Ecotourism, by its traditional definition, places equal
emphasis on energy, conservation, ecology, and community—issues that are
integral to most eco-lodges. But experts such as Hitesh Mehta, a Florida-based
landscape architect and board member of the International Ecotourism Society,
suggest that "Ecotourism" should be thought of as a category within a larger
idea: sustainable travel. Mass tourism can be one of the most depleting effects
on the environment, explains Sean Southey of the United Nations Development
Programme's Equator Initiative. Jets and cars consume fossil fuels, hotels
create tons of waste, and trekking humans encroach into natural areas.
Sustainable travel seeks to reduce negative impact both locally and on a global
scale.