Eco Tourism Around the World



Two decades ago, the word eco tourism would not be on any dictionary in the planet.  Today the word is associated with green adventures with the focus on preserving and viewing some of the most beautiful and green environments in the planet.  Here are some noteworthy destinations to consider for ecotourism.

Brazil, the land of the Amazon River, Carnival and Iguacu Falls.  The Amazon is one of the most popular ecotourism destinations in the world because of its diverse plant and anima life.  The Amazon has over half of the world’s species of flowers, trees and herbs.  Not only is the Amazon mysterious, there is also a sense of adventure and danger whenever visitors visit this ecotourist destination.

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Mosquitoes Threatening Animals to Extinction



..and you’d think mosquito-borne diseases are for humans alone? Apparently not, because these blood suckers are driving animals from all over the world to extinction!—something that sends researchers and local government agencies across the globe into frenzy to stop mosquitoes from making further- and ultimately, irreversible- damages.

Earlier this month, it was reported that mosquitoes in the Galapagos Island developed a rare taste for reptilian blood and were sucking off blood from Galápagos tortoises and its close cousins. In this course of action, mosquitoes are passing diseases unknown to a reptilian’s system that could kill them which was exactly what local biologists fear of. Galapagos wildlife is the island’s most notable feature and the very reason why they were declared as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. That alone warrants preventive measures from its local government as they believe mosquitoes breeding in the island are undergoing potentially dangerous mutation stages.

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Ecotourism in Costa Rica



Ecotourism is simply a tour of a country’s ecological attractions.  It focuses on environmental issues rather than the actual tourist spot itself.  It also centers on preserving the natural beauty, cultural heritage and the flora and fauna that live there.

Costa Rica is a South American country with diverse ecological wonders.  It is the most visited South American country with more than 1.9 million tourists a year.  Ecotourism is extremely popular in Costa Rica.  It has many protected areas and national parks.  It has varied plants and animals and with 25% of its total land area protected and reserved, expect to see a lot of wildlife.

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Eco Tourism in the Philippines



Started in 1991, the Philippine government came up with Ecotourism or Ecological tourism in an attempt to improve and develop lives of local people while promoting tourism as well.

With a 20-year plan, ecotourism projects focused on preservation of natural and cultural Philippine heritage, advancement of local communities around the area and satisfaction of travelers alike. Together with various departments and NGOs, they perceive this project to continually benefit government by providing income and a way to protect the environment.

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What is Eco Tourism?



One of the most abused word in the tourism industry.

For some ecotourism would be associated with adventure sports in the forests, others may see it as nature-based trip where they would endlessly take pictures with the lush scenery, still for some environmentalist, ecotourism would mean cleaning up the environment and be stewards of God’s creation.

For the International Ecotourism Society, Ecotourism is a responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people.
Moreover, the Australian Commission on National Ecotourism Strategy tag Ecotourism as a  “nature-based tourism that involves education and interpretation of the natural environment and is managed to be ecologically sustainable.”
But above every known definition in the world it was Martha Honey who defined ecotourism well in her book “Ecotourism and Sustainable Development.” Honey provided seven defining points for readers and researchers alike to understand a common definition of what ecotourism is.
First of all, ecotourism usually involves traveling to remote natural destination and by going there the tourists should minimize the impact of them visiting by adhering to environmental policies to limit the damage that our ecosystem might incur if the tourists misbehave.
While on an ecotourism trip, the participants should develop environmental awareness and interest on what they are seeing. It is also by opening their eyes in the sorry state of our ailing environment that we could raise funds to assist these conservation areas and other projects.
Also while we are there, one should be repetitively reminded that they should respect local culture and understand that they are in a remote area where there are small and isolated communities that have had little experience interacting with foreigners. A responsible ecotourist should learn beforehand the local customs, dress codes and other social norms so as we would not intrude on the community unless either invited or as part of a well organized tour.

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