Tourism

Analysis of Yellowstone National Park

    Effective conservation of nature can only be realized through embracing and exercising ecotourism principles that emphasize on intergenerational and intergenerational equity.  Embracing ecotourism as conservationists emphasize, facilitates a holistic approach towards sustainability that seeks to make all the key parties responsible stakeholders.  This paper provides an in-depth analysis of Yellowstone National Park in relation to implementation of ecotourism practices and principles.

Yellowstone National Park environment
    Yellowstone National Park presents one of the most spectacular conservation sites both in the United States and the world too.  As National Geographic (2010b) indicates, ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park warrants special focus with reference to ecotourism due to its high fragile nature.  Notably, the park is located in the temperate region which exposes the flora and fauna to extreme temperatures of up to 38 C and -54.4C in summer and winter respectively (Heather et al, 2008).  Summer forest fires, high visitation rates bad touring practices such as feeding the animals and littering are evident.  Besides, the park is one of the key national heritages that have rich history about United States. 

According to National Geographic (2010b), Yellowstone National Park is a home to a large number of flora and fauna that warrants special knowledge and conservation.  Due to its strategic temperate location, key biodiversity including mammals, fish, reptiles, birds and temperate vegetation are located in it.  Geographically, it presents some of the most spectacular geysers and hot springs in the globe (Folke et al, 2005).  Other geographical features include deep canyons, vast forests, alpine lakes and craggy peaks.  It is from these spectacular environmental features that the park is a center of tourism in the United States.

What needs improvement in this park
    Ecotourism as Honey (2008) explains, is a holistic outset that seeks to incorporate all the stakeholders in the tourism outset in facilitating greater benefits to the local communities, the visitors, economy and most importantly supporting conservation efforts.  To effectively articulate the concept of ecotourism at Yellowstone National Park, there is need to educate visitors on conservation aspects of the ecosystem.  Notably, most of visitors in the United States national parks do not effectively grasp the concept of sustainable conservation during their visits.  Of critical importance for this region is the need to involve local communities in conservation issues.  Besides, there are needed programs that would facilitate reduction of negative implications on biodiversity by the visitors as well as the management.  As (Folke et al, 2005) point out, conservation issues should be considered from the complexity of the natures interconnectedness and not in isolation.  Therefore, these improvements should be highly complementary and executed from a common sustainability objective.  

Possible risks from non-improvement
    Ecologists indicate that ecological injustices committed to nature have highly expansive negative implications that not only affect various generations, but might also be irreparable (Honey, 2008).  Failing to educate visitors may create the wrong interpretation on nature and therefore propagate possible negative beliefs and mythologies which may drive them away from latter visits.  Due to lack of effective understanding on the true nature of various conservation aspects on Yellowstone National Park, the visitors may further lack interest in touring the park.  This consideration would especially reduce the revenue generated from the park and therefore negatively affect conservation efforts.  Besides, failure to educate visitors would promote poor park behaviors such as feeding the animals and littering park which may diminish biodiversity and beauty. 

    Poor involvement of the local people may lead to their dissociation with the park which would be a major recipe for ecological degradation.  Heather et al (2008) indicate that key conservation malpractices would easily go unreported a consideration that may catalyze the parks degradation.  Finally, lack of effective projects on conservation such roads and directions marking as well as tour-guiding and biodiversity assessment may culminate to excessive off-road driving and consequent biodiversity loss.  

Importance of ecotourism and stakeholders to be involved in the park
    From the definition of ecotourism by Honey (2008), its principles and application have great benefits that spans through generations.  Ecotourism at Yellowstone National Park would therefore facilitate better understanding of biodiversity and its interconnectedness between the physical, chemical and biological components of environment.  Consequently, interest in conservation would create the need for supporting conservation initiatives in the park.  Notably, articulating ecotourism principles would guarantee greater sustainability of Yellowstone National Park resources for latter generations while increasing its present revenue generation from visitations.  Regional and national development would also be recorded from local community support and increased returns. 

    Key stakeholders to be involved would include the park management as the key facilitator, tour and travel companies as educators of the visitor and researchers to provide the needed assessment.  The federal administration would create the needed policies, institutional support and provide further funding during implementation (Honey, 2008).

Possible accredited ecotourism organization to be involved
    To effectively achieve the outlined objectives, it would be particularly critical to involve an accredited organization. As a result, Yellowstone National Park should consider involving the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) in designing, facilitating and guiding the whole process. Heather et al (2008) explains that UNEP has a strong basis of Sustainable Development evidenced by its role in Brundtland Commission, agenda 21 development and its holistic international orientation.    

Possible challenges and opportunities
Implementation of these improvements might however be encountered by the following challenges.  The highly contested definition of ecotourism may culminate to possible disagreements on target objectives.  Folke et al (2005) indicate that there is still no clear definition of term ecotourism a consideration that results to divergent goals.  In addition, tour companies and operators may object to the holistic objectives of ecotourism as it entails more commitment that increase related costs. 
However, the increasing awareness on conservation through education and media is a major opportunity for gathering grass-root support.  National Geographic, (2010a) indicates that most people in the United States have come out in support of ecotourism not only during their visits, but bust also in related activities.  Besides, ecotourism initiatives have great support from the state and federal administration as well as research institutions both locally and internationally.

    It is from the above analysis that this paper concludes by supporting the thesis statement, Effective conservation of nature can only be realized through embracing and exercising ecotourism principles that emphasize on intergenerational and intergenerational equity.  It came out in the analysis that Yellowstone National Park requires effective articulation of ecotourism principles to generate the sense of posterity.  Articulation of ecotourism should therefore be employed in conjunction with UNEP while emphasis should be laid on building up on the opportunities while reducing the challenges.