Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 and this holiday was founded in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Wilson in response to various instances of toxic gas emissions throughout the country and waste dumping in American bodies of water, recognizes those who work to protect the United States natural resources and is now celebrated all over the globe.
A brief history of ecotourism and sustainable travel
According to Good Nature Travel, the official blog of the World Wildlife Fund and Natural Habitat Adventures, Hector Ceballos-Lascurain, a Mexican architect, first used the term "ecotourism" in 1983. However, the concept of traveling to the world's various natural wonders for the purpose of scientific exploration and cultural learning really first took shape in the 19th century. Its arguable creators included eventual evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace and Amazon rainforest explorer Henry Walter Bates. These expeditions were typically referred to as "Grand Tours."
These days, sustainable travel is now promoted globally by nonprofit advocacy groups - including the International Ecotourism Society, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and Sustainable Travel International - and praised by the United Nations. Such organizations monitor the travel agencies that offer ecotourism packages, to ensure they are in keeping with sustainability best practices and contributing positively to the locales their clients visit on vacation, and offer certifications to travel providers that meet or exceed their standards.
Fundamentals of sustainable travel
The mission statement of Sustainable Travel International, while unique in its exact wording, provides a reasonable summary of what ecotourism organizations hope to promote in their work. Some essentials include:
Maintaining these and other principles is contingent on you as well as the hospitality, restaurant and consumer goods businesses operating in ecotourism hotspots.
Ideal sustainable travel destinations
While you could technically practice the tenets of ecotourism anywhere you traveled as long as you remained cognizant of your energy use and waste disposal and were respectful of the local community, several countries and cities have emerged as premier centers of ecotourism in the past few decades. Here are a few of the best:
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The information contained here is provided by Brafton. AIG Travel assumes no responsibility for the use, accuracy, or interpretation of the information contained herein.