do you want to know the difference between ecotourism and green tourism? From Greenuso we have written a list with the differences that exist between both concepts linked to the new way of doing tourism that will help you to focus your hotel business.
Once you know the difference between the two concepts, you will know which one to implement in your company. So that you can attract the attention of more people who are aware of sustainable practices.
Table of Contents
what is ecotourism?
Ecotourism, or eco-tourism, is a tourism activity focused on ensuring that travellers enjoy the landscape, but without damaging or polluting it. This means that its aim is the conservation and preservation of the environment.
It should be noted that ecotourism also helps in cultural exchange and boosts the local economy. It not only serves the needs of the environment, but also those of the tourists, the host community and the industry.
what are the characteristics of ecotourism?
Ecotourism has certain characteristics that distinguish it from the rest and in the following lines we will tell you about them.
Reduce
The main characteristic of ecotourism is that it reduces the impact of commercial tourism on the environment. So that the beautiful natural resources of our planet Earth can be preserved in a better state.
Educate
Good ecotourism is one that creates awareness in visitors or travellers. It does this by educating them about the measures that passers-by and business people can take to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet.
Conserve
We are talking about eco-friendly tourism that has the ability to conserve local culture. Enthusiastic visitors get to know new paths, landscapes and customs, while doing their bit for the planet.
Generate
Eco-friendly tourism can generate employment for locals. This is because travellers who identify with eco-responsible tourism will be inclined to visit such locations more frequently.
Varies
It is not only developed in natural contexts, but also in large cities. This means that it can respond to the different interests of tourists, so that it has a greater chance of creating a larger community of conscientious travellers.
what is green tourism?
Green tourism, or nature tourism, is a tourist activity that takes place only in natural areas such as trails, beaches, forests, mountains, etc. Its sole purpose is the enjoyment of the traveller, as it does not take into account the environmental impact of the trip.
In simple words, it is tourism based on visiting nature and enjoying it as much as the traveller wishes. It usually includes a recreational programme to ensure a more complete experience for tourists.
what are the characteristics of green tourism?
In previous lines we gave you the definition of green tourism. So let’s proceed to talk about its main characteristics.
De-stressing
Green tourism is an activity that takes place in contact with nature. Its mission is to allow travellers to relax and free themselves from the stress generated by the frenetic life of big cities.
Not ecofriendly
It does not consider the negative impact that travel has on the environment. This means that it can end up being a polluting activity, depending on the level of awareness of each individual traveller.
Attractive
In green tourism, travel is purely for pleasure. This has led many tourism companies to make renovations in nature in order to make the scenery more attractive to the traveller. And most of the time these renovations are aggressive with the ecosystem.
Diverse
Another characteristic of green tourism is that it includes other modalities such as hiking, camping, sun and beach. This makes it sufficiently varied that many tourists are eager to do it, regardless of its impact on the planet.
Commercial
For green tourism it is more important to respond to the financial demands of the tourism market than to ecological needs. In other words, the numbers at the end of each month matter more than leaving a friendly footprint on the planet.
what is the difference between green tourism and ecotourism?
To begin with, keep in mind that all ecotourism is green tourism, but, sadly, not all green tourism is ecotourism. Although they seem similar, they have their own peculiarities that differentiate them from each other
Below, we help you to differentiate between them:
Environmental impact
As explained above, ecotourism focuses on leaving a friendly footprint on planet earth. This means that its development does not pollute or damage the environment in any way.
On the contrary, green tourism is a recreational activity in natural spaces. This means that it focuses on having fun and exploiting the natural wealth of a locality, regardless of the fact that its activity pollutes.
Benefits
The benefits of ecotourism include its ability to preserve nature in a better state. It also enhances cultural exchange and generates employment for local residents in the hotspot area
On the other hand, the benefits of green tourism are geared towards boosting the tourism market of a locality. Ecological awareness does not matter, as long as they attend in masses and are potential consumers.
Development of the activity
Ecotourism can be developed in any setting that attracts an influx of enthusiastic travellers. It can be in the city or in natural areas such as rivers, mountains, trails, beaches, etc.
On the contrary, the essence of green tourism is natural settings. Therefore, any tourism activity that does not take place in a purely natural space cannot be seen as green tourism.
how to attract ecotourists to your sustainable business?
From Greenuso we want to encourage you to take part in eco-tourism. A way to exploit the tourist riches that the planet puts at our disposal, without harming or polluting in any way.
Here are some general tips on how to attract ecotourists to your sustainable business.
Make it the essence of your brand
The first thing to keep in mind is that ecotourists choose businesses that truly identify with this trend. This means that you must make it the essence of your brand in order to keep your credibility intact.
Under no circumstances should you fool this type of audience by pretending that you care about leaving a friendly footprint on the planet. Mainly because a credibility crisis can cost you dearly in the industry.
That’s why we advise you to emphasise sustainable measures in your company. It is necessary that your employees also feel identified with this trend so that incoming customers notice your real commitment to conservation and care for nature.
Design an ecotourism website
It won’t do you any good to develop sustainable measures in your company if your potential customers don’t know about them. So you need to design an ecotourism website, which is the centrepiece of your digital face.
Remember that we are living in the digital age. That means that if people don’t come to you on the Internet, it’s as if your services don’t exist. This is extremely fatal for those who aspire to climb the ladder in the sector.
So start working on your digital face through a website with a green essence. If you don’t have the experience to do this, we recommend hiring a specialist to help you achieve your goals.
Work on your social media
You should do exactly the same with your corporate social media as you do with your website. You need to give it that ecological essence to attract the attention of the public that is aware of the conservation of the ecosystem.
Another way to catch this public through social media is to show the measures you take in your business to avoid damaging the ecosystem. All these actions should be displayed in a friendly and entertaining way.
If you have profiles on Instagram and Twitter, create a hashtag strategy to help you position your business. In this way, more people identified with this trend will have access to information about your services.
Support local culture
Through ecotourism you can help generate employment in the locality where your business is based. This not only favours local residents, but also the industry as such.
This is due to the fact that a significant amount of tourist traffic will be generated in the area. This helps the businesses that do business in the area to have higher sales rates during the month and so the local economy will soar
All this while safeguarding the local natural resources and educating travellers about them. So, you can grow your industry without damaging our environment.
what is the importance of ecotourism?
Ecotourism is a new trend that is gaining a lot of ground in the hospitality industry. This is due to the fact that there are conscious tourists who only make use of services that handle this concept.
Therefore, businessmen must know how to adjust to this new demand, especially entrepreneurs in the hotel sector. This is a way to guarantee the profitability of their operations, while simultaneously contributing to the care of the planet.
It is beautiful to note how the business sector is joining in the care of nature, respect for traditions and local culture. Without a doubt, we are talking about an important contribution that the planet will thank you for.
You are already aware of the differences between ecotourism and green tourism. Put what you have learned into practice and start leaving a friendlier footprint.
