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Ecologic
eco travel principle:
To encourage
responsible travel to natural areas with minimal impact on the
environment, providing positive experiences for both visitors and
hosts and building environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
Ecologic
provides information on quality environmentally
friendly holidays,
eco tours and eco places to stay in Australia, based
on the combination of genuine interaction with the environment
and local communities, and quality eco friendly tourism
experiences.
Ecologic
travel and ecotourism products include the following key principles of
ecotourism:
dependent on the natural environment;
ecologically sustainable;
contributes to the conservation of nature;
involves education and interpretation;
culturally responsible;
sustains local communities; and,
commercially viable.
All the tourism products listed with Ecologic
demonstrate some or all of the key principles of ecotourism and are involved in nature tourism, conservation and/or environmental
interpretation. Each product is listed with a summary of it's eco points, such Ecotourism Australia
certification, which means it meets high standards of environmental sustainability, business
ethics and cultural sensitivity.
SOME
DEFINITIONS (courtesy
of Queensland Ecotourism Plan 2002-2008, Tourism
Queensland
Conservation – The protection and maintenance of nature.
Ecologically
Sustainable Development (ESD) – Using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resources so that
ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained and the
total quality of life, now and in the future, can be
increased.
Ecotourism – Encompasses a spectrum of nature-based activities that foster
visitor appreciation and understanding of natural and cultural
heritage and are managed to be ecologically, economically and
socially sustainable.
Interpretation – Revealing the significance and meanings of natural and associated
cultural phenomena to visitors, usually with the intent of providing
a satisfying learning experience and encouraging more sustainable
behaviour.
Sustainable
Tourism – Tourism that can be sustained over the long term because it
results in a net benefit for the social, economic, natural and
cultural environments of the area in which it takes
place.
Eco places to
stay, nature based attractions and eco travel.
Environmentally friendly holidays in Australia.
Good for people, good for the planet.
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