The Analysis and Design of Ecotourism Curriculum

[[abstract]]Ecotourism is the low environmental impact traveling style, encouraged to popularize by many countries and area, and it rapidly grows around the global tourist market. Both theoretical and practical training is necessary to carry out the real concept of ecotourism. In order to raise talented personnel for the society demands, many schools and institutes around the world establish ecotourism-related curricula. The objectives of the study were twofold and the related methods were as follows: first, content analysis was the methodology to make comparisons on the content framework, and objective of the ecotourism curricula between Taiwan and other countries or areas. The framework of ecotourism curricula of Taiwan were related to the type and resources of school and curriculum standard. However, Australia's ecotourism curricula modules were more diversified and more completed than other countries or areas; second, Delphi Technique was another method to investigate expert opinions in the basic principles of ecotourism and related curriculum designs. The experts agreed that the most important basic principles of Taiwan’s ecotourism were “ecotourism should be sustainable development” and “ecotourism should have the meaning of environmental education.” In accordance with the principles, the compulsory courses of ecotourism curriculum in universities were " Ecology ", " Biological Diversity ", " Conservation Biology "," Introduction to Ecotourism " and " Theory and practice in interpretation ". The overall results could provide useful references for the future courses development and further ecotourism curriculum designs.