Ecotourism failing in China
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Ecotourism in China is missing the point according to a UNESCO specialist.
Wang Ding, Secretary-General of the Chinese National Committee for the UNESCO program Man and the Biosphere (MAB) said that the niche industry is more like mass tourism. The ecotours handle large volumes of visitors joining which fail to preserve the environment.
Wang’s comments, published in Xinhua, came at an environmental protection forum on Sunday, held in Guiyang, Guizhou Province.
He said that instead of trying to promote conservation through tourism, local governments are fiercely promoting trips to reap economic gains and have been doing so for years. Wang said that ‘ecotourism’ was applied more as branding strategy rather than a genuine environmental practice. The tours are also failing to educate people on nature issues and build environmental awareness, serving more as sight seeing tours.
Wang advised the committee to observe ecotourism practices abroad to see how it can work a sustainable development tool. He outlined the way in which ecotourism can bring financial prosperity to the area and help alleviate poverty. The UNESCO representative also urged authorities to invest in proper staff training so they can deliver a rounded eco product.
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