How To Have An Ecolodge Vacation

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Ecotourism is a booming industry that becomes more popular every year because people worldwide are increasingly becoming more conscious of how their decisions affect the health of the world around them. As a result, living sustainably is something that many strive to achieve. For example, environmentally-conscious travellers who want to travel in a way that lessens their impact on the environment will often choose to stay in an ecolodge.

These ecolodges provide ecotourists with a unique way to sustainably experience the natural, scenic areas in the places they visit. An ecolodge is an accommodation often in or adjacent to a protected, natural area. Developers who construct ecolodges must protect the environment around the construction site to prevent damage to the ecosystem.

Ecolodges must have sufficient infrastructure to accommodate guests while having as little impact on the surrounding area as possible. Visitors to ecolodges often experience cosy lodging, enjoy locally-grown foods, and interact meaningfully with the local residents, both human and animal.

Ecolodges

Everything You Need To Know About Staying In An Ecolodge

What Is The Difference Between Vacationing At An Ecolodge Or A Hotel?

ecolodge hotel
Relaxing in a chair on the beach is an activity to enjoy at an ecolodge.

Ecolodges are managed in a way that allows them to benefit not only the environment around them but also the residents in the area.

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Ecolodges often employ these local residents, providing them with essential income that allows them to continue their way of life without detracting from that life.

These places usually host only a few people or families at a time because larger numbers of people tend to have a bigger negative impact on the environment.

Hotels employ local residents but also outsiders as well.

Generally, hotels do not benefit the local communities as much as they benefit the corporations that built them.

Not all hotels ignore the environment in which they are built, but they are not often constructed with respect for the natural resources and communities around them.

Many resorts and hotels can hold hundreds of guests at once, which sometimes harms the surrounding environment.

Ecotourists want to reduce the negative impact of their travel by staying in an ecolodge, where they can offset their carbon footprint and help support local indigenous communities.

Not only do guests of eco-lodges help the environment and region, but they also get a more personalised, quiet and relaxing vacation without too many other people around.

How Do Ecolodges Become Certified?

ecolodgeECO written on wooden blocks, environmental,Creative concept, Connecting with nature and social good in a dark background.
Connect with nature and help the local community at an eco-lodge.

Many certifications are available worldwide that can certify ecolodges or hotels as sustainable.

Some certifications require rigorous evaluation to determine how eco-friendly and sustainable a hotel or lodge is, while others only require a quick survey to make that determination.

Some of the more rigorous and globally recognised certifications that require third-party auditing of properties include LEED, Green Globe, Green Key Global, Green Tourism Active Global, Audubon Green Lodging Program, Green Seal, EarthCheck and Travelife.

Hotels that wish to receive certification from the more impressive certification companies often have to pay an auditor to evaluate their facilities.

The auditors who conduct the evaluations look for sustainable management practices, the socioeconomic impacts of the hotel on the local community, the cultural impacts on the region, and the environmental impacts of the hotel.

How Do Hotels Become “Green” To Achieve Certification?