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natural attractions

advancing social, economic, and environmental objectives in developing countrie

ew opportunities for small-enterprise investment and employment

Conservation

communities may work harder to protect those resource

locals find work as tour guides and discover that their jobs depend on local conservation efforts

here are many more advantages of ecotourism than disadvantages

if done right, the goals of ecotourism are to help the environment, preserve natural resources as well as help the local communities and economies.

to make a lot of money from tourists

makes a real difference to the quality of life for local people

When on an ecotour the holiday makers will usually be under the guidance on a naturalist or an expert on the area to help people observe, understand and appreciate the wildlife, fauna and flora. Ecotourism has become an ethical alternative in the tourism industry and is growing in popularity.

Amazon is home to 20% of the world's bird species, 20% of its plant species, 10% of its mammal species and 3000 species of fish. As a result it is a great place to go on holiday or vacation for an ecotour.

A genuine ecotour should however offer the tourist the following elements: education, conservation, sustainable development and benefit to local people. If any of these elements are missing from a potential ecotourism operator then possibly think again.

Forests cover 31% of total land area.   The livelihoods of 1.6 billion people depend on forests.   Forests provide a home to more than 300 million people worldwide.   The total global trade in forest products was valued at around $379 billion in 2005.   Forests are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity.

In this high-tech world of metal and plastic, it's easy to forget that many things are still made with good, old-fashioned wood. Countries with lots of forest stand to benefit from the lucrative timber trade, but at what cost to their ecological footprint? Here are five major timber exporters, and who is buying their wood. © WWF / GOOD / SectionDesign The Global Timber Trade, Who's Buying, Who's Selling? In this high-tech world of metal and plastic, it's easy to forget that many things are still made with good, old-fashioned wood. Countries with lots of forest stand to benefit from the lucrative timber trade, but at what cost to their ecological footprint? Here are 5 major timber exporters, and who is buying their wood. Our EarthForestsImportance of ForestsForest conservationTypes of ForestsProblemsSearch Forest News & Resources Priority Forests Amur-Heilong Amazon Borneo Forests Caucasus Carpathians Congo Basin European Alps Himalayas Mediterranean Forests Mekong Forests New Guinea Forests Did you know? The five most forest-rich countries are the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the USA and China, and they account for more than half of the total forest area. Ten countries or areas have no forest at all and an additional 54 have forest on less than 10% of their total land area.

environmental importance of the world’s vast tropical rainforests is well known – both

This theme highlights the need for preservation and revitalization of indigenous cultures, including their art and intellectual property.  It can also be used to showcase indigenous artists and cooperatives or businesses who are taking inspiration from indigenous peoples' customs and the indigenous communities who may have participated or benefited from this.

It is also a reminder of the responsibility of individuals as consumers, to understand that there is a story and a personal experience behind every piece of cloth, textile or artwork from an indigenous individual or community.  

The money from the tourists can help sustain many local people in conservation-oriented work. The local people further protect the environment because their livelihood now so closely depends on the health of the ecosystem.

Profits from deforestation range from near zero to thousand of dollars a hectare.In some places, there are huge incentives to convert or degrade forest.In Cameroon, oil palm and intensive cocoa cultivation has a net present value of more than $1,400 a hectare.In Brazil's cerrado, some conversions result in land values over $3,000 a hectare.And India offers very high values for land devoted to coffee cultivation in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot.

ecotourism hugely outweighs the carbon emissions from air, boat and bus travel

Ever since the word ecotourism was coined in the 1980s, it's been touted as the best way for tourists to see fragile, pristine or protected places with minimal environmental impact.

'The good news is that ecotourism lodges make money, which locals use to buy up more land to build their businesses, thereby further protecting pristine rainforest