The Good Side Of Ecotourism statistics Encourages Optimism, Though There Is Danger Ahead As Well

Tourism has a changed face, as after the First World War, it has changed from domestic travel to incorporate traveling to far-off places and taken in a lot of international travel that has seen it grow exponentially even in developing countries. Within this sphere of tourism is the new trend known as ecotourism whose main aim is to minimize the negative aspects of tourism on the host country.

Marked Shift From Mass Tourism To Ecotourism

According to ecotourism statistics, the eighties saw a marked shift from mass tourism to ecotourism and more and more tourists were seeking environmentally relevant holiday destinations. These ecotourism statistics further shows that nature tourism has generated, it is believed, as much as seven percent of all international travel expenditure and they further reveal that this rate is increasing by about ten to thirty percent each year.

More facts revealed by ecotourism statistics show that ecotourism along with other forms of nature-related tourism are accounting for approximately twenty percent of total international travel. There are more facts revealed by these ecotourism statistics which shows that the typical eco-tourist is aged between thirty-five and fifty-four years of age and of these, it is believed that as many as eighty-two percent have graduated from college, and are more than ready to pay more than what average tourists pay, which is about twelve hundred dollars for a trip.

Furthermore, you can glean much more information from studying ecotourism statistics as can be seen in the case of Kenya where it is estimated that a single lion is worth seven thousand dollars per year in income generated from tourism, and an elephant herd can bring in an estimated six hundred ten thousand dollars per year. So, ecotourism is no small fry and it is believed to be a trillion dollar industry that is now the world’s top ranked employer.

There is a lot of potential in ecotourism and one can see this in the ecotourism statistic that shows that in South Africa, a developer is planning spending eight hundred million dollars to create an ecotourism paradise that comes complete with a floating casino and hippos in the water hazards, as also imported wild game. Even countries such as Nepal are offering helicopter treks to view summits of various mountains instead of climbing the mountainous landscapes.

However, there is a flip side to ecotourism statistics that show that unless proper measures are taken, ecotourism destinations may soon become overused and the resources they have will become depleted and their worth to humanity will decline, which is indeed a reason to become alarmed and take heed of the various ecotourism statistics that are showing up these dangers to our environment.