Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that also supports environmental conservation and local communities. Ecotourism is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative vacation option. Many well-known and popular places are recognized as legitimate ecotourist destinations. Each destination offers a unique roster of activities, but guided nature hikes, nature viewing and local cultural activities are typical.
A few specific destinations are listed below.
The station accommodates up to twenty people and features a dining room, a kitchen lounge and a solar hot water system. This station is a designated research area and is host to many scientists and researchers working directly to promote conservation. The station offers a number of outdoor activities, including nature hikes, wildlife observations and camping in the reserve along the river''s edge.
The lodge consists of rustic bungalow cabins constructed by local villagers and features meals cooked by local women using fresh locally-grown food. The Wesko Lodge in Panama offers its ecotourists the opportunity to bird-watch, view wildlife, hike, canoe and ride boats.
This ecolodge was created to provide local employment other than logging. Locals trained in marketing, management, housekeeping, food preparation and tour leadership by the Conservation International Group run the lodge. The lodge accommodates 24 people and contains four bathrooms, a dining room and a library. Some of the facility''s electricity comes from solar electric (photovoltaic) panels.
At the Chalalan Ecolodge, local guides lead nature hikes and teach ecotourists about medicinal fruit and exotic plants. The lodge also offers canoeing, wildlife viewing and bird watching.
At the Una Ecopark in Brazil, ecotourists walk along the canopy on a suspension bridge twenty meters above the rainforest floor. The entrance fee to the park supports the conservation efforts of the rainforests in Brazil. The park is open daily for guided nature hikes, bird watching and viewing the huge diversity of wildlife.
The Gudigwa camp is located five miles from the village of Gudigwa and is run by local villagers. Guests stay in traditional grass huts furnished with beds and supplied with linens. The camp is set up with solar-powered lighting, open-air toilets and hot-bucket showers.
Ecotourists can participate in bushman walks that demonstrate tracking animals and locating groundwater. Visitors can also learn about traditional songs and dances, storytelling, spear throwing, fire building and craft making.
Annapurna is one of the most popular destinations for tourists interested in trekking. Every year, thousands of tourists travel to Nepal to enjoy its natural beauty. Popular activities include rafting, bird watching, nature walking and visiting cultural sites and festivals.
Other popular vacation destinations for ecotourists include Kenya, where tourism generates one-third of the country''s foreign exchange earnings. Wildlife viewing and safaris in the wildlife parks make Kenyan destinations favorites among ecotourists. Belize is another popular ecotourism vacation spot, where many visitors travel to the ruins of ancient Mayan cities. The Galapagos Islands, host to 60,000 tourists each year, generates 100 million dollars for Ecuador''s economy.
The United States and Canada are also popular ecotourism destinations because U.S. citizens don''t need passports for travel. Approximately fifteen percent of Americans included a visit to a national park in their vacations in 1997, and that number continues to grow. For ecotourists, the most important features of a vacation destination include a wilderness setting, opportunities for wildlife viewing and places to go hiking or trekking.