Dr.Hesham Mohamed El-Barmelgy

Citation:

Barmelgy, H. M., and K. M. Samy, "To 'Eco-wise' or to 'Sustain-wise'", Development and Tourism in Coastal Areas, INTA 2005 International Conference at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. , 10 March 2005.

Date Presented:

Abstract:

In 1991 Elizabeth Boo initiated the notion of Eco-tourism into the global context, since then there is an on going debate around the efficiency of the term. Some argued the term to be no more than a myth or a rhetoric speech about sustaining our ‘ego’. Others sees the term as a panacea from heaven presenting the tourism industry with a sensitive environmental approach. The paper argues ‘eco-tourism’ to be a highly rated sustainable form of tourism that is only applicable to specific locations of high scenic environmental, social and culture values and with specific management capabilities . Consequently, the paper aims to investigate the rhetoric discourse of 'eco-tourism' and how can it contribute to the tourism developments within the Egyptian context. The research methodology is to conduct a profound study aiming to analyse and study the philosophy of the ecotourism concept, defining its features and principles. Studying the link between the concept of 'ecotourism' and that of 'sustainable tourism', extending the debate to the reality of ecotourism development process within the realm of developing countries; aiming to achieve an objective answer to the question of; whether to 'ecowise' or to 'sustainwise'?

Notes:

A study of principles verses reality within the realm of developing countries.