Ecoturismo

ECOTOURISM
Ecotourism, ecotravel, ecolodges and just generally being "eco" have become popular tourism sales pitches. What is true ecotourism? What defines an ecolodge or an ecological company? How is the surrounding community involved? And finally, is ecotourism such a great thing anyways?
In order to truly understand ecotourism and all of it's attendant pros and cons it is necessary to dosome background research. This page offers an introduction to the topic along with several links to more detailed information. The basic definitions below have been adapted and clarified from commonly used travel industry lingo. Some of the links are to articles that help further define ecotourism some promote it and some attack it but all are provocative and informative.
The goal of this page isneither to sell nor devalue ecotourism but rather to explore it as a concept and to help create informed travelers who ask lots of questions before, during and after their trip. Well informed travelers choose their guides, travel companies and lodges from a position of knowledge. This purchasing power can be the driving force behind positive or negative impacts on the places you visit. To learnmore read on...
Defining The Experience:
There are almost as many terms to describe types of travel as there are travel companies. A couple of buzzwords that you often hear these days are "Eco-Tourism" and "Adventure Travel" . To further confuse the issue there is also "Sustainable Tourism", "Responsible Tourism", "Nature Based Travel", "Green Travel", "Multi-Sport Adventures" and "CulturalTourism". The following are Untamed Path's definitions based on common usage.
Eco-tourism: Perhaps the most over-used and mis-used word in the travel industry. But what does it mean? The Ecotourism Society defines it as "responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people". A walk through the rainforest is not eco-tourism unless thatparticular walk somehow benefits that environment and the people who live there. A rafting trip is only eco-tourism if it raises awareness and funds to help protect the watershed. A loose interpretation of this definition allows many companies to promote themselves as something that they are not. If true eco-tourism is important to you, ask plenty of questions to determine if your trip will help"conserve and improve" the places you visit.
Adventure Travel: Another term which is heavily used by marketing departments. While travel to another country is often adventurous it is not necessarily "Adventure Travel". Most dictionaries define adventure similarly: "an unusual experience including some level of risk and uncertainty". "Adventure Travel" includes this idea of risk and oftentimes someunconventional means of transport. A dugout canoe journey deep into the Amazon basin with it's attendant difficulties meets this definition. While a city tour of Paris might have some level of uncertainty it is not by definition "Adventure Travel". If you love true adventure you probably already know this and can see through the hype to find the real thing for yourself.
There is sometimes adistinction made between "Soft" and "Hard" adventures. Soft adventures have a lower level of risk, greater comfort in accommodations and are less physically rigorous. Hard adventures often have very basic facilities, higher risk factor and greater physical challenge (ie: mountain climbing, backpacking or river expeditions).
Sustainable Tourism: Any form of tourism that does not reduce the availabilityof resources and does not inhibit future travelers from enjoying the same experience. If the presence of large numbers of tourists disturbs an animal's mating patterns so that there are fewer of that species in the future then that visit was not sustainable. Kayaking school on a free flowing river is an example of sustainable tourism. Big game hunting in Alaska is not.
Responsible Tourism:...