Basic principles of eco-tourism

1.   Avoid negative impacts that can damage or destroy the integrity of character of the natural or cultural environment

2.       Educate the traveler on the importance of conservation

3.       Direct revenue to the conservation of natural areas and the management of protected areas.

4.       Bring economic benefit to local communities and directs revenues to local people living adjacent to protected areas.

5.    Emphasizes the need for planning and sustainable growth of the tourism industry and seeks to ensure that tourism development doesn’t  exceed the social and environmental carrying capacity

6.       Retains a high percentage of revenues iun the host country by stressing the use of locally owned facilities and services

7.   Increasingly relies, on infrastructure that has been developed sensitively in harmony with the environment minimizing use of fossil fuels conserving local plants and wildlife and blending with the natural environment.