Ecotourism - Environment, Health, and Education

This book bridges the gap on the critical issues of ecotourism and direct economic assistance to the conservation of local ecological and human resources. It covers various topics and case studies by ecotourism destination and ecotourism route from Sinophone and Taiwanese perspectives. Each chapter of this book includes comprehensive proposes as an important core value for planning and operating ecotourism. According to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this book highlights our balanced understanding of sustainable tourism from the perspective of human ecology. Ecotourism needs to integrate the perspectives of population biology, bioanthropology, biomedicine, and public health and strengthen the connection between human ecology and disease. It is here to provide a comprehensive guide to all fascinating places for ecotourism courses. We encourage the following persons to read relevant chapters: (1) ecotourism entrepreneurs: business operators such as homestays, hot springs, ecological farms, and travel agencies; (2) ecotourism researchers: scholars and experts, university (specialized) college students, primary and secondary school teachers, and other ecotourism, environmental education, resource conservation, tourism and dining, leisure and recreation, other related fields researchers; and (3) ecotourism practice management and planners.


Wei-Ta Fang was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on February 14, 1966. He received a B.A. degree in Land Economics and Administration from National Taipei University (Taipei, Taiwan) in 1989. He received his first master's degree in Environmental Planning (MEP) from Arizona State University, the USA, in 1994, and a second master's degree in Landscape Architecture in Design Studies (M.Des.S.) from the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, the USA, in 2001. He obtained a Ph.D. from the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, the USA, in 2005. His interest is quite broad, determined to participate in the United Nations' environmental affairs by strengthening environmental security, and laying the ground based on the foundation of human peace forever to achieve enduring social, economic, and environmental sustainability. He lives in Taipei City with his wife, Chia-Ying Ho, and two sons, Cheng-Jun (June) and Cheng-Shun (Sam).


Arba'at Hassan, Ph.D., was born at Sungai Leman, the 'rice-bowl area' in Selangor, on May 16, 1952. He started his teaching science career in high school (1970-1979) and was later appointed as a science education lecturer at a teachers' training college in Tuaran (1980-1982). He was mentored and guided by Prof. Harold Hungerford and Prof. Tudi Volk, the most well-known professors in environmental education. Upon graduation, he taught environmental education at various universities in Malaysia (1994-2012), and the longest was at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, (2006-2012). At UKM, he participated in international conferences and collaborated with universities, examiners, and evaluator graduates at international levels, besides the university that he served. He trained and coached them in leadership and citizenship for the world. He was awarded the Scout Woodbadge (1979) and then the Excellent Merit Award from the Malaysian Scout's Chief Commissioner a few months later (1979).


Max Horng was born on offshore Penghu or Pescadores Islands, one of the archipelago, Taiwan, on September 26, 1962. He began studying in Taiwan in 1977. Since 1986, he has been working in banking and finance. After joining the company's photography club, he became acquainted with Mr. Shang-Hsi Cheng (1937-2011), a master photographer who was an instructor at the time. Under his guidance, he learned the essence of photography 'recording,' which was held at the Jazz Gallery in 2003. His first photography exhibition 'Clouds' commemorate the late master teacher Cheng in 2016, and the second solo exhibition 'Meet Chaoyan' was held at the gallery. Adhering to the concept of 'truth, goodness, and beauty,' he continued to care for the relationship between man and nature, man and land. He lives in Taipei with his wife, Chia-Chu.