Paper Title
Eco-Tourism Components Practices in Sri Lankan Eco Resorts: Hoteliers� Perspective Analysis
Abstract
Ecotourism is potentially the best growing segment in the international market. Many hoteliers in Sri Lanka promote the sustainable use of this concept as a new market oriented concept. However, arrivals of eco tourists to Sri Lanka have been less than 1% over the last decade. These findings help to check whether the practice of ecotourism in Sri Lankan eco resorts have an impact on the declining eco tourist arrivals.
A comprehensive case study research approach was used to conduct this research. The target population for this study was self-declared eco resorts. Samples were selected purposively. In the sample, managerial level staff were selected to conduct in-depth interviews to explore the meaning of the term of eco resort. Primary data was collected through in-depth interviews in this research with the support of observation method. Analysis of in-depth interviews and observations showed that the practice of the eco resort concept has been misused by the hoteliers in Sri Lanka. They have been unable to classify the eco tourists and identify the market and customer segment clearly.
Keywords� Eco tourism, Eco resort, International Standards.