InsideOut Travel—Ecotourism

by Kerri Gilbert

In years past, the term, “ecotourism,” evoked images of vacations in the wilderness with few amenities and a substantial amount of discomfort—foregoing the beach resort for a trek through the Andes, carrying dehydrated food in one’s pack. We now know that ecotourism is much more than roughing it. According to Costas Christ, president of Adventure Council, ecotourism is a “set of principles and practices” that contributes to the protection of natural resources.

After 15 years as a part of a growing movement, ecotourism and sustainable travel are finally becoming mainstream in the United States. Already an established idea in countries such as Australia and Kenya and various countries in the European Union, more Americans are spending their money responsibly. In fact, half of all Americans may be willing to pay more money to participate in responsible tourism and sustainable travel.

	JUST THE FACTS: ECOTOURISM
	Warning: Travel Hazardous to Earth's Health
	by Kerri Gilbert In years past, the term, “ecotourism,” evoked images of vacations in the wilderness with few amenities and a substantial amount of discomfort—foregoing the beach resort for a trek through the Andes, carrying dehydrated food in one’s pack. We now know that ecotourism is much more than roughing it. According to Costas Christ, president of Adventure Council, ecotourism is a “set of principles and practices” that contributes to the protection of natural resources. After 15 years as a part of a growing movement, ecotourism and sustainable travel are finally becoming mainstream in the United States. Already an established idea in countries such as Australia and Kenya and various countries in the European Union, more Americans are spending their money responsibly. In fact, half of all Americans may be willing to pay more money to participate in responsible tourism and sustainable travel.				Christ, who recently spoke at the Adventures in Travel Expo in San Francisco, said, “today, there are 760-million international tourists” with estimates reaching 1.5 billion tourists in 2010. These travelers spend $115 billion in the United States, and most of the growth in that figure stems from nature and adventure travel. The top ten sites visited in the United States are outdoors—parks and monuments. More than 5 million people annually visit the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona alone. "Some tourism companies may try to appear environmentally friendly when they are really trying to swindle travelers into paying inflated prices" Some places that were once popular with many tourists, like Cancun, Mexico, are struggling to bring in profits. Cancun is now considered to be an MTV spring break destination popular with a younger, party crowd. Holiday destinations, such as the Mediterranean coast, are interested in rebuilding villages and pensions to attract tourists interested in the local community and sustainable travel. In fact, as early as 1995, the Middle East-Mediterranean Travel and Tourism Association declared that its “primary mission is to increase environmentally sustainable travel to and within the region.” more >> << home << discuss article >>
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JUST THE FACTS: ECOTOURISM