How Ecolodges Work

According to The Ecotravel Center, a service of the Conservation International Foundation the term ecolodge can be defined as:

Essentially, an ecolodge will offer you an educational and participatory experience.

If you are going to stay at an ecolodge, there are several things you can expect from your vacation experience. According to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), a good ecolodge should:

Due to the efforts of organizations like TIES, ecolodges exist in countries all around the globe, such as Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad, Kenya, Tanzania and Australia. Ecolodges offer accommodations from deluxe rooms to outdoor tents. Many provide excellent opportunities for relaxation, experiencing nature and cultural activities. Remember that instead of a typical vacation, an ecolodge can offer you the opportunity to be a responsible traveler.

Making a choice to visit an ecolodge or engage in any form of ecotourism may take a little more research on your part, but the feeling that your vacation contributed to preserving the world's natural environment should stay with you long after you return home.

This should be what you experience at an ecolodge. There are all types of ecolodges including those that specialize in adventure travel such as mountain-climbing, backpacking or river expeditions. There are also lodges that specialize in nature- or education-based travel with activities that include learning about surrounding wildlife or regional history from a local guide. You need to make sure that you choose the right destination for your vacation needs.

Before making a decision about visiting an ecolodge, do your research. Find out who owns and operates the lodge, what sustainable measures they follow to maintain a low impact on the environment and what activities are provided to determine whether it would be a good fit for you. For instance, if you want to go to the Amazon in Peru, you can stay at an ecolodge built with local community participation and local materials. On your trip, you may spot a giant otter, macaw or eagle. You can also hike a trail with trained local guides who have learned native plant remedies from the village elders.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, private eco-tents and cottages built with recycled materials offer visitors an environmentally-friendly way to enjoy the Caribbean. Elevated walkways protect the wildlife and visitors can snorkel in protected reefs or watch iguanas from their balcony.

These are just some of the options for your eco-vacation. A good place to start looking for ecolodge information is the Internet. You'll find many helpful links at the end of this article. Other excellent resources for researching your ecotourism options are your local travel agent and the local public library or bookstore, where you can find books about nature tourism, adventure tourism, sustainable tourism and other forms of eco-travel.

And remember, if you want to stay at a true ecolodge, be prepared to investigate beyond the advertisements and buzz words. If you can, e-mail or phone to inquire about the lodge. Unfortunately there are many places that boast of being eco-friendly, but when it boils down to it, they fall incredibly short of their claims.

You might be surprised to know that the travel and tourism industry is the number one industry on Earth. According to a recent article entitled Ecotravel, approximately 700 million people spend a total of $2-3 trillion on their trips, annually. At present, ecotourism represents about 2 percent of that total. But what, exactly, is ecotourism?

Look in magazines, newspapers and online and you're bound to find more than a dozen buzzwords that sound like ecotourism:

But, do all these terms refer to the same thing? No, not really. Tourism, itself, can basically be broken into two main categories: conventional mass tourism (CMT), like taking that trip to Disneyland or Las Vegas and alternative tourism (AT) -- the various types of tourism listed above. According to an article by Frank Muller, the wide variety of tourism options that fall under the alternative tourism umbrella share a few common factors: "they are essentially small-scale, low-density, and they attempt to attract a special segment of society, namely tourists with above average incomes and higher education."

OK. So now we know a little about alternative tourism, but that still leaves the question of ecotourism on the table. In her article entitled "Protecting Eden, Setting Green Standards for the Tourism Industry," Martha Honey writes:

In the tourism industry, what one person or company calls ecotourism another may call adventure travel or nature-based travel. Whatever the buzzword, it's up to you as a responsible consumer and responsible tourist to ferret out the distinction among the various destinations and travel options you find. Is the environment being cared for? Is there a genuine effort to help the local economies? Are resources being left intact for future generations? Is the local culture being honored and valued and not just photographed? These are the values of ecotourism and in the next section, we will discuss some of the reasons to choose ecotourism.

You may be asking yourself, why should I choose to stay at an ecolodge over a traditional motel or hotel? Why choose ecotourism over a traditional vacation? The answer to these questions can be found within the book, "Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise?" by Martha Honey.

In her book, Honey describes what she considers the seven main points of ecotourism:

If any of these points appeal to you, an ecolodge may be the perfect choice for your next vacation!

Of course, not all ecolodges and eco-tours will meet each of these criteria, but you should look for something that comes close. With true ecotourism, it is possible to have a vacation that is both personally rewarding and good for the community you visit. A good ecolodge can offer you a vacation that, without jeopardizing the local environment, helps contribute to the local community and welfare of the area. After staying at an ecolodge, you can feel proud that you have become a responsible traveler. And that can be just as important as the vacation itself.

For more information on ecolodges, ecotourism and related topics, check out the links on the next page.