Indonesia: The Executive Director of Innovative Development for Eco Awareness, Soehartini Sekartjakrarini, is calling on the Indonesian Government to tighten its monitoring of areas developed around eco-tourism destinations.
"Once an area develops as a tourist site, then negative side effects can also take place," she told the Jakarta Globe.
It seems that the rise in eco-tourism has also correspondingly led to the rise in the threats to the environment due to negligent management on behalf of tourism operators, Ms Sekartjakrarini said.
"The concept of eco-tourism in protected areas, half-protected areas and cultural conservation areas should be well integrated."
Thamrin B Bachri from the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism added that eco-tourism had already damaged some natural resources.
"One example is Bunaken National Marine Park, which now draws fewer tourists than ever before, because the reefs have suffered damage as a result of tourism," he said.
