Resort Ecotourism: A Master Plan for Experience Management

Abstract

As the number of ecotourists grows, an emphasis on "contextual access" should replace the emphasis on physical access. A skillful interpretation of a natural or cultural phenomenon can add value to tourists' experiences. The ecoresort master plan presented here endorses the building of resorts as self-contained developments in the sense that they follow a "green" model through resource conservation, recycling, and energy efficiency. Beyond that, the plan calls for a resort that is an integral part of the management of the heritage resources that are outside the resort but within reach of it through views and excursions. The ecoresort master plan emphasizes the dual role of interpretation as a mediator of the ecotourism experience and as a means of minimizing any ecological and cultural disturbance resulting from the resort's presence. By "layering" the experience, a resort provides travelers with a choice regarding the intensity of their destination experience. Resorts can also coordinate their programs to create an ecoresort portfolio that generates a flow of multidestination ecotourism.