Environmental ethics and tourism - applying Leopold's 'land ethic' to the dilemmas of tourism

The activity of tourism lies at the intersection of an array of deep ethical concerns: of proper treatment of ecology and wilderness; of respect to and empowerment of local communities; of the importance of development and property rights; and of the implications of commodification and globalisation. This paper demonstrates the applicability of the environmental ethics of Aldo Leopold to these issues. It shows how Leopold's 'Land Ethic' provides an account, not only of the moral perils of tourism, but also of its powerful ethical promise: the way that staple tourism activities can enrich the lives and expand the moral perspectives of tourists.