Potential Belum Temenggor Forest Complex as a most popular ecotourism destination in Perak / Mohd Asyraf Bakhrurazi

Tourism is a sector made up of many subcategories, such as nature tourism, agro-tourism, anthro-tourism, safari tourism, academic tourism, wilderness tourism and more (Leung, 2015). Community-based ecotourism is one faction of tourism that challenges many aspects of the mainstream, mass tourism.
Despite its roots in the early 1980’s, a definition for ecotourism agreed upon by all has yet to be found, although there are some frequently used in ecotourism literature. Two frequently cited definitions are put forward by the International Ecotourism Society and the Quebec Declaration of Ecotourism. The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people” (Fletcher, 2015).

The definition of ecotourism stems from the division of ecotourism into two categories: hard and soft ecotourism. Hard ecotourism is categorized as more active and catering to small groups with few services and comforts provided (Singh, Slotkin and Vamosi, 2007). It caters to visitors with a solid knowledge of conservation looking for longer stays and seeking more specialized trips and activities (Eagles, McCool and Haynes, 2002; Singh, Slotkin and Vamosi, 2007). Hard ecotourism is typically associated with areas not easily accessed through conventional tourism, such as coastal reefs and mountainous regions (Duffy, 2002). Soft ecotourism, on the other hand, promotes more convenience and comfort for the tourists who prefer shorter stays and more outside services to ensure their comfort (Singh, Slotkin and Vamosi, 2007).