RT Terms

Now, there are many different terms I’ve come across when reading about improving travel, so here is my attempt to make sense of the jargon:

Agrotourism = tourism that focuses on learning about the agricultural life of a people.

Community Based Tourism (CBT) = tourism that focuses on learning about the local way of life of a people and usually involves interacting with members of the community.

Cultural Tourism = tourism that focuses on observing the customs, traditions, heritage, way of life and history of a people.

Ecocultural Tourism = tourism that focuses on learning about the culture of a people and their relation with the environment

Ecotourism = tourism that is ecologically sound.

Fair-trade Tourism = tourism that follows the principles of fair-trade, which is purchasing items that are benefiting local communities more fairly than other products. Different types of tourism, like cultural tourism, can be made fair-trade.

Geotourism - Tourism that focuses on keeping the unique character and appeal of a place.

Heritage tourism = tourism that focuses on learning about the heritage of a place.

Pro-Poor Tourism = tourism that focuses on spreading the economic benefits of tourism so that poverty is reduced. Different types of tourism, like cultural tourism, can be made pro-poor.

Reality Tours = Tourism that focuses on important social, economic, political and environmental issues.

Responsible (and Conscientious/ Ethical/ Positive) Tourism = Different ways to say basically the same thing, but the term “responsible tourism” is the one most used. It is tourism that focuses on maximizing the positive effects produced by travel and minimizing the negative. Different types of tourism, like cultural tourism, can be made responsible.

Rural Tourism = Tourism that focuses on going to a rural setting to participate in rural activities.

Sustainable Tourism = Tourism that manages a place’s resources and assets so they are not spoiled. Different types of tourism, like cultural tourism, can be made more sustainable. However, at this time we do not have the capabilities to truly make tourism sustainable.

Voluntourism = Tourism that focuses on “trying” to help a community and improve other people’s lives.

… and I’m sure in the following years this list will grow even longer!