Ecotourism
статья по английскому языку (10, 11 класс)

Ecotourism: advantages and disadvantages.

It is a well-known fact that today the whole world faces the problem of climate change, because in recent few years weather patterns have become absolutely different all over the planet. Some areas experience searing heat, others suffer from devastating floods and droughts. Never before had there been so many natural disasters, for example, earthquakes, wildfires, meteorite strikes and so on, which wipe out natural habitats and disturb the ecological balance. Moreover, air, water and land pollution and deforestation lead to the depletion of the ozone layer and as a result to dire consequences. That is why it's high time we changed our ways and started thinking about the negative impact that people's activity has on the environment. Consequently, Eco-tourism is far and away the best way to become Eco-friendly and have a green head on your shoulders, because the main goal of it is to learn how to save the planet and avoid disturbing the ecological balance.

Eco-tourism is exactly the business of organizing holidays to pristine environments, especially areas that are far away such as the rain forest, where people can visit and learn about the area in a way that will not hurt the environment. It is worth saying that there are a lot of advantages of eco-tourism. First and foremost, eco-tourism is a golden opportunity to preserve ecosystems and biodiversity as this type of travelling implies respect for nature and fight against urgent environmental problems. Secondly, eco-tourism provides a chance for local people from emerging countries to lift out of the poverty, stop living below the poverty line and on the margins of society. Eco-tourism contributes to sustainable development of deprived regions which desperately need help to keep their head above water. Thirdly, eco-tourism can create jobs in remote areas and also the benefits of eco-tourism for indigenous communities include preservation of its culture, traditions and maintenance of social, cultural and religious values.  Moreover, eco-tourism is just an exhilarating experience and a breath of fresh air for those who have already travelled a lot, have itchy feet and want to try something that will be out of the blue. Eco-holidays are a good chance to watch endangered species, visit shrinking habitats and become closer to nature. It is also a great way to stop being stuck in a rut and forget about daily routine. By and large, if you have time on your hands, you should give eco-tourism a try, especially because there are so many opportunities to do it.

However, in choosing eco-tourism as a type of traveling every person has to be down to earth and face the fact that there are some disadvantages of it too. First of all, you may have language difficulties and as a result you won't be able to get along with native people that will lead to misunderstanding and social barriers. Then, sometimes Eco-tourism may cost you an arm and a leg because it's not cheap and you should stand on your own two feet to take it up. Furthermore, refusing creature comforts is not by far the easiest thing that's why you should have a good head for adapting to new circumstances and be ready to put a brave face on living close to nature. Besides, eco-tourism may threaten indigenous culture as eco-tourists may be culturally unaware and as a result make cultural mistakes which can become a cause of misunderstandings and even conflicts. What is more, eco-tourism jobs for local residents often are not paid well and it is one more disadvantage of eco-tourism.

In conclusion I would like to say that in my opinion the advantages of ecotourism exceed the disadvantages and ecotourism is a perspective direction of travelling that will be greatly developed in the future. People shouldn`t choose ecotourism just off the top of their head because it is quite a responsible thing that demands serious attitude and strong desire. By and large, if you are a determined person who is ready to rise to a challenge and give a helping hand to people and nature, eco-tourism is exactly for you.