Ecotourism: Just Another Green Thing?

It's a big thing right now to be green. Upcycling, hybrid cars, solar energy - it's what's hot. It's hot due to global warming. Get it? Ok, enough with the trying to be funny.

The interest in helping the environment and protecting this planet has even reached into the travel circles, with ecotourism. Ecotourism is defined by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." The basic foundations of ecotourism include the minimization of global impact, raising environmental and cultural awareness, and providing financial benefits for conservation while benefiting the tourism site. So the bottom line is that ecotourism should positively affect both the natural area and local community.

Ecotourism is a huge topic with many layers. Especially when you consider that ecotourism is just a small part of a larger movement known as sustainable tourism. So instead of trying to explain what it all means exactly, and giving you a travel and tourism 101 crash course...I'm just going to give you some examples and focus in on a small part of ecotourism; ecolodges.

You can find ecolodges around the world in settings from mountains to the tropics. What they all have in common is their dedication to preserving nature, helping the livelihood of the local community, and offering a fulfilling experience for travelers.

Turtle Inn

There are many things that set an ecolodge apart, starting with their menus. Many ecolodges stand on a vegetarian and/or organic diet. The freshest of foods, possibly grown on the premises, is what travelers can expect to dine upon - including meat and fish. At the Turtle Inn in Belize, fresh seafood is delivered by local fishermen and many lodges produce their own wine.

The lodges themselves can be environmentally and economically friendly. Locals built the roof of the Three Camel Lodge's main building in Mongolia. And they did it without using a single nail. Jicaro Island Ecolodge in Nicaragua was constructed from salvaged hardwood trees that fell during a hurricane. Ecolodge expert, Hitesh Mehta, predicts that the next big thing will be using discarded shipping containers as lodging.

Damaraland Camp

Supporting the local economy is as easy as bringing in tourists, but ecolodges go a step further. Locals are employed by these lodges, provide food for guests, and lead activities for lodge guests. In Jordan at the Feynan Ecolodge local hosts teach how to make flatbread over an open fire.Guides and staff at Namibia's Damaraland Camp share stories and knowledge of the local area during under-the-stars dining.

Ecolodges most obviously work to create an environment that is good for...the environment. This can be as simple as planting a new tree for every couple visiting as they do in Resurgence located in New Zealand. Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam only uses nontoxic biodegradable cleaning supplies and amenities. Back at the Turtle Inn breezes from the ocean replace air conditioners and stainless steal water bottles replace all plastic. Chumbe Island Coral Park in Zanzibar collects rainwater for daily water needs, the sun provides their energy, and composting toilets keep the local marine park clean.

Great Ocean Ecolodge

Many ecolodges are located on nature reserves, such as Chumbe Island Coral Park.Great Ocean Ecolodge of Australia is located on the grounds of the Conservation Ecology Centre where guests can actually help care for injured wildlife. Even if a nature reserve isn't the surroundings, ecolodges are committed to the welfare of local flora and fauna. Turtle Inn partners with SEA Belize and Rainforest Alliance for local marine conservation.

You can see that while posh resorts might be more focused on the comforts and amenities they can offer their guests, ecolodges are focused on the local community and environment as well as their guests. Activities at ecolodges tend to be more on the nature and cultural side, instead of afternoons at the spa and 5 star restaurants.

If you like the spas and restaurants and 5 stars (there's nothing wrong with that!) be sure to see what preservation programs your resort is taking part in. Many hotels now offer to only wash towels and linens when requested to cut down on water use. Others might make a point to use green cleaners.

Ecotraveling might not be for everyone - but I think we can all agree that the efforts to better our planet and preserve it for future travel is a great idea!