Just what is ecotourism today? This year, as Earth Day 2023 approaches on April 22, we are taking the opportunity to help spread the word about eco-tourism goals.
So, just what is ecotourism in 2023?
There are many definitions for ecotourism, aren’t there? Eco-friendly, responsible tourism, conscious travel, and green tourism are just a few. They all support a simple belief. That is it’s important to protect and respect local culture and follow environmentally-friendly practices. As well as creating an economically sustainable industry that supports local communities.
Epler Wood, director of the International Sustainable Tourism Initiative at Harvard, definition explains it perfectly: “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” Think of conserving nature as ecotourism; while making sure that the local population economically benefits from tourism.
The travel industry has the opportunity to provide education and job/career creation for local communities. However, due to “tourism leakage,” only 10% of the money earned by the tourist industry is going back to the local community. Your contribution as a conscious traveler can be choosing to spend your money at local businesses whenever possible.
Earth Day 2023 and how to be more environmentally friendly from now on
This year, Earth Day 2023 is calling every one of us to pledge to end plastic pollution, one of the most important environmental problems that we face today and one that we have contributed to greatly—whether knowingly or not. Did you know that 300 million tons of plastic are sold each year and that 90% of that is thrown away? The opportunity to tackle this is huge because we can make a difference.
Why should you care about plastic pollution? The issue with plastic is the amount of plastic we create and how long it takes to decompose. To put it into perspective, a single plastic bottle, though it may decompose, takes close to 500 years to fully do so. Moreover, although it breaks down, it remains in our soil and water, affecting our crops, ocean life, and ourselves.
When plastic decomposes in the ocean, it breaks down into small poisonous particles, microplastics, that are then swallowed by ocean life and consumed by humans. As if this wasn’t enough reason for concern, the energy it takes to create plastic generates carbon omissions that catalyze climate change. Therefore, if we think about how much plastic we use daily, pledging to recycle or cut down on usage seems like a small effort in combating climate change and protecting the health of both our sea life and ourselves.
How can I be more environmentally conscious and make a difference by recycling in 2023?
Start today by reading some easy-to-implement tips on traveling green. If you are a traveler, you may know that 2017 was the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. A very useful resource is their “Tips For a Responsible Traveler” guide, from the #travelenjoyrespect campaign.
Want to browse some beautiful, eco-friendly accommodations on Glamping Hub? Start exploring today!
We hope that by Glamping Hub pledging to make internal changes, we have made you think about your relationship with our planet. Though we don’t yet consider ourselves to be a fully eco-friendly company, we hope you will join us in our journey to do so, one step at a time!
