Tourism is the world's largest industry. These days Ecotourism is its star performer. It grows between ten and thirty percent annually. You can see why many tour operators are rushing to attach the eco-label to their product. Here at home, just ask the whales and bears.
Wildlife viewing is one of the most popular reasons for joining a nature or eco-tour.
Unfortunately, this may disturb their feeding and migration patterns. The chance to view culturally-significant locales is another reason to sign up for an ecotour. If unchecked, what follows may be tantamount to a looting of unique local resources. This applies equally to native artifacts and geographical landmarks. Several years ago, the largest Sitka spruce tree in the world was discovered on Canada's west coast.