Scroll down for posts that have been tagged with “ecotourism and nature-based tourism”.
“Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and creates knowledge and understanding through interpretation and education of all involved (visitors, staff and the visited)” ― Global Ecotourism Network, 2016; What is (and what isn’t) ecotourism.
Ecotourism is a type of tourism that has a very low impact on the natural surroundings. It aims to promote conservation and education, while providing visitors with an opportunity to experience unique natural landscapes and wildlife.
Ecotourism could be though of as a sub-category of nature-based tourism, which the Travel Industry Dictionary defines as: “Leisure travel undertaken largely or solely for the purpose of enjoying natural attractions and engaging in a variety of outdoor activities.” Nature-based tourism includes a wide range of outdoor activities, such as hiking, camping, birdwatching, and wildlife safaris, that are very much embedded within natural environments.
Both forms of tourism focus on exploring natural environments in a sustainable and responsible way, with the goal of preserving them for future generations.
Ecotourism and nature-based tourism are gaining popularity around the world. They provide opportunities for travellers to learn about local ecosystems and appreciate natural beauty. By engaging in responsible and sustainable tourism practices through ecotourism and nature-based activities, travellers can feel that they are protecting the environment (and supporting local communities). (Both types of tourism have the potential to offer significant benefits to local communities, as they offer incentives and opportunities for locals to conserve their natural resources for a sustainable economic benefit.)
Tags are informal; an afterthought to content creation. The “Good Tourism” Blog never gets bogged down with tagging accuracy or consistency. Feel free to comment on any post you think has been incorrectly or insufficiently tagged. “GT” encourages good-faith debate and discussion and appreciates helpful feedback.
Kevin Phun passes a sustainability lens over concerns about mangrove forests to determine what it would take for our travel & tourism industry to be a responsible contributor to protecting and restoring them. It’s his third “Good Tourism” Insight. Mangroves are important to coastal communities. They shield them from the worst effects of strong winds, […]
Read More How can tourism protect & promote mangroves?
What if the ‘mass’ travel & tourism activities of cities and citizens were ‘sustainable’? Could any of it be counted as ‘ecotourism’? Sudipta K Sarkar explores these questions in this “Good Tourism” Insight. [Thanks to Jim Butcher for inviting Dr Sarkar to write a “GT” Insight.] After more than a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, […]
Read More Wild urban spaces: Rethinking ecotourism as a mass tourism product
In many places, improved relationships between tourism operations, wildlife, and habitats were starting to deliver more sustainable outcomes, including the participation of local people. Then COVID-19 … “Good Tourism” Insight Partner Planet Happiness invited conservation and community development expert Beth Allgood to share her thoughts in this exclusive “GT” Insight. Seeing wildlife in their native habitat […]
Read More Where next for wildlife conservation, ecotourism, & community well-being?
After a devastating fire followed by global pandemic, the ongoing recovery of Binna Burra Lodge in Queensland, Australia wasn’t possible without the support of people near and far who feel a connection to the place, its history, and its landscape. The story illustrates the power and value of goodwill, an intangible asset that manifested at […]
Read More From the ashes: The role of solidarity in Binna Burra’s tourism recovery
Slow and steady … not too much change and never too quickly … order and moderation … respect for long-standing sources of sustenance and shelter … pride in culture, heritage, and tradition … Conservative values are often compatible with sustainability in rural settings. Marco Ramazzotti discovers that the buzz phrase ‘slow tourism’ describes what Monti […]
Read More Deeper than buzz: ‘Slow tourism’ in the Monti Sibillini
Ecotourism is in high demand right now in places where physically-distanced outdoor activity is possible. And when the world finally breaks its COVID shackles, those who have been locked down for months in urban environments will likely be desperate for a taste of nature. To help prepare stakeholders for that surge, The Centre for Responsible […]
Read More Prepare now for a surge in ecotourism demand with a CRTS workshop