ecotourism

[ ek-oh-toor-iz-uhm, ee-koh‑ ]

noun

1. tourism to places having unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern.

ecotourism

/ ˈiːkəʊˌtʊərɪzəm /

noun

1. tourism that is designed to contribute to the protection of the environment or at least minimize damage to it, often involving travel to areas of natural interest in developing countries or participation in environmental projects

Derived Forms

• ˈecoˌtourist, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ecotourism¹

1985–90; eco- + tourism

Example Sentences

Within two years, the debt for the new school was repaid by ecotourism, not logging.

From Nautilus

I was honored to be included in a ceremony with all 16 tribal chiefs, where they sang, drank their sacred kava, and discussed the options of logging versus ecotourism with regard to the fate of their island trees.

From Nautilus

Gorillas that live in the forest but depend on ecotourism for survival.

From FiveThirtyEight

Lindblad is widely regarded as the father of ecotourism and modern adventure tourism, and more than 50 years later, Lindblad Expeditions is run by his son, Sven Lindblad.

From Washington Post

In short, the coronavirus pandemic revealed the vulnerabilities of economies based on ecotourism.

From Popular-Science