The exploration of nature has always been a big part of the vacation experience. So when most people hear the word “ecotourism”, they might feel familiar with what it implies. You would think that a camping trip, a drive through the mountains, or a pilgrimage to some natural wonder would all qualify as eco-tourism.
While these all sound like fun and exciting outdoor excursions, they might not necessarily qualify as eco-tourism. That’s because eco-tourism is a rather specific term for a certain type of nature vacation.
Of course, eco-tourism involves exploration of natural nooks and crannies of our beautiful world like Kaby Lake. It’s undisturbed and unaltered places like this that serve as the basis for eco-tourism. But there are plenty of other criteria to meet. For example, the fact that Kaby Lodge is a “fly-in” destination makes it more ideal for eco-tourism, as it lacks the disturbance and pollution caused by constant vehicular traffic.
Eco-tourism, which was embraced as a concept by environmentalists starting in the 1980’s, is considered to be a small-scale, low impact alternative to most vacations up to that point. Social responsibility, sustainability, and individual enlightenment are all core principles. In other words, eco-tourism is not just entering nature, but doing so in a way that minimizes human impact, leaving natural destinations intact for generations to come.
A good eco-tourist will constantly remain mindful of strategies to reduce human impact, including conservation of resources and energy efficiency. They will have positive and mutually beneficial relationships with surrounding communities, rather than exploiting them for selfish, shortsighted reasons.
Not surprisingly, eco-tourism has been met with its fair share of controversy. Detractors argue that eco-tourists still need to rely on fossil fuels and traditional forms of transportation. However, eco-tourism allows us to experience nature while damaging the environment as little as we can. In fact, eco-tourism can help communities with little other sources of income. Of course, we also learn so much more about the world we live in on the way.
Effective eco-tourism takes a great deal of planning and effective advisement, both of which we pride ourselves on here at Kaby Lodge. For information on Northern Ontario eco-tourism at Kaby Lodge, visit our website today.