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For some people, eco-tourism means going to the areas where the environment is still fairly untouched and pristine. To others it has a much broader scope than that, and means that you do everything you can, to make the trip you are taking eco-conscious, including how you get there and what you do once you arrive.

First, decide what eco-tourism means to you. Will you take groups to the rainforest and show them the wonders and beauty that are being destroyed every day? Will you guide people to a mountain stream and let them see what clean, clear, beautiful water looks like? Or, will you be a travel agent that helps people make more eco-aware travel plans including booking them into green hotels once they reach their destination? Will you suggest activities that are eco-friendly?

What Education do I need?

You will need a degree in Tourism and Travel Services in most places and in others you will only need a certificate to get started in an agency. If you plan to open your own agency then make sure that you start with all of the education you can possibly get. A business degree is also helpful, if you are going to be running your own business.

What are the Initial Investments?

You will need an office to work from, some working knowledge of the industry and the ability to market yourself as a better choice than the others in your area. Other costs might include your computer system and the necessary software to run this type of business.

Who is the Target Market?

Those who want to lessen their carbon footprint, but still want to travel. For some it will be the adventure of going to places that are not typically thought of as vacation destinations.

What are the Drawbacks?

Many people protest the thought of eco-tourism that travels to the rainforest or other areas, regardless of how careful they are when they do so- any impact on these areas can be dangerous they say. The more people that travel here, the more likely problems will arise.

Eco-tourism does not have to mean traipsing along in the rainforest snapping pictures and pointing at trees. It can mean that you do your traveling to other destinations in greener, more energy efficient ways. You do not rent a car and putter around Italy when you could take walking tours instead. You see far more and learn more about the real, local flavor when you are out walking anyway. You only stay in hotels that have been deemed green- they recycle everything possible and compost food wastes. They do not wash linens for every day of your stay unless you actually request it. Paper waste is kept to a minimum. They use locally grown food products on their menu.

Eco-tourism as business can be useful to steer people to the cities and destinations that are making the effort.

Source by Ezra Drissman

Even if you don’t think that your area is one that is popular, you might be quite surprised. This is because every area has that attraction that people come to see. You can even advertise your area as a historic tourist spot if it has a lot of historic significance. So what does this mean?

This means that you’re going to be a tour guide. You can arrange appointments where you take people all around your area and show them what it has got. You can tell them the history behind each place you take them to.

For example, you may show them a house that was a part of the Underground Railroad. There are very few of those homes left in the U.S. today. However, there are some that have the tunnels still intact and many individuals can experience part of those tunnels. See if you can make a deal with the owners of these homes and make their home a tourist stop. You can give them a part of your profits so that you can add this to your itinerary.

You can also make souvenirs that relate to the historic areas that they visit. They want to show people where they have been, so having a keychain, an ink pen, or some other souvenir can be quite beneficial.

So go ahead and start your tourism business. It requires very little startup because you can do a lot of these tours on foot. You can make quite a bit of cash this way and ensure that you make even more cash by selling souvenirs.