Ecotourism, or eco-tourism, is a rapidly growing industry in the United States and worldwide, not only because of the crowds that ecotourism attracts, but also because it is a socially responsible way of doing business. Today, ecotourism is much more than a fad, bringing in about $77 billion annually in the United States, or about 5% of the total market. This figure has grown 30% in recent years, and experts estimate that it will continue to increase in coming years.

Because ecotourism has no legal definitions, government regulations or certifications, it's up to private interests to set ecotourism management standards and carry them out. If you're interested in starting an ecotourism business, engaging in careful planning and obtaining knowledge of your area, in addition to getting some ecotourism advice from others in the industry, can help get you started. If you're thinking about getting involved in ecotourism, consider the following:

1. Get involved in the ecotourism community;

2. Reduce the impact visitors make on the environment;

3. Market your business through the best avenues for ecotourism.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get started in eco-tourism by joining others in the field

As a business, you'll need to seek the help of an eco-tourism expert in your field. Ecotourism information is available from a number of national and international agencies and organizations--while there is no central governing body, these groups do help develop a consensus about how ecotourism should be conducted. You can use the eco-tourism advice to then write a business plan that's in accordance with current local, national and international environmental policies.

I recommend: Find ecotourism expert groups, like The International Ecotourism Society or Conservation International, to help you with ecotourism management. You can become a member, contribute or sponsor these groups to become more established and credible in the ecotourism industry.

Offer visitors a reduced environmental impact with your ecotourism business

When starting your ecotourism business, make the foundations of your venture environmentally friendly. Calculating your carbon footprint for all your business activities is a good first step to take; remember to include your visitors' transportation to the location, the shipping costs for anything delivered to your business and the operating resources used to run your business.

I recommend: The TerraPass carbon footprint calculator allows you to determine the environmental impact of ground and air transport, as well as building operations, so you can minimize the impact visitors to your ecotourism venture make on the environment. Kushtush Organics also sells organic cotton linens to ensure that fair practices were used to outfit your ecotourism accommodations.

Partner with a credible sponsor for ecotourism advertising

Not all advertising sources are considered equal for getting the word out about ecotourism. For the best investment of your marketing budget, find an established sponsor of ecotourism and natural attractions. Because ecotourism and adventure tourism are often related, adventure travel sites are also a good option.

I recommend: Gordon's Guide focuses on adventure tourism and ecotourism and has easy-to-navigate online information about travel options. Contact their advertising sales department to get the word out about your ecotourism business through advertising. National Geographic is an extremely well-known environmental interest resource, and also offers a range of avenues for ecotourism advertising, including several online options and a number of print sources.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Get to know your local resources when starting an ecotourism business. Ecotourism means making very little impact on the environment, so using locally produced food, natural sources of water and alternative energy are all expected. Ecotourism ventures also typically try to educate visitors and offer gainful employment to the local community, which should be kept in mind when hiring and training employees.

Eco-tourism or green-travel is becoming all the rage for vacations. What about the business traveler who is racking up frequent flier miles traveling coast-to-coast weekly? The following guide contains tips and advice on how to Greenify your business travel.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Greenify your Flights

Greenifying your air travel can be a little more complicated. Business travelers log over 240 billion air miles a year, generating over 160 million tons of carbon dioxide. Air travel as a whole is responsible for 3.5% of carbon dioxide produced by humans and is the fastest growing source of CO2. Some companies are buying carbon offsets to neutralize the business miles traveled. Carbon offsets are a good start, but the reality is they are not going to help quite as much as they are touted to. We need to plant over 3 million trees this year to absorb the CO2 generated in 2008, but it will take 70 years for those 3 million trees to absorb the all of that C02. When looking for a carbon offset company, check that they incorporate several ways of obtaining offsets.

I recommend: CarbonFund.org is leading the fight against global climate change, making it easy and affordable for any individual, business or organization to eliminate their climate impact and hastening the transformation to a clean energy future.

Greenify your ride

Now that you have landed and are ready to go to your final destination, think about renting an eco-friendly vehicle to get you around town. More and more rental car companies are incorporating hybrid vehicles into their fleet in an effort to Greenify.

I recommend: If your business takes you to Maui, rent a Bio-Beetle which runs on 100% vegetable oil from sustainable sources.
EV Rental has a 100% hybrid fleet with locations in California, Arizona, and soon, Las Vegas.
Fox Rental works with EV Rental to offer hybrids at all Fox locations.
Enterprise offers the Toyota Prius for rent.
If car services are more your style, Eco-Limo is available in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles.
OZO-Car in New York City bills itself as an eco-luxury private car service.

Green Hotels

If you have made an effort to greenify your air travel, why not take it one step further and stay in a green hotel. There are varying initiatives hotels have been taking to try to be more environmentally-friendly. Many hotels have been offering guests the opportunity to conserve water by not changing the sheets or towels every day. There are a number of hotels which go a step further. Some hotels have earned the Energy Star seal which means they use 40% less energy than conventional buildings and emit 35% less CO2. Other chains which are striving for environmental excellence include Oberoi, Hilton, Intercontinental, Mandarin Oriental, Hyatt International, Swissôtel, Starwood Hotels and Radisson.

I recommend: Orbitz has launched an eco section which will you find green friendly hotels.
The Lenox Hotel in Boston utilizes energy efficient lights, natural cleaners and air fresheners, zero VOC (volatile organic compound) paint, local products, waterless urinals and much more.
Fairmont Hotels have a company-wide Green Partnership Program.

The Ultimate Green Business Trip

The best way to go green with your business travels is actually to stay at the office. More and more companies are finding this option to be easier than ever. In addition to reducing your impact on the environment, it saves your business travel expenses and saves you from jet lag!

I recommend: Cisco’s new TelePresence is apparently as lifelike as being in the same room.