Marshmallows for Alligators: Defining Ecotourism in Southwest Florida

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Volume 37, Issue 2
December 2015 
Pages 116–123

Research Report and Commentary

Authors

• Barbara K. Jones

• First published: 1 December 2015Full publication history
• DOI: 10.1111/cuag.12058View/save citation
• Cited by: 0 articles Check for new citations
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• Barbara K. Jones is with the Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ. She has published articles, and led workshops and panel discussions on anthropology's role in understanding environmental issues. Her area of expertise is human ecology, with a research focus on ecotourism, wilderness, and wetlands.

Abstract

Should an ecotour operator feed marshmallows to wild alligators in the Florida Everglades? Observing the operator encourage alligators to approach an airboat so that the tourists onboard could see them provoked questions about what ecotourism is and what value it has for both the tourist industry and resource preservation. Is ecotourism merely a new label for an old product or is it a real effort to reengage the public in our natural and cultural heritage resources, but in an environmentally sensitive and culturally appropriate way? To answer this question, this paper considers how the ecosystem service or natural resource capital model can help reconcile what ecotourism offers to both the traveling consumer and to those tasked with measuring and protecting our natural resources.