Ecotourism principles are an important guide to developing and maintaining the increasingly popular ecotourist resort destinations.
One of the travel industrys strongest trends continues to be ecotourism, which has been growing by 20 to 30 percent a year. Ecotourism combines specialized leisure travel with a focus on environmental protection and visitor education and generally takes place in environmentally distinctive destinations. These properties often include an on-site hotel or resort, with an unspoiled or reclaimed environment of indigenous flora and fauna, and usually are protected by a local or national government. These destinations vary from wildlife parks and nature preserves to jungle hideaways like the Coconut Beach Rainforest Resort in Queensland, Australia; guest (dude) ranches like Hidden Creek Ranch near Harrison, Idaho; beachfront properties like Wilderness Safariss North Island Camp in the Seychelles off the coast of South Africa; and small hotels that celebrate the local culture like Lisu Lodge on the edge of a village in northern Thailands mountains.
Thanks to Urban Land Magazine Editor
FULL STORY: Nature Bound

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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