By Expedia Singapore, on September 15, 2014

A Brief History of Ecotourism

What is ecotourism exactly? It’s where you seek out a city’s natural beauty, and sustainable travel, where you do your part to conserve energy, water, and landfill waste during your vacation. From eco-travelling and visiting a city’s natural landscape to using sustainable practices when vacationing, ecotourism gets you out in the world while keeping it healthy.

To highlight how ecotourism has changed and grown through the decades, we’ve created this infographic about ecotourism’s history and what we think will be its future.

While it’s certainly been in the news recently, ecotourism has been around for centuries. From explorer Alexander von Humboldt and botanist Aimé Bonpland crisscrossing Central and South America in 1797 to Martha D. Honey, Ph.D. co-founding the Center for Responsible Travel in 2003, ecotourism has come a long way and it’s only getting better.

With over 75% of consumers wanting to take a more eco-responsible vacation and 66% of travellers requesting easier ways to identity green vacation options, ecotourism is more than a buzzword–it’s a way of life and a better way to travel. After all, there are 196 countries and 7 continents, but only 1 Earth. Ecotourism allows us to roam the world, while ensuring there is a healthy planet to explore for years to come.

History of Ecotourism