Benefits of Ecotourism:
Top 10 Ways Your Travel Choices
Make Positive Impacts

Sure, traveling green makes us all feel good because we're being kind to the earth. But there are a myriad of ways your travel choices affect the environment and the cultures you visit on holiday. Some of them good. Some of them not as good. We have choices with every trip we take, and to save you the time researching the ramifications of how you spend your travel dollars, here's a quick glance of the top 10 ways traveling green has positive impacts worldwide.

The top ten global benefits of ecotourism are:

1. Indigenous cultures benefit economically from ecotourism dollars spent in their local economy, offering a way for them to become sustainable, healthy communities as opposed to impoverished communities.
2. Indigenous people benefit from working as guides, chefs, and hoteliers in the ecotourism industry. Their personal incomes improve, providing a responsible way out of destitute situations.
3. Challenged indigenous cultures that could otherwise die out, survive and even thrive with the support of ecotourism activity and dollars.
4. Natural habitats for rare and endangered species are saved from industry, pollution, mining and logging when ecotourists go to an area for wildlife safaris.

Many of the ancient and ornately decorated wats and temples in Thailand are preserved so well thanks to tourism dollars.

5. Historic areas earn preservation funds from ecotourism dollars.
6. As we learn more about other cultures and vice versa, we all grow in respect, compassion and from sharing each other's wisdoms.
7. Waste typically generated from regular tourists is reduced and recycling is increased, keeping ecotourism refuges and habitats clean, healthy, and sustainable.
8. Precious natural resources like water and energy are conserved more in ecotourism.
9. Local artisans and craftspeople are often supported economically through ecotourism, preserving traditional arts that otherwise could disappear.
10. Awareness of conservation is raised and ways to go green are refined and improved, making it more widely available and desirable to the rest of the world.

Looking for more Benefits of Ecotourism? Check out Why Travel!