How Can You Apply Responsible Ecotourism?

With an annual turn over of some US$900 billion, the global tourism sector has a steady growth of 4 percent per annum. Ecotourism, a sub-sector within the tourism sector, is growing at 15 percent annually. Ecotourism targets the natural habitats that are as yet relatively undisturbed or less disturbed in the coast, the plains, the estuaries and the hills. The main goals of ecotourism are for the traveler to learn about nature, and conservation and support to it. Unfortunately, ecotourism is a troubled sector.

Governments have been demarcating natural areas and designating them officially as conservation areas. This has not been easy. Many areas are disputed with local communities contending that they have traditional and customary rights to these areas and that these are now being denied with notification of these areas as conservation areas. For some, these areas constitute livelihood resources. They claim that their rights have not been recognized and settled. Though earmarked for conservation, these areas are often opened up for commercial interests such as tourism. The result has been that too many lodges, hotels and resorts have been constructed in some of these areas. Droves of vehicles have been persistently invading the peace in these areas. The local communities progressively get pushed out of the area. The movement of wild life and the peaceful environment is disturbed by the constant drone of vehicles moving through. More visitors are mobilized for higher earnings as maintaining these sophisticated facilities and earning profit as well require more visitors. The result is added pollution, garbage and waste.

Responsible ecotourism involves traveling to natural destinations with minimal impact or low impact. It is based on environmental awareness in support of conservation. This typically can manage only small groups at one time in one location. Camping in natural surroundings is the more common amongst such tourists. These are backpackers who come with the essential camping equipments. These include camping tents such as MSR Hubba Hubba Tent and Marmot Aeros Tent, and many more designs from Black Diamond, Kelty, Eureka, and Sierra. You can get more details on the camping tents, for instance, on MSR Fury HP Tent from MSR Fury reviews.

The ecosystem can be protected when its biodiversity is used sustainably. Conservation also requires that local communities who depend on the ecosystem should also be benefited from ecotourism. Their culture should be respected.

Nature and human beings co-exist with one another. As human beings, we should all act as stewards of nature by taking care of it.

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