page_title: Ecotourism
section_title: Key points/ Uses/ Benefits of Ecotourism
hierarchical_section_title: Ecotourism / Key points/ Uses/ Benefits of Ecotourism
caption_attribution_description: Eesti: Hülgevaatlus endisel postipaadil Helge. Malusi saarte idakülje lähedal. English: Seal watching on the eastern side of Malusi Islands, Estonia. Former postal boat Helge.
context_page_description: Ecotourism is catering for holiday makers in the natural environment without damaging it or disturbing habitats. It is a form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed natural areas, intended as a low-impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial mass tourism. It means responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, or to foster respect for different cultures and for human rights. Since the 1980s, ecotourism has been considered a critical endeavor by environmentalists, so that future generations may experience destinations relatively untouched by human intervention. Several university programs use this description as the working definition of ecotourism.
  Generally, ecotourism deals with interaction with biotic components of the natural environments. Ecotourism focuses on socially responsible travel, personal growth, and environmental sustainability.
context_section_description: Ecotourism is tourism which is conducted responsibly to conserve the environment and sustain the well-being of local people. It...
  Builds environmental awareness
  Provides direct financial benefits for conservation
  Provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people
  Respects local culture
  Supports human rights and democratic movements such as:
  conservation of biological diversity and cultural diversity through ecosystem protection
  promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity, by providing jobs to local populations
  sharing of all socio-economic benefits with local communities and indigenous peoples by having their informed consent and participation in the management of ecotourism enterprises
  tourism to unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern.
  minimization of tourism's own environmental impact
  affordability and lack of waste in the form of luxury
  local culture, flora, and fauna being the main attractions
  local people, who benefit from this form of tourism economically, and often more than mass tourism
  The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of local people, and involves interpretation and education".
  For many countries, ecotourism is not simply a marginal activity to finance protection of the environment, but a major industry of the national economy. For example, in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nepal, Kenya, Madagascar and territories such as Antarctica, ecotourism represents a significant portion of the gross domestic product and economic activity.
  Ecotourism is often misinterpreted as any form of tourism that involves nature (see Jungle tourism). Self-proclaimed practitioners and hosts of ecotourism experiences assume it is achieved by simply creating destinations in natural areas. According to critics of this commonplace and assumptive practice, true ecotourism must, above all, sensitize people to the beauty and the fragility of nature. These critics condemn some operators as greenwashing their operations: using the labels of "green" and "eco-friendly”, while behaving in environmentally irresponsible ways.
  Although academics disagree about who can be classified as an ecotourist and there is little statistical data, some estimate that more than five million ecotourists—the majority of the ecotourist population—come from the United States, with many others from Western Europe, Canada and Australia.
  Currently, there are various moves to create national and international ecotourism accreditation programs, although the process is also controversial. National ecotourism certification programs have been put in place in countries such as Costa Rica, Australia, Kenya, Estonia, and Sweden.
caption: Seal watching near Malusi Islands in Estonia.
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