Eco-tourism Eco or "green" tourism came about with the heightened environmental awareness of the 1960s and 70s. While green standards for the mainstream tourism industry tend to rely on the measurable reduction of energy and waste, ecotourism standards go well beyond questions of eco-efficiency. Ecotourism is entirely a new approach in tourism. Ecotourism is a preserving travel to natural areas to appreciate the cultural and natural history of the environment, taking care not to disturb the integrity of the ecosystem, while creating economic opportunities that make conservation and protection of natural resources advantageous to the local people. Green Tourism or Ecotourism has grown 20 to 34 percent per year since the 1990s, and in 2004 it was growing three times faster than the tourism industry as a whole. This book will be of interest to students across a range of disciplines including geography, economics, business, ethics, biology, and environmental studies.