It involves travel to natural, often remote, destinations. These
are often protected areas where development is limited.
• Ecotourism destinations focus on recycling, water conservation,
and using renewable energy sources.
• It builds environmental awareness. As visitors explore an area,
they also learn about it.
• It provides an economic incentive to preserve the environment
and raises money to help protect it.
• It creates fi nancial opportunities and jobs for the local population.
Costa Rica was one of the fi rst ecotourism success stories. At one time,
Costa Rica had the highest rate of deforestation in all of Latin America.
However, since ecotourism, there has been a dramatic reduction in
deforestation. Now, more than a quarter of Costa Rica's land is protected
from development. Costa Rica is now the world’s top ecotourism
destination.