What is Ecotourism
The basic idea of Ecotourism is to travel to areas of natural beauty, that are often remote and protected and while in these areas attempt to impact the area in a positive manner, be it with volunteer work or raising awareness of any environmental issues the local animal and human populations face.
It is no secret that travel and tourism as a whole effects the environment. The very second you leave your home to go on a trip or holiday it has some kind of effect. To engage in responsible ecotourism, you should look into ways to cut down on the negative environmental impact of your trip. Even simple steps like making sure to carbon neutralize you modes of travel and use less harmful methods whenever possible. Before you travel, do some research on ways to help out while you are there. For instance if you wanted to go on a kayaking trip, check to see if there is one run by a company at actively takes an interest in looking after the rivers they use. If hiking, take care to walk only on the pathways provided so to now damage the local flora and if possible take part in a project that maintains the walkways.
While staying in the country you are visiting, try to live nearby the area that you intend to spend most of your time to count down on commuting. Try to learn about the customs of the local people, maybe even try to learn a little of the language. You will be surprised how much difference it makes, to be able to say even simple things like hello, nice to meet you etc…
The most important thing other than being aware and courteous to the location and people is to enjoy your trip, really soak out as much as you can.
I have barely scratched the surface of what being an ecotourist involves. But hopefully this has tickled your interest to find out more.
Source: Here
Picture Source: ippei + janine