Ecotourism: holidays become sustainable

Ecotourism (or sustainable tourism) means travelling in a responsible way.

It’s about a tourism lived in accordance with the principles of social justice and respect for the environment and cultures.

Actually, ecotourism is not a recent definition. Responsible tourism principles were born in the 80’ to denote the ethic impact on local communities, while sustainable tourism concept was used to define the impact of tourism on the environment in terms of pollution and environmental degradation.

Today, both are included in the definition of ecotourism

Ecotourism: how to practice it?

If, it’s clear what ecotourism it’s about, let’s find out how to practice it. There are different methods to travel in a responsible way respecting nature, people and environment. Some of them deserve a particular attention such us:

Means of transport 
Sharing is the keyword! Trains, buses or shared cars should be preferred in order to reduces Co2 emissions in the atmosphere

Choice of accommodation
Choosing hotel, B&B or agritourism which separate waste, provide Km0 menù or implement bio-construction principles can make a difference. Also in Italy there are some online portals (such as Eco B&B) which include all the sustainable accommodations.

Respect for the environment
Attitude towards the environment and nature is the cornerstone of ecotourism. Respecting the nature, the environment and the sea means not polluting them, not defacing artistic and cultural heritage and considering the culture and the tradition of the places that we visit.
Respect doesn’t’ take a weekend!