Conservation issues are now at the forefront of public awareness. Climate

change, the decline of rainforests, loss of endangered species and increasing

land degradation have galvanized public support for conservation. It is no

accident that the interest and growth of ecotourism and nature-oriented

tourism have coincided with this worldwide concern (e.g. Wearing et al.,

Ecotourism and nature-oriented tourism often take place in protected and

remote regions, areas of exceptional beauty, ecological interest and cultural

importance. Today, these areas are established to conserve biodiversity and to

halt the large-scale loss of natural ecosystems. In 1962, there were 1000

protected areas covering 3% of the earth’s surface, now there are 102,100

covering 18.8 million square kilometers or 11.5% of the Earth’s land surface

(Bushell and Eagles, 2003). This represents a phenomenal growth in both the

public desire and political will to see natural areas protected in perpetuity.