Responsible Or Destructive Tourism

Recreation is a leisure time activity. It has a therapeutic effect on the body and mind which is important in a life of stress and strain. Skiing, bungee jumping, snowboarding, hang gliding, sky diving, rock climbing, canyoning, backpacking, adventure tourism, motor sport and ecotourism are some of the popular recreational activities now. Ecotourism deals with travel to fragile and pristine areas. There are two types of ecotourism. The first has as its main aim to appreciate and learn from nature with the flora, fauna and cultural heritage as the focus. It appeals to the socially and ecologically conscious people. The experience is to provide appreciation of natural habitats and to reflect on human impact on nature. This is also called responsible ecotourism. The second is the crass commercial tourism targeting natural destination. This category of tourism dominates the ecotourism sector.

Neither ecology nor local cultures are the concern for the indiscriminate ecotourism that is practiced. Ecotourism is just a marketing tool. These rich natural habitats are the location for resorts, hotels and lodges with all its luxuries and wasteful lifestyle. These ecologically sensitive areas are neither the focus of conservation nor respect. The ecology deteriorates and the forests degrade when such infrastructure is established in the name of ecotourism. The more is the waste that is generated when more are the facilities. More visitors mean more pollution and generation of garbage. The tourists who frequent such facilities are also not aware or concerned about the impact their visit have on ecology with their lifestyle in such facilities.

In contrast to this type of tourism is the responsible ecotourism which is typically carried out singly or in small groups. They carry with them as little as possible and only just their survival needs. These include first aid kit, flashlight, utensils, personal care products and map amongst others. The most important is the camping tent and the sleeping bag. Camping tents come in different sizes suited for different seasons. There are camping tents manufactured by many companies such as MSR Hubba Hubba Tent and Marmot Aeros Tent, and many more designs from Black Diamond, Eureka, Kelty and Sierra.

As camping has very little impacts on ecology, it is generally considered responsible tourism. It pays attention to recycling and energy efficiency. There is much attention paid to their visit benefiting local communities.

Camping is the best form of relaxation and environment preservation. It helps you find tranquility within yourself and with the environment.

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