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Eco-tourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that appeals to the ecological and socially-conscious individuals. Generally, eco-tourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet, typically involving travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are primary attractions.
Much of what goes on in the name of eco-tourism is business as usual, albeit with a few peripheral changes like notices in your room requesting you to re-use the towel. Some visits are called eco tourism simply because they take tourists to ecologically interesting areas, such as national parks. Most principles of genuinely sensitive tourism, developed internationally over the last years, arc ignored.This includes carrying out assessments of the ecological impact of tourism and whether it actually benefits the local people or not.
According to some experts, eco-tourism is responsible tourism. Responsible eco-tourism includes programmes that minimise the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, an integral part of eco-tourism is in the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and creation of economic opportunities for the local communities.
Ideally, eco-tourism should satisfy several criteria, such as:
(i) Conservation of biological diversity and cultural diversity through ecosystem protection.
(ii) Promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity, by providing jobs to local populations.
(iii) Sharing of socioeconomic benefits with local communities and indigenous people by having their informed consent and participation in the management of eco-tourism enterprises.
(iv) Tourism to unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern.
(v) Minimisation of tourism’s own environmental impact.
(vi) Affordability and lack of waste in the form of luxury.
(vii) Local culture, flora and fauna being the main attractions.
For many countries, eco-tourism is not simply a marginal activity to finance protection of the environment but a major industry of the national economy. For example, countries like Costa Rica, Ecuador, Kenya, Madagascar, and Nepal represent eco-tourism as a significant industry adding good revenue to their gross domestic product by playing a major role in their economic activity.