Ecotourism as Life Politics

Ethical consumption has been identified by many sociologists as an important nexus through which people make sense of and attempt to act upon the contemporary world. As a form of ‘life politics’ it involves action at the level of everyday life that connects to a wider social agenda, be it environmentalism, development or human rights. This paper argues that ecotourism has developed as a conspicuous form of life politics – the growth in demand for ecotourism not only reflects a certain sensibility amongst western tourists, but also an attempt to ‘make a difference’ to the societies visited. As such it is closely linked to people's aspiration to improve the lot of people in other countries and to promote sustainable development. The paper is exploratory, but suggests that such an outlook may be both limited and limiting with regard to human agency.