Eco-tourism offers a more sustainable alternative to travelling

Ecotourism can be defined as:

“Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

Tourism and the environment can be mutually supportive

In a number of destinations, tourism helps to ensure higher water quality and better protection of nature and local natural resources. It can generate additional resources to invest in environmental infrastructures and services.

A social dimension

Eco-tourism also has an active social dimension. It seeks to benefit local communities by giving them control over how tourism develops, and by helping locals to use their lands and resources in more sustainable ways.

A growing industry

Ecotourism has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry, growing annually by 10-15 percent worldwide.

But be careful...

“Greenwashing” is a key problem in the industry, meaning that some agencies use the term “eco travel” much too loosely.