Principles of Ecotourism
Minimize the negative impacts on nature and culture that can damage a destination.
Educate the traveler on the importance of conservation.
Stress the importance of responsible business, which works cooperatively with local authorities and people to meet local needs and deliver conservation benefits.
Direct revenues to the conservation and management of natural and protected areas.
Emphasize the need for regional tourism zoning and for visitor management plans designed for either regions or natural areas that are slated to become eco-destinations.
Emphasize use of environmental and social base-line studies, as well as long-term monitoring programs, to assess and minimize impacts.
Strive to maximize economic benefit for the host country, local business and communities, particularly peoples living in and adjacent to natural and protected areas.
Seek to ensure that tourism development does not exceed the social and environmental limits of acceptable change as determined by researchers in cooperation with local residents.
Rely on infrastructure that has been developed in harmony with the environment, minimizing use of fossil fuels, conserving local plants and wildlife, and blending with the natural and cultural environment.