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Sustainable Development in Ecotourism

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Sustainable Development in Ecotourism Sustainable development in ecotourism Tour operators managing the economic, social and environmental concerns of sustainable development in Costa Rica Authors: Frida Eriksson Matilda Lidström Supervisor: Karl Johan Bonnedahl Student Umeå School of Business and Economics Spring semester 2013 Degree project, 30 hp Acknowledgements First of all, we want to thank the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (SIDA) for providing us with the opportunity to conduct our study in Costa Rica through the Minor Field Study (MFS) programme. We would also like to thank our supervisor Karl Johan Bonnedahl for his great support and dedication, providing us with valuable and constructive feedback throughout the research process. Furthermore, we are grateful for the respondents’ contribution to this study. Without them, this research would not have been possible to carry through. Last but definitely not least, we would genuinely like to thank our friends and families for their never-ending support. Frida Eriksson & Matilda Lidström i ii Summary Sustainable development is concerned with acknowledging economic, social and environmental development aspects, catering for the current needs of society without damaging the well-being of future generations. Ecotourism is a niche market that emerged because of increased market demands for sustainable tourism practices. It serves to provide tourism products and services while accommodating for the economic, social and environmental aspects of society. However, earlier research suggests that it is difficult to handle the three dimensions of sustainable development, indicating that trade-offs may occur. Furthermore, as tour operators are able to affect local development prospects, it is of interest to examine how they handle sustainable development, and more specifically, contribute to trade-offs between the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development. This thesis was aimed at answering the following research question; “How do ecotourism tour operators contribute to trade-offs between the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development?”, with the objective of examining how ecotourism tour operators handle the dimensions of sustainable development, and what trade-offs that may occur between economic, social and environmental concerns. This qualitative research was carried out in the context of ecotourism tour operators in Costa Rica through semi-structured interviews. Nine respondents participated in this research, representing seven local ecotourism tour operators. The data collected on the trade-offs of ecotourism and sustainable development has in turn been analysed with reference to a pre-established theoretical framework. This study has revealed that ecotourism tour operators are actively engaging in initiatives supporting the idea of sustainable development. The tour operators handle the economic, social and environmental concerns through different initiatives. One conclusion that can be derived from this research is that all pillars of sustainable development are important to acknowledge. However, this is difficult as the three dimensions are somewhat contradicting. Therefore, depending on how ecotourism tour operators prioritise different initiatives, trade-offs are inevitable as both inter- and intragenerational needs are difficult to align. Keywords: Ecotourism, Sustainable development, Trade-offs, Triple bottom line iii iv Abbreviations CST Certification for Sustainable Tourism GDRC Global Development Research Centre GRI Global Reporting Initiative GUD Global Urban Development ICT Costa Rican Tourism Board INEC National Institute of Statistics and Census of Costa Rica MFA Ministry for Foreign Affairs SINAC National System of Conservation Areas TIES International Ecotourism Society UI Swedish Institute of International Affairs UN United Nations UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture UNWTO World Tourism Organization WBI World Bank Institute WCED World Commission on Environment and Development WTO World Trade Organization v vi Concept definitions Developing country – “A developing country is one in which the majority lives on far less money—with far fewer basic public services—than the population in highly industrialized countries” (World Bank Institute, WBI, 2012). According to WBI (2012), developing countries have to face issues of extreme poverty and hunger, insufficient education and health systems and social inequalities etc. Ecotourism – Sustainable tourism related activities that mainly occur in close proximity to nature. In line with the concept of sustainable tourism, ecotourism is concerned with promoting economic and social development, without compromising the state of natural ecosystems and biodiversity. Sustainable development – “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, WCED, 1987, ch. 2, para. 1). Ticos – The local inhabitants of Costa Rica. Tour operators – Organisations whose main purpose is to provide tours. Trade-off – Compromising one aspect in favour for another. Triple bottom line – The multi-level approach of sustainable development, combining the focus on, and effect of, economic, social and environmental concerns. vii Table of contents 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 RESEARCH QUESTION ................................................................................................. 4 1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE ................................................................................................ 4 1.4 LIMITATIONS .............................................................................................................. 4 1.5 RESEARCH DISPOSITION ............................................................................................. 5 2. ACADEMIC STARTING POINT .................................................................................... 6 2.1 PRECONCEPTIONS .................................................................................................... 6 2.2 RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY AND APPROACH .................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Reality and the researcher’ s role ............................................................. 7 2.2.2 Research approach ..................................................................................... 7 2.3 RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE ............................................................................................. 8 2.4 THEORETICAL FRAME OF REFERENCE ............................................................................ 8 2.4.1 Acquisition of the theoretical framework .................................................. 8 2.4.2 Eligibility criteria ............................................................................................. 8 3. THEORETICAL FRAME OF REFERENCE ..................................................................... 10 3.1 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ..................................................................................... 10 3.1.1 The evolvement of sustainable development ........................................ 10 3.1.2 The triple bottom line ................................................................................. 11 3.1.3 Greenwashing in the context of the triple bottom line .......................... 12 3.1.4 Economic growth, prosperity and development ................................... 13 3.1.5 Social concerns, well-being and equity .................................................. 15 3.1.6 Environmental responsibility, protection and resource conservation .. 16 3.2 TOURISM ................................................................................................................ 17 3.3 ECOTOURISM .......................................................................................................... 18 3.4 THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ECOTOURISM ....................................................... 20 3.4.1 Economic concerns, economic leakage and consumption patterns 21 3.4.2 Social concerns, employment and social equity ................................... 22 3.4.3 Ecotourism and environmental protection ............................................. 23 3.4.4 Potential trade-offs between the pillars of sustainable development . 24 3.5 EXTENDING THE STAKEHOLDER THEORY DISCUSSION ..................................................... 26 3.5.1 Stakeholder theory in ecotourism ............................................................. 26 3.5.2 Key stakeholders of ecotourism companies ........................................... 26 3.5.3 Mapping it down ........................................................................................ 28 3.6 FINAL REMARKS ....................................................................................................... 29 4. ECOTOURISM IN COSTA RICA ................................................................................. 30 4.1 INTRODUCING COSTA RICA ..................................................................................... 30 4.1.1 Nature .......................................................................................................... 30 4.1.2
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