Title:
Literature Review: Prospects and Challenges of Ecotourism in the Gambia

Authors:
Omar Sambou, Marjono, Gatot, Fadillah, Indonesia

Abstract:

The prospects and constraints of ecotourism largely depend on the principles and regulations applied. This study found that ecotourism can reconcile environmental protection, sociocultural preservation, and economic upliftment for communities and practitioners without compromising environmental quality and local culture. It increases local people's ecological consciousness, creates jobs, and improves income generation potential and living standards. However, the study concludes on the hypothesis that ecotourism can lead to environmental damage if practitioners neglect its principles. Underparticipation of local communities can lead to serious environmental damage, pollution, social disintegration, violent conflict, and eventually a short-lived ecotourism practice where local people bear the burden of environmental degradation while practitioners suffer economic loss. The desire for profit triggers the unsustainable practice of ecotourism. In the Gambia, private ecotourism practice has a short lifespan whereas government-managed parks have no standards or designed programs. There is no legislation regulating the practice of ecotourism. Therefore, practitioners operate on their terms and conditions.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2024.8712