ecocity braSil
THE GROWTH OF ECOTOURISM
"Responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people."
The primary aim of ecotourism the world over is to minimise impact on the environment while simultaneously increasing awareness and building respect for the land. TIES's (The International Ecotourism Society) widely-accepted definition of Ecotourism is: "Responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people." Such a mantra obviously fits in better with the more developing tourist regions, with governments the world over keen to attract the money that tourism brings without ravaging the land that attracts these visitors in the first place.
Ecotourism's growth worldwide is impressive. According to figures from TIES, ecotourism has, since 2004, been growing at a rate three times faster than traditional tourism.
TIES also predict that sustainable tourism could grow to 25% of the global travel market within six years, accounting for US$473.6 billion net spend a year. As a result, eco-resorts are expected to flourish, with early investors the most likely beneficiaries of large market gains.
The inaugural Global Ecotourism Conference, held in Norway in May 2007, found that 90% of British travellers and over two-thirds of US and Australian tourists considered it a hotel and resort's responsibility to actively protect its local environment and support its local communities, something that Ecocity Brasil has pledged to do. The same survey found that 87% of UK travellers feel that their holiday should not have an adverse effect on the environment.
