Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ecotourism is now defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the
environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation
and education. Education is meant to be inclusive of both staff and guests.
Build environmental and cultural awareness. The first step to doing something
is understanding what you should be doing.
Minimize impact. If you must, travel by plane. If you can avoid it, try a train
instead. Walk or bike instead of driving or at the very least, use public
transportation. Respect local resources and dont waste.
Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts. The first one is a
given, but the second one is often neglected. Respect the locals, their
community and support them and their values.
Provide direct financial benefits for conservation. If its real ecotourism, much
of the money youre paying will go to conservation.
Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people. Buy local,
authentic products theyre higher quality, genuine, and they support the
locals. This way, they get much more financial benefits than from mass tourism
even if the number of tourists is much lower.