ABSTRACT
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.
