Benefits of Eco-Tourism

Benefits of Eco-Tourism

By Fortune Ihunweze

Eco-tourism defines the purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and history of the environment, ensuring that the integrity of the ecosystem is not alter. Eco-tourism has greatly benefited many nations and people globally. It is estimated that over 600million people travel internationally each year. Hundreds of millions more journey within their home country, doing so for both work and pleasure. The tourism industry which includes hotels, resorts, airlines, travel agencies, parks and forest reserve services, and other business that cater for the needs of travelers, has become a major employer of labour.

Today, tourism is important to the economy of over 125 countries. Globally, tourism generates about four trillion dollars every year. A big one you would agree with me. It is therefore a strong factor in global financial issues.

Since it involves movement of people, eco-tourism is also a strong social and cultural integration. It fosters better understanding between people of different tribes and ethnic groups. This makes eco-tourism a potential tool for world peace if well harnessed. It can raise environmental cultural and social awareness.

In many countries, eco-tourism has developed over the years into the largest foreign exchange earner. Countries such as Kenya and Tanzania make great fortunes from eco-tourism. In Kenya, a lion is worth about $7,000 per year in income from tourist and a herd of elephant is valued at over $610,000. Hawaii's coral reefs generate about $300million each year from nature-based tourism.

Eco-tourism has greatly increased environmental awareness and therefore has contributed to nature conservation. In order to sustain the financial and other benefits of eco-tourism, governments implement conservation programs and policies to protect the plants and animals. This has greatly reduced human threats to the continuous existence of many flora and fauna species.

Fortune Ihunweze is a professional Environmental Resources Manager with a passion for the environment. His views and articles on the environment are shared is his website; http://www.environmenthighlight.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fortune_Ihunweze

Eco Tourism - The Future of Tourism

Eco Tourism - The Future of Tourism

By Kelly Hunter

Nature-based traveling has existed in the world for centuries, but it is only lately that it has been given a name-eco tourism. This form of tourism is predominantly tourism for the appreciation of nature. People who go on these tours head out to places that are naturally beautiful in some way or the other. They might be the Amazonian rainforests or the Hawaiian coral reefs or the sand dunes of the Great Australian Desert or the savannahs in Africa. Or, these people might go to view animals and birds in their natural habitat. They may go out in the seas to see whales or dolphins or manatees. All these are forms of eco-friendly tourism. This is the form of tourism that is currently in vogue.

What Does Ecological Tourism Entail?

The first and foremost requirement of such a form of tourism is to create awareness about nature in the minds of the travelers. The people who travel are interested in seeing nature in its real, unblemished glory, that's as untouched by humans as can be. They want to check out how earth was before humankind stepped on it.

People who head out on such tours go as naturally as possible. Most of them won't even take their electronic gadgets, especially if they are going to spoil the environment they are heading off to. They camp out under the sky as far as possible and live as nature ordained humans to do.

Eco tourism doesn't just mean viewing the sights of nature. It also means being as harmonious with the naturally beautiful place that the people are touring. These people visit the place and then move out of it, without leaving any mark or sign that they had been there. The whole point of ecologically-friendly tourism is to learn that, if needed, humans can be as unobtrusive to the environment as possible.

What Are the Benefits of Ecological Tourism?

The first benefit is that people learn about the nature of a country. The bulk of such tours are within the same country. Hence, these tours are a means for people of the country to understand how their own nature keeps them. Some people who are international travelers get to see a glimpse of how diverse nature can be in other parts of the world. The best thing about such tourism is that it can be a great learning experience, and also a humbling one, when one sees how marvelously nature has managed itself without any human intrusion whatsoever.

Then there is also the fact that eco tourism is big business. More than 125 nations today earn a large share of their national income through their tourism industry. These countries promote their nature destinations for international tourists and manage the whole affair so that their nature remains unspoiled.

Such tourism also helps people become more geographically and culturally aware. Since they usually travel to parts of the world that they haven't seen before, they also get to interact with people of a different culture. Once again, it becomes a learning experience that helps broaden the minds of the travelers.

Kelly Hunter owns and operates http://www.wireless-indoor-outdoor-thermometer.com and also writes about Outdoor Weather Clock Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Hunter