Experience Ecotourism
With sustainability being more important for travellers than ever and 2019 set to be the biggest year for ecotourism, you may be amongst those searching for the perfect eco-holiday
Saving the planet is becoming high on people’s agenda and with the recent TV programmes highlighting the effect plastic is having on our wildlife, where you choose to go on holiday is changing.
However, there are some eco-friendly places to visit with some travel agents now specialising in this area.
But what exactly is ecotourism? Eco or sustainable-tourism are holidays that are designed to leave the bare minimum of pollution or as little a carbon footprint as possible. Communities from the destination countries of these eco tourists benefit directly from these visitors by taking a leading role in how best tourists can interact with their local environment.
Where can you go? Baby sea turtle releasing in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, Mexico has become a major tourist attraction. Turtle protection programmes with turtle farms dedicated to the harvesting, hatching and releasing of baby sea turtles have been created by the Mexican government with marine biologists. As well as getting to see the beautiful creatures and enjoying an interactive and educational experience, you can help increase the survival rate of new turtle hatchlings.
Costa Rica wildlife holidays give you the opportunity to relish the diverse flora and fauna of the country and benefit from the expertise of a naturalist guide where you can explore by boat and on foot the less-visited parks and reserves.
Chile is one of the rarest bio diversities in the world and a place where sustainable tourism is thriving. From deserts in the north to tundras in the south, there is so much for an eco-tourist to check out.
For something a little closer to home, Wild Days Conservation down in Suffolk and Cornwall offers hands on wildlife conservation and research holidays where you can learn new skills at your own pace, help the environment, contribute to science and make a difference, all while enjoying nature conservation.
The Waterway Recovery Group (there’s a north west group) seeks to get together like-minded people to work as a collective to restore abandoned canals across the UK and make them a place for recreation, boating, swimming and reintroduce nature that once thrived on these aqua motorways.
If you want to do your bit for the planet, have a look for an eco-holiday – you’ll get to see some amazing places where you can really make a difference.
