It is not uncommon when people see that excessive tourism is spoiling the natural habitat for the native wildlife and vegetation of a particular place. For this very reason a number of tourist agencies are going for ecotourism. If mass tourism is happening in an uncontrolled way then it can lead to further degradation of the natural and cultural heritage of a particular place.
For this very reason, the concept of ecotourism was developed. These tours are mostly based on the nature and provide a large amount of funds for the further preservation of unique and essential ecosystems. Another great benefit of ecotourism is that it helps the local communities that live around these ecosystems to have a good livelihood.
These tours are designed in a way that all tourist activities are designed around the countries natural and cultural heritage. In a way it also helps the people to maintain the cultural heritage of a place which can be easily lost if people do not practise it very often.
Ecotourism can also be described as visiting a place for the purpose of admiring, enjoying and studying the natural beauty along with the plant and animal life of a particular undisturbed place.
The basic elements that ecotourism includes are as follows.
- The natural heritage is at the forefront while the cultural aspect comes close second.
- Conserving the ecological and cultural environment while using it for tourism purposes.
- More attention is given to the interpretation and education about the natural resource.
- The host community is able to get a sustainable livelihood for themselves.
Tourism is something that allows people to experience and see the diverse cultures that they can not know more about staying in their own country. Travelling gives them a chance to see and know about another part of the world. This is why ecotourism is becoming increasing popular among many tourists.