Ecotourism

The International Ecotouism Society, or TIES, offers the following definitions on their website that I found incredibly helpful in understanding the intent behind ecological tourism, better known as ecotourism...

• ECOTOURISM: Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.
• SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: Tourism that meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future.

Before reading those definitions and some of the other information on the TIES website, I was not fully aware of what "ecotourism" was. As far as I knew it was just tourism in nature. Now I understand better that there is a purpose, and a good one at that, behind the practice and marketing of ecotourism in a responsible, sustainable way. Not only is ecotourism about reducing the environmental impact that tourism takes on a place, but also about raising awareness of cultures, places, and problems that our world is facing. My hope is that if people participate in ecotourism as we have on this trip they will be enlightened to the beauty of our world and perhaps think twice about their lifestyle and habits, even if it is minute changes they make, in order to preserve the environment.

When I get a chance, I am going to do further research on the ecotourism industry and see if I can find any statistics on the number of people who participate. After the small amount of research I've done already, and especially the ecotourism that I have participated in and fully enjoyed in the last 2 weeks, the topic is especially intriguing to me.