Different Definitions Of Ecotourism

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WHAT IS ECOTOURISM? There are almost as many terms to describe types of travel as there are travel companies. A couple of buzzwords that you often hear these days are "Eco-Tourism" and "Adventure Travel”. To further confuse the issue there is also "Sustainable Tourism", "Responsible Tourism", "Nature Based Travel", "Green Travel", "Multi-Sport Adventures" and "Cultural Tourism". The following are Untamed Path's definitions based on common usage. Eco-tourism: Perhaps the most over-used and mis-used word in the travel industry. But what does it mean? The Ecotourism Society defines it as "responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people". A walk through the rainforest is not eco-tourism unless that particular walk somehow benefits that environment and the people who live there. A rafting trip is only eco-tourism if it raises awareness and funds to help protect the watershed. A loose interpretation of this definition allows many companies to promote themselves as something that they are not. If true eco-tourism is important to you, ask plenty of questions to determine if your trip will help "conserve and improve" the places you visit. Adventure Travel: Another term which is heavily used by marketing departments. While travel to another country is often adventurous it is not necessarily "Adventure Travel". Most dictionaries define adventure similarly: "an unusual experience including some level of risk and uncertainty". "Adventure Travel" includes this idea of risk and oftentimes some unconventional means of transport. A dugout canoe journey deep into the Amazon basin with it's attendant difficulties meets this definition. While a city tour of Paris might have some level of uncertainty it is not by definition "Adventure Travel". If you love true adventure you probably already know this
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