opting instead for more adventure, stimulation and a desire to learn while on vacation. This growing trend of travel has come to be known as ecotourism. Though there are many definitions of ecotourism, the term is most commonly used to describe any recreation in natural surroundings. The Ecotourism Society adds social responsibilities to define ecotourism as “purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and natural history of the environment, taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem, while producing economic opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people”(5) However defined, ecotourism is a force shaping the use of the tropical Rainforests. This will be even more true in the future due to ecotourism’s rapid growth. Global tourism is one of the largest industry in the world and ecotourism is the fastest growing segment of the industry. Tourism is largely responsible for saving the gorillas of Rwanda from extinction. The gorilla was threatened by both poachers and local farmer, whose land clearing practices were destroying the gorillas’ natural habitat. Rwanda’s Parc des Volcans, created by Dian Fossey as a wildlife preserve, has become an international attraction and the third largest source of foreign exchange for Rwanda. Revenues from the $170-a-day fee that visitors will pay to enter the park have allowed the government to create anti-poaching patrols and employ local farmers as park guides and guards. Even this success is danger from the civil war that is encroaching and endangering both the forest and tourist industry. If ecotourism is going to be influential in saving Rainforests, income from tourism must reach the people who will ultimately decide the forest’s future. Unfortunately, too often the money generated does not benefit these people. Instead, it goes to developed countries, where the tourists origi...
