What Does ecological tourism Mean
The term that we are now going to analyze is made up of two well differentiated words. In the first place there is tourism whose etymological origin is in Latin and more specifically in the word tornus, which can be translated as "movement". Secondly, it is ecological which, however, comes from the Greek, from the union of the three parts: oikos which means "house", logos which is equivalent to "word or treatise" and the suffix - ico which is synonymous with "related to ”.
The tourism is something that people do while developing travel and stay in a place other than that of their usual environment for a period of less than one year.
The usual thing is that the tourist activity implies a trip and a stay in a hotel , camping or similar establishment.
Ecological , for its part, is that associated with ecology . This concept (ecology) refers to the link between living organisms and the environment in which they reside , taking into account biotic factors (organisms that share a habitat) and abiotic factors (climate, geology, etc.).
The notion of ecological tourism , therefore, is linked to the tourist activity that takes place without affecting the relationship between living beings and the environment . In other words, this tourism aims to combine the leisure of the traveler with respect for the environment that receives it.
Ecological tourism, also known as ecotourism , highlights the importance of preservation and sustainability or sustainability. That is why it tries to sensitize the traveler on these issues and seeks a rapprochement between the tourist and the host community.
Among the activities that anyone who decides to stay in a rural accommodation can enjoy, in this way, be in full contact with Nature are knowing and participating in the agricultural and livestock work of the place. That will mean everything from feeding the farm animals to milking the cows to watering the crops.
In the same way, ecological tourism also offers the opportunity to witness in situ how, in an absolutely natural and traditional way, the people of the place use the raw materials they obtain from the aforementioned tasks to be able to prepare exquisite tasting foods. A clear example of this is the production of cheeses from milk obtained from cows or goats.
Being able to enjoy horseback riding or practicing sports such as mountaineering are other attractions of this type of tourism that, in the same way, has also become one of the best options for lovers of hiking.
We can compare two hypothetical cases to understand the differences between conventional tourism and ecological tourism. A family plans to visit a forest located three kilometers from the city. He travels there in his car and, once in the forest, he decides to light a fire, collecting branches. Children, meanwhile, pluck flowers to take away as souvenirs. All of these are behaviors that leave a mark on nature.
Another family, adept at ecological tourism, acts differently. The three kilometers between the city and the forest are covered by bicycle to avoid polluting emissions . Instead of setting fire to or picking flowers, they decide to go hiking and take pictures. In this way, your stay in the forest does not harm the ecology.