DEFINITION OF ECOTOURISM

Martha Honey

1)  Involves Travel to Natural Destinations

2)  Minimizes Impact

3)  Builds Environmental Awareness

4)  Provides Direct Financial Benefits for Conservation 

5)  Provides Financial Benefits and Empowerment for Local People 

6)  Respects Local Culture

7)  Supports Human Rights and Democratic Movements

Properly understood then, the emphasis is ecotourism is on a set of principles and how to put them into practice; on what ecotourism stands for and how these standards are being implemented.

Using this definition by Martha Honey of what Ecotourism is; I will re-evaluate my previous experiences of trips through Costa Rica. I will utilize a grading system by means of points, awarded for accomplishing things on this definitive list lowest being a "Soft-Core" grade of F and a high score of a "Hard-Core" grade of A. The ideal grade would be a "Hard-Core" A. 

The grading scale works simply. I will add my points from each excursion and when a sum is less than 50 it will be multiplied by 2 and then rating under a "Soft-Core" criteria. It the grade is greater than 50 it will remain that number out of 100, under a "Hard-Core" criteria. 

I will document the success (or failure) of my tourism here in Costa Rica from what I have learned in class.