Meaning & use
ecotourism
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
Travel to natural areas that aims to protect the environment and support local communities.
Grammar: No plural; used with a singular verb: 'Ecotourism is popular.'
Patterns
- ecotourism in a place
- promote ecotourism
- ecotourism industry
Costa Rica has become a leader in ecotourism, attracting visitors who want to see rainforests without harming them.
The government encourages ecotourism as a way to fund national parks.
Many hotels now claim to practice ecotourism, but not all are genuine.
noununcountablebusiness
The business sector or activity of organizing and providing such travel.
Grammar: Often used before another noun: 'ecotourism market', 'ecotourism operator'.
Patterns
- ecotourism market
- ecotourism operator
- develop ecotourism
The ecotourism market has grown rapidly in the last decade.
She works for an ecotourism company that runs guided tours in the Amazon.
Local entrepreneurs are developing ecotourism to create jobs.
Common combinations
- promote ecotourism
- The campaign aims to promote ecotourism in rural areas.
- ecotourism industry
- The ecotourism industry is worth billions worldwide.
- sustainable ecotourism
- They focus on sustainable ecotourism that benefits wildlife.
- ecotourism destination
- The Galápagos Islands are a famous ecotourism destination.
- develop ecotourism
- The country plans to develop ecotourism along its coast.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sustainable tourism
- Broader term that includes any travel minimizing negative impacts, not only nature-focused trips.
- green tourism
- Informal synonym emphasizing environmental friendliness, but less precise about community benefits.
- nature tourism
- Focuses on visiting natural areas, but does not necessarily include conservation or local support.
Word family
- ecotourist noun
- A person who travels in an environmentally responsible way.
- ecotourism noun
- The activity itself (the headword).
Commonly confused: ecotourism or ecoterrorism?
ecotourism vs ecoterrorism
Ecoterrorism is violence or sabotage in the name of environmental protection, completely different from ecotourism.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'ecotourism' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Ecotourism' is an uncountable noun, so it cannot take 'an' or a plural verb. Option 2 uses it correctly as a singular uncountable noun. Option 1 wrongly treats it as a countable noun with 'an'; option 3 uses a plural verb; option 4 confuses it with a person noun ('ecotourist').
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ecotourism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.