While the majority of travel is for leisure, ecotourism also aims to educate visitors about local conditions. The term “ecotourism” is used to describe any kind of tourism which involves nature travel. According to the International Ecotourism Society, ecotourism is defined as the “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people."
Ecotourism is a boon for local economies. Some of the benefits of ecotourism are as follows:
- Conversion of Conventional Tourists to eco tourism due to orientation, which result in to conservation of natural places.
- Increase income and employment to the local people
- Attracts desirable clientele
- Stimulates rural infrastructure development
- Builds political support for nature conservation
- Increase in Foreign payments of domestic taxes
- Increase awareness of environmental issues
- Earns fund for conservation and development of natural resources
- Generate foreign exchange
- Builds political support for nature conservation
- Encourages depressed local people
- Minimum investment required
Ecotourism is type of tourism which while introducing people from different countries to the diverse cultures of the world, also teaches the importance of the environment and the beauty of nature within the given touristic site or country.
The main types of ecotourism are agri-tourism, eco-lodging, community development and eco-trekking.
A form of ecotourism, Green tourism is low-impact tourism especially designed to protect the environment and culture of an area. Some people find it wise to protect pristine and fragile environments and natural habitats by completely forbidding visitors from that place. However, it must be understood that there are many areas which depend on the income from tourists for supporting the local economy. Green tourism offers the best of both worlds, by protecting the ecology of the area and also keeping the local business alive.
One should not think that this type of tourism means spending the vacation with little or no comfort. There are several people who think that this kind of vacation is actually a wonderful adventure. From tents on tree house-like platforms with a rain forest canopy to recycling and gray water systems, the entire concept is exciting. It also involves keeping to fixed pathways, eating at places which serve locally grown cuisine is served and also visiting cultural areas in place of typical tourist spots.
One can spend a green holiday by studying the flora and fauna of the local area and also the cultural heritage of the area. One can take help of wildlife and tours viewing platforms and guides to have an experience of all the things which an area has to offer, but without making any impact on the environment.
There are retreat centers which offer this kind of tourism. Various kinds of facilities such as health and wellness center are there for the tourists. In the wellness centers there are consultants who guide tourists through the preferred option of the tourists. They can choose treatments from traditional Chinese medicines and many more. These centers have good accommodation for the tourists.
About the Author :-
Eichaed Wilson is a tourism consultant. He is associated with www.eastover.com to share his views with the readers on various topics such as Green tourism and Health and wellness center.