Eco-tourism: A Cure to Tourism Pollution?
Tourism is the world’s biggest industry, and it is strengthening the economy while breaking barriers through infrastructure development. However, it is majorly responsible for environmental degradation also and hence eco-tourism is the future of the tourism industry. Ecosystems consist of beaches, rainforests, and coral reefs which happen to be on the bucket list of every tourist. Such places face plastic pollution, soil degradation, and water pollution at the same time. Eco-tourism is set to create a gateway to these issues by not harming the ecosystem and creating opportunities for sustainable development. Let’s sneak a peek into what explicitly it is about.
What exactly is Eco-tourism?
The eco-tourism is a kind of tourism that focuses on the environment and its protection to bring sustainable development. It involves activities based on natural experiences like hiking, bird watching, deep sea diving, etc. It also helps to enrich your knowledge regarding local cultural activities, and their historical background while enjoying the natural scenery. The eco-tourism destinations are fragile, untouched, and preserved, for example, islands, densely biodiverse reserves, and significant cultural landmarks. It’s an innovative way to make sure the ecosystem and local communities are protected and remained unspoiled.
The Activities involved in eco-tourism:
Eco-tourism is an exciting and trending aspect for wanderlust people. If you are one, it is natural to be curious about the activities included in it. You can try the following exercises on your next trip to make your travel environment friendly:
Recommended by LinkedIn
The Importance of Eco-tourism:
The major reason behind the popularity of eco-tourism is tourists interested in experiencing scenic beauty while exploring places of wildlife existence and unique local culture. It is also beneficial for local economies because it creates jobs and boosts income for locals and ultimately contributing into the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of national economy. Here are some of the benefits of eco-travelling:
One of the important benefits of ecotourism is that it helps to protect the environment. When people visit such environmentally sensitive areas, they develop understanding and importance of nature and prevent things like deforestation, habitat destruction, plastic and water pollution, etc. As a result, the tourism industry and governments of various countries are becoming more mindful about nature and adopting the behavior to limit the damage caused to the environment.
Activities like camel safaris give travelers insights and develop an appreciation for wildlife, or strengthen the ones they already have. This is how natural areas receive more value for their landscapes, atmosphere and indigenous culture. It will adopt the positive behavior in their daily lives by taking conscious efforts to stop exploiting the nature, for example not throwing garbage on the roadside.
It’s not enough to educate your children regarding climate change through making it a part of their school syllabus or just watching a documentary while sitting on a comfortable couch. They will only learn and get familiar with the sounds and beauty of nature by experiencing it in a real life manner.