Published April 18, 2013 | 
The Benefits of Ecotourism
20 Top Travel Bloggers on the Importance of Nature Travel
What is ecotourism, and why does it matter? What are the benefits of ecotourism compared to other, less sustainable forms of travel? How can responsible ecotourism help to make the world a better place, preserving nature, wildlife, and the indigenous cultures that often depend on those ecosystems for sustenance? These are the questions that inspired us to launch Green Global Travel, and finding the answers has been the focus of our mission from day one.
As you may know, April 22 is Earth Day, an annual day for worldwide events demonstrating support for environmental protection. But it is our humble opinion that ecotourism– which we define as “Responsible travel to natural areas, which helps to conserve the environment and improve the welfare of local people”– offers a simple way that travelers can support environmental protection all year round.
In the two years since we launched this site, we’ve been extremely fortunate to visit some of the world’s most incredible ecotourism destinations, from the Galapagos Islands and the Peruvian Amazon to Churchill, Manitoba and Antarctica. Over the course of our travels, we’ve come to understand that exploring the world’s last remaining pristine ecosystems, seeing its most beautiful (and, in many cases, most endangered) species, and understanding its indigenous cultures enrich our lives immeasurably.
The benefits of ecotourism are not just measured in the amount of wilderness preserved, species saved, or economic impact on developing nations. There are intangible benefits as well, changing us as human beings and altering the way we perceive our role in the Universe. The more of these life-changing experiences we have, the more eager we become to protect these special places from the ravages of climate change and unsustainable development.
So this year, in observance of Earth Day, we reached out to 20 of our favorite travel bloggers to ask why ecotourism matters to them. From fellow nature/wildlife lovers and adventure travel specialists to family travel experts and cultural travel enthusiasts, what all of these bloggers have in common is a love of the great outdoors. Collectively, we hope their words will inspire you to travel the world, and to help protect it in the process…
Co-Founded by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett, Green Global Travel is an ecotourism, nature / wildlife conservation & cultural preservation magazine. 
