Ecotourism involves responsible travel to natural areas in a way that conserves the environment and improves local well-being. It allows travelers to experience places through activities like hiking and kayaking while leaving a small carbon footprint. Ecotourism can have significant economic benefits by educating visitors who become ambassadors, and it is a major source of revenue for many countries. International Expeditions is a travel company that specializes in handling eco-friendly adventures worldwide to locations like the Amazon, Africa, and Galapagos Islands, allowing travelers to experience the culture while supporting local communities.

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some, traveling is a calling, a way
of life. It’s about those who are
more traveler than tourist, who pre-
fer upscale lodging, who are hap-
py to hike, horseback ride or kayak
as a mode of transportation.
In short, they are adventurers
who recognize the importance of
exploring the world, albeit re-
sponsibly, to leave as small a car-
bon footprint as possible.
Welcome to ecotourism, or as
The International Ecotourism So-
ciety defines it: responsible trav-
el to natural areas that doesn’t just
conserve the environment, but
also improves the well-being of
local people.
As goodwill ambassador to
the San Diego Zoo’s Zoological
Society, Joan Embery knows
there is incomparable value to
this type of travel.
“The tourism market, if prop-
erlymanaged,canhaveahugepos-
itive effect by educating people
who become ambassadors when
they come home and talk about
their experiences,” says Embery.
“For many countries, it’s a major
source of revenue, giving value to
the resources we want to protect.”
For those interested in seeing
the world in a different way,
travel guru International Expedi-
tions (IE) can help.ThisAlabama-
based company is well-versed in
handling travel plans from the
Amazon to Zambia.Whether your
upscale adventure includes lemurs
or penguins, birds or reptiles (and
everything in between), IE takes
care of all the details to make your
vacation a seamless experience.
With the support of IE, travel-
ers are free to absorb local lore, and
sample local food and discover
unique customs and cultural prac-
tices. The end result, according to
the Matador Network, is econom-
ic growth paired with authentic and
appropriate interactions between
locals and visitors.
This attitude of respect and rev-
erence for another country’s cul-
ture, said Embery, is key to eco-
traveling, and why she continues
to travel halfway around the world
to places like East Africa.
“I always enjoy taking people
there [to East Africa] because you
can’t be disappointed. There is al-
ways something to see -- the sights,
the sounds, the sunsets, the land-
scape and just the expanse of it. It’s
mind-boggling to realize that still
exists,” she said.
For more information, please
visit www.ietravel.com.
The Great Divide: Balancing Travel
and Protecting Delicate Ecosystems
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Photograph giant tortoises
in the wilds of Galapagos.