Imagine vacationing in a place of stunning, natural beauty. Picture
yourself relaxing on a pristine beach in Belize, exploring the desert on a
camel in Dubai, or following lions and zebras in Kenya. Now imagine that
while enjoying these experiences, you are also helping to preserve the
environment, protect wildlife, and support local communities. Sound too
good to be true? It isn’t! Such vacations are part of the fastest growing
trend in the travel industry. The trend is called ecotourism.
While ecotourism was almost unheard of before the 1990s, it has quickly
become a multi-billion dollar industry. But what exactly is ecotourism?
These are some of its characteristics: