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I was extremely disappointed to read the definition of ecotourism as being “the practice of visiting sites where exotic landscapes and rare animals are the main attractions.” Ecotourism was founded with the specific goal of countering the overuse of the kind of travel described in the article. A better definition would be one used by the Ecotourism Society since 1990: “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” The word responsible would not describe much of the travel described in the article.

Ron LeValley
Arcata, Calif.