Editing Ecotourism (section)

== Terminology and history ==
[[File:HANGING BRIDGE THENMALA.JPG|thumb|right|A hanging bridge in ecotourism area of [[Thenmala]], [[Kerala]] in [[India]] - India's first planned ecotourism destination]]
Ecotourism is a late 20th-century [[neologism]] compounded [[wikt:eco-|eco-]] and [[wikt:tourism|tourism]]. According to the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', ''ecotour'' was first recorded in 1973 and ''ecotourism'', "probably after ''ecotour''", in 1982.<ref>'' Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM'', Version 4.0, draft entries December 2001, Oxford University Press 2009. Citing: "1973 ''Ecol. Interpretative Map, Ottawa–North Bay'' (Canad. Forestry Service) (heading) Ecotour of the Trans-Canada Highway, Ottawa-North Bay", and "1982 (title) ''Ecological tourism (ecotourism): a new viewpoint'' (U.N. F.A.O. & Econ. Comm. for Europe)".</ref>
*ecotour, ''n''. ... A tour of or visit to an area of ecological interest, usually with an educational element; (in later use also) a similar tour or visit designed to have as little detrimental effect on the ecology as possible or undertaken with the specific aim of helping conservation efforts.
*ecotourism, ''n''. ... Tourism to areas of ecological interest (typically exotic and often threatened natural environments), esp. to support conservation efforts and observe [[wildlife]]; spec. access to an endangered environment controlled to have the least possible adverse effect.

Some sources suggest the terms were used nearly a decade earlier. Claus-Dieter (Nick) Hetzer, an academic and adventurer from Forum International in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], CA, coined ''ecotourism'' in 1965, according to the Contra Costa Times,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/contracostatimes/obituary.aspx?pid=128544126 |title=Claus-Dieter Hetzer Obituary ( - ) - Pleasant Hill, CA - Contra Costa Times |website=[[Legacy.com]]}}</ref> and ran the first ''ecotours'' in the Yucatán during the early 1970s.<ref>David B. Weaver, ''The Encyclopedia of Ecotourism'', Cabi Publishing, 2001, p. 5.</ref>

The definition of ecotourism adopted by [[Ecotourism Australia]] is: "Ecotourism is ecologically [[sustainable tourism]] with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that foster environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation."<ref>[https://www.ecotourism.org.au/ Ecotourism Australia]</ref>

[[The Global Ecotourism Network (GEN)]] defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and creates knowledge and understanding through interpretation and education of all involved (visitors, staff, and the visited)".

Ecotourism is often misinterpreted as any form of tourism that involves nature (see [[jungle tourism]]). Self-proclaimed practitioners and hosts of ecotourism experiences assume it is achieved by simply creating destinations in natural areas. 

Some scholars argue that, while ecotourism is typically defined as a nature-oriented form of tourism, the core of which should include drawing tourists' attention to the beauty of nature and the fragility of the ecosystem, there is still debate about whether this viewpoint should become a universal standard.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Das |first=Madhumita |last2=Chatterjee |first2=Bani |date=2015-04-01 |title=Ecotourism: A panacea or a predicament? |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2211973615000185 |journal=Tourism Management Perspectives |volume=14 |pages=3–16 |doi=10.1016/j.tmp.2015.01.002 |issn=2211-9736}}</ref> Critics point out that, despite the continuous growth of ecotourism, certain tourism organizations frequently utilize phrases like "green" or "sustainable" in their marketing as a form of [[greenwashing]] to attract environmentally conscious tourists. However, their real operating action may not properly satisfy their environmental protection responsibilities, perhaps leading to public confusion about the notion of ecotourism.<ref>{{cite web |title=Greenwashing In Tourism: What Is It And How To Avoid It |url=https://connect.cleantravel.org/ethical-travel/greenwashing-in-tourism-what-is-it-and-how-to-avoid-it/ |website=Clean Travel Connect |publisher=Clean Travel Pty Ltd |access-date=18 February 2021 |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127033957/https://connect.cleantravel.org/ethical-travel/greenwashing-in-tourism-what-is-it-and-how-to-avoid-it/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Although academics disagree about who can be classified as an ecotourist and there is little statistical data, some estimate that more than five million ecotourists—the majority of the ecotourist population—come from the [[United States]], with many others from [[Western Europe]], [[Canada]], and [[Australia]].<ref name="Tuohino and Hynonen">{{cite journal |last1=Tuohino |first1=Anja |last2=Hynonen |first2=Anne |year=2001 |title=Ecotourism—imagery and reality. Reflections on concepts and practices in Finnish rural tourism |journal=[[Nordia Geographical Publications]] |volume=30 |pages=21–34 |number=4}}</ref>

Currently, there are various moves to create national and international ecotourism certification programs. National ecotourism certification programs have been put in place in countries such as Costa Rica,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Costa Rica Achieves Global Sustainable Tourism Council Recognition|url=https://www.travelpulse.com/news/destinations/costa-rica-achieves-global-sustainable-tourism-council-recognition.html|access-date=2020-10-28|website=TravelPulse}}</ref> [[Australia]], [[Kenya]], [[Estonia]], and [[Sweden]].<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1080/15022250.2010.486262|title=Eco-tourism Certification – Does it Make a Difference? A Comparison of Systems from Australia, Costa Rica and Sweden |year=2010 |last1=Haaland |first1=Hanne |last2=Aas |first2=Øystein |journal=[[Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism]] |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=375–385 |s2cid=20774227}}</ref>

=== Related terms ===
==== Sustainable tourism ====
{{excerpt|sustainable tourism|paragraphs=1-2|file=no}}