What is Ecotourism ?

by Peter Davidson

Ecotourism, responsible tourism and sustainable tourism have become the buzz words in the tourism industry, and with the effects of global warming and climate change influencing travelers worldwide towards a more a more sustainable way of traveling Ecotourism has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry.

Everywhere you go you will hear the word eco. It has become very popular because people are starting to realize that a new way of living and traveling is necessary in today's world. Not just in out day to day lives but also when we travel the eco way is the way to go and many travelers are starting to realize this and are going for ecotourism, looking out for eco tours. Eco travel is a new and exciting way of responsible travel that will enrich your travel experience and add your contribution to make the world a better place.

The general concept of ecotourism is to minimize the impact that tourism has on an area through cooperation and management and to encourage travelers to have a positive impact on their new surroundings. A commonly used definition of ecotourism says that Ecotourism is a way of travel that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people.

The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as, Responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people.

The general idea is about respecting the environment, the local people and the local communities whilst enjoying your holiday.

Here are some great tips for Ecotourism.

Leave the place as you : Leave the place where you are traveling as you found it or even better, make it a little better then you found it. Clean up after yourself and even try to clean up what other people left behind.

Eco Friendly Hotels : Eco friendly hotels tend to be smaller operations than their counterparts and are employing local staff and are getting their food from local suppliers. Try and find out if the hotel your staying at has water & energy saving policies and what they do with their waste and recyclable items. This way you are actively supporting the local environment and economy.

Local Tour Guides : The key word here is local. Working with smaller, locally based tour operators is best way to insure a more personal understanding of the place you're visiting and a smaller impact on the environment. In many cases the best tour guides are local villagers, and it's these individuals who tend to know the area best anyways.

Carbon Offsetting : Some ecotourism locales and travel packages will have programs in place for carbon offsetting on a local level. Some hotels and resorts will donate some of their income into these programs, while others may take a more hands on approach by simply planting more trees for every visitor that comes through their doors.

Conserve Energy and water : As and eco traveler try to conserve water and energy as much as possible. Just because these resources might be a lot cheaper then back home, these are still vital resources for the local communities.

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