1 . Ecotourism is a combination of ecology (the study of systems of living things) and tourism. It is defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that preserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people” by the International Ecotourism Society. Actually, ecotourism can mean travel to far-off places of great natural beauty, but not always in a(n) _______ way. It's a big business, and the attraction of money can cause people to think about profits first. While ecotourism offers benefits to people and ecosystems, it leaves ecosystems _______ to negative effects, too.

Costa Rica, once a Spanish colony, and independent since 1821, has an ecotourism industry worth over one billion dollars yearly, and thousands of jobs have been _______. Nearly 21 percent of the land is now protected national parks, _______ thanks to ecotourism. Nevertheless, due to the number of people visiting the country's natural places, some damage to the ecosystem has occurred.

While tourists can have a negative impact on ecosystems, the same areas might have been _______ by industries such as farming, logging, or mining if there were no ecotourism industry. Shelters have been created instead, keeping the ecosystem protected. And, by visiting beautiful rain forests and seeing rare animals, visitors get a sense of their _______, and of gratitude for them. Tour guides can also be educators who train people to love and care for the environment. Visitors can take these lessons with them to their home countries.

Unfortunately, while their effect may not be _______ in the off-season, the constant parade of visitors in the high season can be damaging. At one national park in Costa Rica, wild monkeys now feed on garbage left by the tourists. In addition, ecotourists tend to seek out places with the rarest animals and plants, _______ the most delicate living things.

It is easy to be critical of the ecotourism industry, but it is important to be _______ as well. Ecotourism can never be “pure”. We can't expect zero negative effects on the ecosystem. It is also ________ to suppose that humans won't go anywhere accessible to them. If protection efforts are maintained and increased, those remaining places of undisturbed nature may be stressed, but they won't be destroyed.