Posted by lindseyshoe
The question for those considering eco-tourism quite often is, “What’s the best place for me to travel to?”
According to the popular magazine National Geographic “Responsible travelers and enlightened practices are transforming the $5 trillion global travel and tourism industry into an opportunity to empower people and protect the planet in the process.” The question for those considering eco-tourism quite often is, “What’s the best place for me to travel to?”
National Geographic lists among its recommendations for top ecotourism destinations:
Brazil: where the beef industry was taking over the wetland until the Caiman Ecological Refuge, a working cattle station on 132,000 acres, instituted eco-lodges, tourism, educational, and research opportunities.
Dubai: offers a posh ecotourism resort, Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, which offers opportunities to learn about visit the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve which is home to endangered wildlife such as the Arabian Onyx. The resort relies heavily on the area Bedouin heritage in décor, but also recycles 100% of its water and creates a lush life for indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses. (Okay, it’s in the desert. But if you’re looking at Dubai as a whole, this is about as ecotouristic as it gets.)
Canada: Formerly the largest copper mine in history, the Tatshenshini-Alsek River watershed was developed to provide the thrill of rafting experiences with the joy of the natural world around them and the protection and conservation of the Earth’s waters. As a result of this project in ecotourism, the Canadian government created a 2.5-million-acre protected area connected to Alaska’s Glacier Bay which now is one of the largest transborder national parks in the world.
Belize: Home to the Mesoamerican Reef, the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, Friends of Nature was formed to protect the reef and support sustainable fishing. This is one of the few spots in the world where you can swim with whale sharks and observe the endangered Nassau grouper and schools of snapper spawning. 
Kenya: rebuilding from within, rancher Ian Craig assisted nearby tribal elders in creating community reserves to restore and protect their land as well as to provide economic support through ecotourism. Now, these communities are home to an incredibly diverse conservation area that is also home to 20% of the endangered Grevy’s zebra.
Other “best of ecotourism” destinations include Costa Rica, Alaska, Galapagos Islands, New Zealand, Peru, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Dominica, Palau (long before it was on the popular television show “Survivor”) and Kenya.
National Geographic is not the only one that offers a “best of ecotourism” guide.
These popular travel and environmental sites offer their favorites in ecotourism as well:
Smart Travel
Independent Traveler
Planet Green on Discovery.com
There are hundreds of best ecotourism destination lists out there, each one with something to offer.
People that desire to do something substantial and sustainable for the environment, for other countries and are willing to learn something about themselves will be interested in the variety of ecotourism destinations available that offer research, fun, adventure and self discovery.
We can learn so much through exploration of the world around us through ecotourism; from coral reefs to rainforest, and from deserts to wetlands.
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