Ecotourism has become a central platform in many countries’ development

strategies. It is particularly attractive for governments in its potential in

providing an alternative to other forms of economic development: through

employment generation, for its ability to generate foreign exchange, and its

ability to generate sustainable regional growth (Weaver, 1998). Chok et al.

(2007) state that forecasts of high-tourism growth in developing nations,

where widespread poverty exists, have led to considerable interest in tourism

as a tool for poverty alleviation.