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Imagine a vacation in a place of amazing natural beauty.Ecotourism is very important to preserving the land in Costa Rica.o Ecotourism destinations focus on recycling, water conservation, and using renewable energy sources.Stacy Davison is one of the tourists who visited Costa Rica this year.Costa Rica once had the highest rate of deforestation in Latin America.You are protecting wildlife and supporting local communities.

Imagine a vacation in a place of amazing natural beauty. Picture yourself relaxing on a clean beach in Belize. Picture yourself exploring the desert on a camel in Dubai. Or picture yourself following lions and zebras in Kenya. Now imagine that you are enjoying these experiences and helping to preserve the environment. You are protecting wildlife and supporting local communities. Is this too good to be true? No! These vacations are part of a growing trend in the travel industry. The trend is called ecotourism.
Ecotourism was not common before the 1990s. It is now a multi-billion dollar industry. But what is ecotourism? These are some of its characteristics:
• It means travel to natural, often far away, places. 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. Visitors explore an area and learn about it.
• It provides an economic reason to save the environment. It raises money to help protect it.
• It creates financial opportunities and jobs for the local people.
Costa Rica was one of the first success stories. Costa Rica once had the highest rate of deforestation in Latin America. However, since ecotourism, there has been a major 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. This small country of four million people has about 1.5 million visitors per year!
Stacy Davison is one of the tourists who visited Costa Rica this year. “We wanted to explore a country that was not destroyed by development. And, we got what we were looking for. We saw beautiful beaches, green rain forests, and exotic wildlife.” Stacy is very excited about a wildlife refuge she and her husband visited. “It took four hours to get there by bus along a dirt road. But it was so beautiful that it was worth it. We hiked the trails. We 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!). He also showed us how to use live leaf-cutter ants to make stitches for a cut. It was an amazing experience!”
Stacy also liked that she was being responsible to the environment. She only stayed at locally- owned hotels. They were all environmentally friendly. These hotels grew their own fruits and vegetables. They used renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power.
Ecotourism is very important to preserving the land in Costa Rica. This is true for other ecotourism sites around the world. Ecotourism provides visitors with a special vacation too. These vacations are unforgettable and educational. Ecotourism is basically a win-win situation. It is good for both the tourist and the countries they visit.