2025
Ecotourism and Enhancement of Natural Resources
Name: Ecotourism and Enhancement of Natural Resources
Code: BIO08105M
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/162 hours
Scientific Area:
Ciências Económicas e Sociais
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
Students are expected to acquire:
- An understanding of the ecotourism as an economic activity and the capacity to critically discuss the potentialities of ecotourism for natural resources conservation, economic valuation and local development in different socio-ecological contexts.
- The main notions, concepts and techniques required for analyzing, implementing and managing ecotourism activities either in the public domain or in the private domain.
- An understanding of the ecotourism as an economic activity and the capacity to critically discuss the potentialities of ecotourism for natural resources conservation, economic valuation and local development in different socio-ecological contexts.
- The main notions, concepts and techniques required for analyzing, implementing and managing ecotourism activities either in the public domain or in the private domain.
Contents
1. Criteria and context of ecotourism: Emergence of ecotourism; Definitions and criteria; Ecotourism and other tourism types.
2. Ecotourism consumers: Emergence of a new environmental paradigm? Ecotourists: sociodemographic criteria; motivations and activities; attitude and behaviour; Ecotourism markets.
3. Ecotourism environments and nature conservation: Public and private protected areas; and protected areas classification: IUCN and Portuguese classification; Heavily modified spaces: agricultural land, urban spaces.
4. Ecological impact of ecotourism: Positive and negative impacts; Impact management strategies; Conflict and cooperation in natural resources management
5. Economic and sociocultural impact of ecotourism: Positive and negative impacts; Community-based ecotourism; Ecotourism in the rural European context.
6. Ecotourism as a business: Structure and agents of ecotourism activities; Business planning and managing; Quality control: codes of conduct and certification.
2. Ecotourism consumers: Emergence of a new environmental paradigm? Ecotourists: sociodemographic criteria; motivations and activities; attitude and behaviour; Ecotourism markets.
3. Ecotourism environments and nature conservation: Public and private protected areas; and protected areas classification: IUCN and Portuguese classification; Heavily modified spaces: agricultural land, urban spaces.
4. Ecological impact of ecotourism: Positive and negative impacts; Impact management strategies; Conflict and cooperation in natural resources management
5. Economic and sociocultural impact of ecotourism: Positive and negative impacts; Community-based ecotourism; Ecotourism in the rural European context.
6. Ecotourism as a business: Structure and agents of ecotourism activities; Business planning and managing; Quality control: codes of conduct and certification.
Teaching Methods
Teaching methodologies include:
In theoretical and practical lessons, the fundamental notions and concepts are defined, and practical exercises are carried out (content).
Discussion lectures, in which: personalities with various professional and institutional experiences introduce the subject and encourage debate; graduate students present the main results of their master's theses.
Development of a group project. This work can be an essay, a critical recession, and the assessment of an ecotourism business idea. It is followed up in classes throughout the course and is presented and discussed in a seminar that takes place in the latest classes.
A study trip to a protected area or to an organization committed to natural resource conservation, environmental education and tourism nature.
Students are evaluated on the basis of two written tests (50%), oral and written presentation of group work and on performance and participatory attitude of the student during the lessons (50%).
In theoretical and practical lessons, the fundamental notions and concepts are defined, and practical exercises are carried out (content).
Discussion lectures, in which: personalities with various professional and institutional experiences introduce the subject and encourage debate; graduate students present the main results of their master's theses.
Development of a group project. This work can be an essay, a critical recession, and the assessment of an ecotourism business idea. It is followed up in classes throughout the course and is presented and discussed in a seminar that takes place in the latest classes.
A study trip to a protected area or to an organization committed to natural resource conservation, environmental education and tourism nature.
Students are evaluated on the basis of two written tests (50%), oral and written presentation of group work and on performance and participatory attitude of the student during the lessons (50%).
Accreditations and Certifications
