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The end of the 1990s represented the high tide of neo-liberalism in most advanced liberal democracies. The global economy still demonstrates signs that modes of capitalism have intensified and spread under the influence of global and state orchestrated tourist markets. This market liberalisation has commodified tourist experience at a surprisingly rapid rate. Today, the Ecotour market place is driven by the profit motive, elite tourist travel and the touristic fashions brought about by global capitalism. Commodification has had harmful impacts on destination communities and their natural environments whether examples are drawn from large-scale international events such as the Olympic Games or the incorporation of local communities into mainstream markets in counter authentic ‘trinketization’ of their cultures. A more concise understanding is required that acknowledges the impact of these markets and policy stakeholders and on the environment. Further a shift is needed in the organisational missions of operators towards social justice principles for communities and environmental sustainability. In short, we have to let nature grow while we use it. Slow ecotravel can then become more central to ecotourism.

The main aim of slowing down ecotourism is to create a sustainable, just and culturally relevant tourist gaze/industry that respects indigenous and host communities in local context. This will include questions about land use and the implementation of standards for ecotourism regulated by strong government measures that impose national and international standards and sanctions on ecotour operators. We will suggest some examples of ecotour operator organisations that participate in these sustainable strategies. We will further suggest that forms of pleasure in both ‘alternative hedonism’ and genuine altruism offers social spaces for social groups such as youth, the aged and other social categories to experience the enjoyment, risk, adventure and sociability (following George Simmel) of slow ecotravel and ecotourism. Examples will be drawn from various nation-state context including Australia, and several developing societies such as Peru and South Africa.