Often the findings contribute to an increased recognition of the area's ecological value. The research can also serve to establish benchmarks for preservation, since the sites are often largely intact and relatively pristine ecosystems, they can serve as a basis for comparison. A second component is educating the visitors. Tourists and their hosts should be taught about nature conservation and protection as well as respect for the culture visited. Often the eco-tourist is eager to learn something from what he or she is seeing considering the landscape, ecology, and people.
Local inhabitants can play a large role in how the visitors view the destination.
By becoming educated hosts and guides they can encourage tourists to see their communities as more than a site for recreation. Travel to wild places has the potential to inform and educate large groups of people about the importance of nature. This awareness will give vital support for efforts to protect the wild world in the future. At summer's end sightseers may return home with more than snapshots and a sunburn, today's ecotourist could bring back a greater appreciation for the natural world and the motivation to protect it.