heron island

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Ecotourism has been defined as  “ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation”.  Another way of explaining ecotourism is “nature-based tourism that has an educational component and follows sustainability principals with regard to energy and water use, waste reduction and maintaining biodiversity.”

Your task is to plan a holiday to an ecotourist resort, or a trip that includes an ecotourist activity, and identify why it is considered to be ecotourism. Then rate your holiday/activity according to how sustainable it is. You will need to ask questions such as:

  • What is their source of energy? Is it renewable?
  • Do they emit greenhouse gases or other toxic chemicals?
  • Where do they obtain water and is it recycled?
  • How do they maintain  or improve biodiversity?
  • How do people travel to get there? Is there a carbon-credit system to offset travel?
  • How do they manage their wastes – including food packaging and human waste.

Heron Island Resort  (Queensland) , Aquila Eco-lodges  (Victoria) and  the winner of the 2008 Ecotourisn awards, Wayoutback Desert Safaris (Northern Territory), are examples of ecotourist destinations within Australia.