Eco-tourism 1999 12 65

 

**Recently, eco-tours have become popular as a new travel fashion style that harmonizes tourism and the environment. Eco-tours are a new form of travel that aims to observe, understand, and enjoy nature while minimizing environmental impact. This includes local traditional culture, allowing travelers to deepen their interactions with local people, gain knowledge and awareness, and increase their interest in nature conservation. For the hosts, it is also an alternative regional development strategy to conventional construction-centric development that leads to environmental destruction.

Eco-tours started in the 1960s in Northern Europe and have now spread widely in Europe and the United States. In Japan, the Japan Nature Conservation Union created guidelines for eco-tourism in 1994, and various eco-tours have been planned by travel agencies.

For the hosts, eco-tours are actively being promoted as they contribute to regional development. However, there are also many examples where merely entering nature is called an eco-tour. Many guides do not understand the concept of eco-tours, and in tours led by travel agencies, proper systems for nature conservation and management are often not in place. Littering and environmental destruction by tourists are not uncommon.

The spread of eco-tourism requires local understanding and cooperation, as well as the utilization of existing facilities and continuous training of knowledgeable guides. The Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with the Environmental Agency, the Okinawa Development Agency, and the Forestry Agency, started preliminary surveys in model areas such as Okinawa and Tohoku in the autumn of 1998 to promote eco-tourism. They are considering two types of model projects: “wide-area mobile” and “local stay.” For the mobile type, model areas include northern Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island, while for the stay type, they selected four locations, including the Shirakami Mountains, a World Heritage site, as well as the Joshinetsu and southern Kyushu areas, and are working on identifying current issues with eco-tours.

Given this background, eco-tours led by municipalities are drawing attention. Among these, green tourism, where urban residents spend their vacations experiencing farm work in rich natural farming and fishing villages, is rapidly spreading. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has been subsidizing the development of model plans for municipalities since 1993, and over 280 municipalities are working on these plans nationwide. Additionally, the Ministry of Education is actively promoting experiential learning as part of “integrated learning,” which is also boosting green tourism.

In Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, a project called “Earth Design School” has been developing an eco-park utilizing land that was slated for a resort park during the bubble economy era, opening it to citizens since 1997. They use the wooden school building of a closed school and conduct environmental education programs throughout the year, leveraging the satoyama nature. They are also working on satoyama conservation activities in cooperation with local residents.

Eco-tourism and green tourism are expected to play significant roles in future regional development and environmental conservation. However, improving the quality of guides and ensuring local residents' understanding and cooperation are essential.**