WE are the world: Ecotourism

By MzTravelDiva ⋅ April 22, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Happy Earth Day everyone!

A few days ago I posted on the benefits of traveling green, and how small changes can yield BIG results for our environment. Well this time I wanted to take a look at the new traveling trend, ecotourism.

What’s it all about? How does it benefit the natural environment? Where can you take part in ecotourism? Sit back and find out!

The Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel which conserves environments and sustains the well-being of local people“. This travel concept usually takes place in destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions.

The goal of responsible ecotourism is to minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment by promoting recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and creation of economic opportunities for the local communities.

As I mentioned in my previous post, there are many locations in great distress as a result of our harmful and wasteful habits. Ecotourism is an opportunity to purely focus on nature and how we can preserve it.

However, there is reportedly some backlash on the ecotourism trend. Some believe that it could actually cause more harm than good. A simple hiking tour could potentially be damaging if the hiker ventures off of designated paths. It has been seen that boating tours which primarily highlight seeing ‘animals in the wild’ can sometimes scare these animals, causing them to move from their natural nesting site.

The key to responsible ecotourism is research. Make sure your tour operators are organized and continue to keep preservation of the environment their top priority.

When making vacation plans, its great to try something different sometimes. Ecotourism brings a sense of global awareness, which is so desperately needed these days. If you’re interested in planning a vacation where nature is the main attraction, check out Ecotourist Hotspots such as:
Alaska
The Amazon
Antarctica
Australia’s Blue Mountains
Botswana
Dominica
Galapagos Island
Himalayas
…and our ‘next jetset‘, Costa Rica!