Since my blog is about green and LOHAS marketing and some of the fastest growing trends, I thought I would devote this post to talking about one of the fastest growing travel trends—ecotourism.
So what is ecotourism? Ecotourism is defined by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment and improve the well-being of local people.” These travelers are often called geotourists or ecotourists. We also know them as LOHAS consumers or one of the most common terms, green consumers.
Ecotourism has been around for awhile, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), was launched as the first ecotourism society. To those who have been in this arena since its inception, or are LOHAS or green consumers and business people, the question is not what is ecotourism, but rather, how do I explain to people why they should care about ecotourism.
For many of the consumers, though, the question still is, “what is ecotourism.” This means that they still do not recognize or understand the term that so many people in the industry throw around. To green and/or LOHAS consumers, most of them understand the terminology, though, not all, depending on where you are located.
It’s the basic understanding of a term such as “ecotourism” that halts most green marketing efforts before they get off the ground. Many green and LOHAS consumers have more in-depth understanding of a term such as “ecotourism” what it is and what it isn’t. Yet, sometimes, in underdeveloped areas of the country, such as Ohio, these LOHAS and green behaviors are not as defined as in California or other parts of the country. This means that you need to start with the basics such as defining or indicated in, “what is ecotourism,” before you even begin to tout your offerings.
I’ll continue the discussion on ecotourism in my next thread. We’ll look more in-depth into some of the ecotourism hotels that are cropping up.
Helping You Understand and Profit from Consumer Health and Green Trends
Colette Chandler
