Ecotourism enterprise and sustainable development in remote Indigenous communities in Australia

Indigenous Australians suffer considerable social and economic disadvantage. The challenge for Indigenous communities is to discover opportunities that will provide sustainable development. Ecotourism is seen as one sector that could provide such opportunities. However, there remains substantial debate within the academic literature regarding the main characteristics of what actually constitutes ecotourism-based activities. This paper is concerned with the theoretical propositions and associated arguments concerned with defining the term 'ecotourism' as it is likely to relate to remote Indigenous communities in Australia. Only by establishing and clarifying such core dimensions of the term is it possible to evaluate the possible relevance of ecotourism activities and enterprises to the economic and human development of Indigenous communities in Australia.