Sound too good to be true ? It isn't! Such vacations are part of the fastest growing trend in the travel industry. The trend is called ecotourism.
While ecotourism was almost unheard of before the 1990s,it has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry. But what exactly is ecotourism?
These are some of its characteristics:
- It involves travel to natural, often remote, destinations.These are often protected areas where developments 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 financial opportunities and jobs for the local population.
Costa Rica was one of the first 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. Amazingly,this small country of four million people has about 1.5 million visitors per year.
Stacy Davison is one of the million-plus tourists who chose to visit Costa Rica this year."We wanted to explore a country that was largely unspoiled by development. And,boy, did we get what we were looking for! We saw beautiful beaches, lush rainforest, and exotic wildlife. " Stacy is especially enthusiastic about a wildlife refuge she and her husband visited during their trip. "Getting there took four hours by bus along an unpaved road . But it was so beautiful that it was worth it . We hiked the trails and took a tour through the rainforest canopy. Our guide showed us how to poke a stick into a termite nest to get a snack (They have a nutty flavor!), and how to use live leaf-cutter ants to create stitches for a cut .It was quite an amazing experience!