What is Ecotourism?

The idea of travelling goes far far back into human history, and will probably always be there as a basic urge for most of us, in some form or another. Why people travel has changed over the centuries, with reasons varying from the need for food, the desire for better weather conditions, better hunting and farming to, as civilization has developed, just for fun. This last reason for travel defines the idea of tourism. Unlike our ancestors, many of us travel these days to fulfill a personal satisfaction, to explore the world and see new things.

In the past thirty years or so, the world has seen a rapid and exponential increase in population and the resources required to sustain the population at modern standards of living. As human civilization encroaches upon natural habitats and begins to erode ecological systems, we have become aware that the natural world is destructable, and is slowly disappearing in some areas. With this in mind, many travellers plan vacations to natural habitats where they can witness wildlife and ecological systems that may be in danger. These tourists want to see habitats and wildlife before it vanishes from the earth. This is where ecotourism was born. Ecotourism is travel to specific destinations just to admire and immerse yourself in undeveloped natural habitats or indigenous cultures.

Ecotourism, or Eco Travel as some people call it, has been growing and growing for a few decades now, and at present is really booming in some areas of the world. As we become more and more concerned about the state of the earth and her wild inhabitants, and as we hear about the disappearance of species due to loss of habitat, we become more concerned about conservation. Biodiversity has become a household word, and the plight of the rainforests in South America are well known to more people than ever these days. As a result, ecotourism is more and more popular around the world. Places that are just beginning to develop their tourism industry have the rare opportunity to manage tourism with ecological principles in mind. Countries in Central and South America are ripe for Ecotourism, and indeed it is in these regions that we can see some of the world's best examples of how well ecotourism can work.

Travellers interested in ecotourism often have two objectives in mind when they choose eco travel. The first is more obvious: to experience habitats and wildlife in their natural state, before they disappear. The second objective for many travellers goes beyond just experiencing nature: it's to help preserve what's left of the our natural resources. This goal of ecotourism is very important, and all sides involved in the ecotourism industry recognize this important goal. How does this work? Tourist dollars received by eco-friendly tourism industries are put to use to further preserve the habitats and wildlife of the local region. This can be done both officially, through government programs or local trusts, or indirectly, as you invest in local businesses thereby creating motivation to preserve the local natural resources which drew tourists to the area in the first place.

Ecotourism in Belize

Belize was only discovered relatively recently by the Ecotourism crowd, and really only recently discovered as a major travel destination at all. But this is good news for eco-minded travellers and of course for the citizens of Belize. Belize's newness on the scene as a major travel destination, and also as an ecotourism spot, has afforded travel professionals in Belize to observe the experiences of ecotourism programs in other countries. By observing how different countries develop their ecotourism, Belize has learned a lot about what and what not to do. The goal of the ecotourism industry is to build a sustainable tourism program that supports both the people working in tourism and the habitats and wildlife as well.

Belize's relatively stable political environment and peaceful quiet atmosphese lend themselves to the development of Ecotourism. Also, it helps that the country is mostly English-speaking and has a democratic government. The human population density is quite low, since most of the people of Belize live in concentrated areas, and there aren't many Belizeans to begin with (about a quarter of a million in all). The infrastructure of Belize, mainly the roads, are not overdeveloped- in fact, you might think they have lots to be desired, but this actually lends itself to the Eco-friendly tourism industry. Many areas of Belize have not been penetrated by paved roads, so, environmentally speaking, these areas are in great shape.

All of these aspects combine to make Belize one of the world's premier ecotourism destination. And of course you have the many types of habitat available to you in Belize, including the tropical rainforest, the coastal flats, the wet coastal marshlands, the barrier reef and the ocean environment, and even grassy savannahs and pine tree stands. We're lucky that Belize has been pretty good, historically, at preserving its natural resources, with a little help from the British colonial system which enacted some conservation laws early on. What we have today in Belize is a fabulous 65% to 70% covered by native forest, and with the help of the Ecotourism industry, it will stay this way into the future for everyone to enjoy.