourism Bureau and related government administrations made 1999 eco-tourism year. Then why do some scholars insist there is no such thing as eco-tourism in China?
One of the main reasons is that if we evaluate some of China’s current eco-tourism sights and projects against international standards, there is a huge gap.
The definition of eco-tourism differs, but there are three essential components:
First, eco-tourism is based on natural resources that offer tourists a direct experience with and greater knowledge of nature. Many people want to go to a “natural” place, but that alone does not necessarily equal eco-tourism. Standard eco-tourism puts an emphasis on high quality, specialized service, particularly focused on spreading nature-based knowledge and experience. This is considered much more important than, for example, the facility used, which is why international eco-tourism guides must go through rigorous training and have many years of experience to be qualified as an official eco-tourism guide. This limits the supply of professional guides, which in turn limits the amount of tourists that can go on these trips, ultimately increasing the cost for each tourist. This is a very important difference between eco-tourism and regular travel. Many “eco”-tourism projects in China are still merely based on popular concepts of tourism and don’t have this important component where professionals impart real knowledge of nature.
Secondly, developing eco-tourism should have a positive effect on the environment, including the construction of green facilities and constraining tourists’ behavior to prevent degradation. The proceeds generated should be spent on environment protection and to mitigate the unavoidable negative impacts on the environment from an increase in visitors. However, in China we often see “eco”-tourism facilities built directly into fragile eco-systems, actually posing a threat to environment protection, and sometimes it is unclear where profits are allocated.
Finally, and most importantly, eco-tourism should benefit local people. This requires the designer of an eco-tourism site to take full consideration of local people’s needs and ensure reasonable profit allocation and project participation, instead of letting a few private monopolies reap all the benefits from our shared natural wonders.
Obviously, there are projects in China that comply with all three of these standards. We’ve highlighted some of them here in on this website, and I encourage you to visit these projects as examples of how positive eco-tourism can be on many levels.
Eco-tourism projects are higher-end, client-focused, and require a long development horizon, which is not what many developers in China are looking for. However, there is a demand for more eco-tourism in China. Its popularity is not spurred by scientist or government, but is emerging in response to market demand. As the economy grows and more and more Chinese people have disposable income, people’s interest in tourism will ultimately become more diversified and high-end oriented. In recent years, the market share of tourism in China has grown from a trivial amount to a significant player. According to the International Eco-tourism Association, since the 1990s, income from eco-tourism has increased at a rate of 20-34% per year and continues to be one of the fastest growing segments in the economy.
This same trend will likely be reflected in China, and, in many places it already has. Higher incomes and more holidays will spur people’s demand for more traveling options. Surveys show that many people are interested in travel based on experiencing natural sites and villages - these are the potential consumers for future eco-tourism projects.
In Western China, there are abundant and unique eco-tourism resources, possibly unrivaled worldwide. The towering and majestic Himalayan mountains, glaciers, gorges, and pristine turquoise lakes and rivers all entice the imagination. These hot spots of global biodiversity contain unique temperate forest and endangered species like the giant panda, golden monkey, and Tibetan antelope. Broad grasslands, wetlands, and deserts present an endless horizon for the explorer. Additionally, various minority groups in the West represent an incomparable opportunity to visit, experience and understand the beauty of these unique cultures. At the same time, both the natural and cultural environments in Western China are some of the most vulnerable and fragile in China, and they are very hard to recover once destroyed. To protect these fragile natural environments and cultures, eco-tourism has become the first choice for many local industries in this region.
Nature conservation in a real sense only started in the 1980s in China, so it is still very young. People’s exploration of nature through tourism has to be built gradually. We are happy to see the establishment of many environmental associations and peoples’ increasing recognition of the need for natural protection. However, we need greater public participation, especially from minority groups and local communities. We also need to work with our international partners to cultivate communities’ capacity to become trained guides and benefit as eco-tourism flourishes in their communities.
Patience and confidence are needed for long-lasting efforts to build a mature eco-tourism market that will benefit local communities and ensure environmental protection. Add some green to your trip here in China, and please consider some of the eco-tourism options that we feel already meet these requirements here in China.
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