Eco-tourism and sustainable development of local communities in Uganda:

Abstract

Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, or to foster respect for different cultures and for human rights. Since the 1980s, ecotourism has been considered a critical endeavor by environmentalists, so that future generations may experience destinations relatively untouched by human intervention. 1 Ecotourism may focus on educating travelers on local environments and natural surroundings with an eye to ecological conservation.Some include in the definition of ecotourism the effort to produce economic opportunities that make conservation of natural resources financially possible.