The term ‘ecotourism’ is presently defined as the responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education (TIES, 2015).
Ecotourism is a form of tourism that focuses on immersing travellers in natural environments, encouraging direct contact with nature. It provides income for people living in these habitats and raises consciousness about conservation issues. Individual ecotourists may experience personal growth and self-discovery through an appreciation of nature. In contrast, those who work within the industry may acquire skills, knowledge, or business contacts to apply to other areas of life. All with minimum to no damage to the environment.
South Asian ecotourism can be seen as a developing niche market. It allows you to enjoy multifaceted attractions such as the world's highest mountains, the longest sea beaches, traces of magnificent civilizations, glorious traditions, artistic monuments, the incredible diversity of landscapes, unparalleled biodiversity, and so on while having very little impact on the environment.
Examples of ecotourism
Here are a few of the countless examples of ecotourism.
Cultural Ecotourism - Experience cultural diversity while remaining a responsible and conscientious traveller. Eco-tours may strive to conserve sacred locations, investigate spiritual customs, or preserve cultural traditions.
Endangered Wildlife Ecotourism - When looking for eco-vacations, responsible travellers with a great knowledge of endangered animals frequently turn to a cause. They can collaborate with a conservation agency or organization that actively connects the needs of the local community with conservation.
Adventure Ecotourism - Maintain the ecotourism ideal while bumping up the adventure on your travels. When going to destination activities, try to create as little influence on the environment as possible so that future adventurers can have and enjoy the same experience.
Principles of ecotourism
Ecotourism is responsible for travel to natural locations that encourage conservation, community harmony, and the local people's well-being. People who plan and participate in ecotourism activities should be well-versed on environmental issues and should follow the ecotourism principles outlined below:
Reduce the physical, social, behavioural, and psychological consequences.
Increase cultural and environmental knowledge and practice respect.
Make sure that both guests and hosts have a great experience.
Make direct financial rewards available for conservation.
Create financial rewards for both residents and private industry.
Visitors should have memorable interpretive experiences that assist them in becoming more aware of the host countries' political, environmental, and social climates.
Facilities should be designed, built, and operated in a low-impact manner.
Recognize Indigenous Peoples' rights and spiritual beliefs in the community and engage with them to empower them.
Advantages of ecotourism
There are so many advantages to ecotourism. Some of them are:
When you travel, you educate yourself from others and teach them about your way of life too, and you will also discover more about yourself than you could ever imagine. Ecotourism provides us with an entirely new perspective on the world and challenges us to think in new ways.
Enjoy the wide variety of music and clothing styles that you will be exposed to on your travels.
Everyone craves a sense of adventure in their lives, and eco-travel satisfies your desire for adventure.
Keepsakes are always unique and can help you stay enlightened even on the darkest of days. You can make your mementoes from images of wonderful sites, or you may show the locals that you appreciate their skills by purchasing handcrafted goods they've made.
The World Travel and Tourism Council states that the travel and tourism industry will produce $855 billion in revenue per year by 2026. That's much more than the annual GDPs of all but 10 countries on Earth. However, in the pursuit of profit we must not forget the foundations on which ecotourism is based on.
Most people worldwide absolutely adore travelling, but only some make sure that they do little to no harm to the environment in the process. And that is not nearly enough. More tourists and travel enthusiasts need to switch to ecotourism so that future generations will also be able to witness and experience the enchanting beauty of everything mother nature has to offer.
Travel, have fun but make sure you leave nature unharmed, for she is our mother after all!