لخّصلي

Ecotourism: See the World While Saving It
Imagine vacationing in a place of stunning, natural beauty. Picture
yourself relaxing on a pristine beach in Belize, exploring the desert on a
camel in Dubai, or following lions and zebras in Kenya. Now imagine that
while enjoying these experiences, you are also helping to preserve the
environment, protect wildlife, and support local communities. 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 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 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 rain forest, 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 rain forest 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!”
Stacy also enjoyed knowing that the money she was
spending on her vacation was being used in
environmentally responsible ways. She stayed in
locally-owned, environmentally-friendly hotels that grow
their own fruits and vegetables, and use renewable
sources of energy such as wind and solar power.
Undoubtedly, ecotourism plays a critical role in preserving
the land in Costa Rica as well as in other ecotourism
destinations around the globe. At the same time, ecotourism provides visitors with a unique, unforgettable,
and educational vacation. Basically, ecotourism is a win-win situation for both the tourists and the
countries they visit.