Vacations. We daydream about them. We work hard for them. We aspire to be on them. Few can argue that relaxing poolside or hiking your favorite trails don’t occupy our wishful thinking to-do lists.
But for some, the beachfront cabana and fruity cocktails just aren’t enough to make that list. These “vacationers” are seeking a different type of experience. They are looking for an eco vacation.
Defined by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people,” ecoutourism is a growing mode of travel for millions of people each year.
According to the WorldWatch Institute, ecotourism began growing annually at a rate of 20-34 percent beginning in the 1990s.
In 2004, the World Tourism Organization estimated that ecotourism and nature tourism was growing globally three times faster than the tourism industry as a whole.
In other words, what was once a foreign concept is now one estimated by Travel Weekly to represent a $473.6 billion industry in just a few short years.
So if you’re sold on the idea or considering it for your next vacation, here are some organizations specializing in this type of travel, some featured destinations, important reminders when researching trips and the financial commitments involved with this type of travel.
Planeterra
Canadian-based Planeterra offers “voluntourism” packages for sustainable community development. A nonprofit organization, Planeterra supports local communities with over 30 projects worldwide, from an environmental education school in Ecuador to a women’s weaving cooperative in Peru.
The organization considers voluntourism a bit different than a standard volunteer vacation as they balance the itinerary with relaxing tourism and hands-on volunteer work.
In other words, join Project Tanzania and you’ll spend a few days volunteering on the island of Zanzibar with marine and beach conservation projects and school and community projects, then spend a few days on safari visiting Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro crater.
For about the same price, and often cheaper, than a regular vacation would be to these destinations, Planeterra voluntourism packages give the traveler the ability to contribute hands-on to a sustainable community project while having the revenue from their funds directed to the projects.
For $999, the 13-day Project El Salvador includes visits to the Mayan pyramids and archaeological sites, then volunteer on a sustainable highland coffee farm.
Or for $1,199, spend 15 days in Zambia, you can spend time on safari, then volunteer on a community farm with the Livingstone Volunteer Project.