We have come up with our own system for defining ecolodges and for categorizing types within the general definition. Here's how we define an ecolodge:

It is located in a natural area, or a rural area within a short distance to a natural area, and is not significantly impacted by a townsite, noise, traffic, or smog.

It is small, usually less than 30 rooms.

It employs systems that protect the environment from pollution and degradation. ( Also see Green Hotels below)

It often employs energy saving tactics and possibly renewable energy technology.

It employs, or has access to, interpretive nature guides who are either trained in biology or have significant local knowledge of the habitat.

It provides books, posters, maps, photographs, orientation talks or other ways to inform guests and visitors about the biology of the area.

It helps train and employ local people at fair wages

It helps inform guests, staff and visitors on the importance and value of a healthy ecosystem and; describes how to best enjoy the area without impacting it.

It contributes the local economy and helps demonstrate that ecotourism is a more sustainable long term way to earn income than destroying or altering habitats for short term gains.

Types of Ecolodges

Community and Rural Ecolodges: these are usually simple accommodations located in rural areas or in small villages which are near a nature reserve. Down to earth hospitality staff and guides that are local people as opposed to trained career professionals. Revenue generated is kept local.

Nature Lodges and camps: small lodges or camps which are located in natural areas, often in beautiful areas, but were designed for earlier times or for other purposes. Many have been adapted and maintained for accommodation purposes.  They are more or less unregulated or ungraded, but  many do adhere to ecotourism principles. Services may be limited, for example they may have no onsite guides, or they may be simple alpine huts or camp sites.

Model Ecolodges: These are often designed and built as ecolodges and have well trained staff and professional guides used to dealing with guests from all backgrounds. They are located in pristine natural locations of significant ecological importance. They are also using best technologies to reduce energy and handle waste. Model Ecolodges are also distinctive in that they are well removed from populated areas and they focus on nature conservation and interpretation. In rural areas and community ecolodges you are usually getting less pristine nature, but more contact with local people which is rewarding in a different way. The differences may seem slight from the comfort of your computer monitor, but human settlements mean farming, hunting and fragmented habitats. You can often still see  exotic wildlife, but you may not have the feeling you have truly escaped from civilization. If you are considering staying at an ecolodge, it's important to understand these distinctions because you are undertaking a complex and possibly expensive trip which can be much less than satisfactory if you do not have the correct set of expectations. 

Destination Ecoresorts: these are also usually design built as well but because of their locations offer a wider variety of activities such as swimming, diving, snorkelling, nature walks, sea kayaking etc. 

  See Some More Examples of Ecolodge Types

What is a Green Hotel?

This is an exciting development in the accommodation industry. Hotels, motels, inns, campgrounds, and bed and breakfasts all over the world have started to make their businesses greener by either participating in certification programs or by maintaining memberships green hotel associations which require them to take measures which help protect the environment. We have made an intense search for such hotels and happily the list is growing. (Green hotels in Costa Rica, Australia, Canada, The USA, Europe, Ecuador.)

Many measures may take place behind the scenes and include things like energy efficient heating and lighting, waste reduction, water conservation, use of non-polluting soaps and cleansers, recycling of sheets and linens and a host of others. Some measures may be more visible such as towel and linens reuse cards in your rooms, notices throughout the facility on ways visitors can protect the region they are visiting. We therefore use certified green hotels where ever we can so that we are assured that we are taking responsible steps to keep our tours as eco as possible. For example, the following list shows how a property in Canada can earn 4 Green Leaves as part of the Eco-Rating program adopted by the Hotel Association of Canada. Similar programs exist in several other countries as well.

• Have installed over 90% compact fluorescent or comparable high-efficiency lighting in the lobby, hallways and other common areas.
• Have implemented a recycling program that includes at least separating and collecting recyclable material from hotel guests and meeting clients if applicable.
• Have installed in all guestrooms and public washrooms at least two of the following three: low-flow/water conserving showerheads, tap aerators and toilets.
• Have purchased at least four eco-labeled products for use by facility staff.
• Have eliminated the use of chemical pesticides throughout facility and grounds.
• Have employee training with an environmental awareness/practices component.
• Have ongoing communication about the hotels environmental commitment and initiatives to guests using means such as room directories, tent cards or personal communication by staff.
• Sponsored or directly participated in at least one local conservation or environmental stewardship initiative

Ecotourism Reality

Ecotourism competes with logging, mining, farming, and urban sprawl for land use. Ecotourism also competes with mass tourism developers and there is constant pressure to develop bigger and more elaborate resort areas. Cancun is a typical example of mass tourism. You can imagine the stresses on water supply, waste treatment systems, landfills, roads and infrastructure not to mention the fragile ecosystems. Then there is the problem of mass migration of people from rural areas to these resorts, seeking work and often finding none except very low wages and poor living conditions. Many become beggars. 

Ecotourism is meant to help local people derive valuable income while preserving, and in many cases rehabilitating, natural areas which are attractions for tourists. It is one of the very few business enterprises that truly seeks the multiple bottom lines of economic sustainability, social well being and environmental protection. There are many very good ecotourism programs around the world and some people are skeptical of ecotourism being a solution. It is never perfect, but it is considerably better than the alternatives.

But, it is also extremely important to understand that there are many eco-imposters. The situation in developing countries is that entrepreneurs will latch on to anything they think will sell. This also happens in developed countries but to a lesser degree because there is  more direct and rapid feedback from guests and other watchdogs.

The most common situation is when planning a visit to a popular place, like Cusco for example, you will see dozens of agencies selling what seem to be more or less the same tours but at much lower prices than have been offered by companies like ours. Beware - the difference is often great. You may be grouped together with a large bunch of people, you may find the vans and buses poorly maintained and crowded and the outdoor gear can be in bad shape. Do not be mislead. In general, you get what are are willing to pay for. If you are seeking a truly personal communion with nature, you are not going to have it while piling in and out of Toyota vans jammed with backpackers.

Some people may argue that in using these services they are aiding the local people directly. This is true only to a limited extent because it fosters competition at the very lowest price which ultimately has the effect of enslaving people to low incomes. It is only superficially different than mass tourism: instead of a trans-national company paying low wages, now it is you directly. It is not sustainable and it offers no way for people to advance, where as all our programs feature very responsible employers who value their human resources highly.

In the end, everyone makes a choice. We strive to offer small group or privately guided tours using good local companies that have made the effort to be more sustainable, pay fair wages and offer quality based experiences rather than the cheapest. It is up to you, the consumer, to make the choice for the kind of services you want to see prosper.

Community Ecotourism Projects

Throughout the world there have been several experiments involving communities in tourism projects that have built lodging facilities, developed tours and other hospitality services. Some have been funded by NGO's, some with international development funds and other sources of non-conventional financing. Some are rural projects using farm stays, some are village stays using local homes. All these projects serve to provide income for small communities seeking a more sustainable means to living. In general, these are very simple, grassroots types of programs and they can be very emotionally satisfying for visitors from the "developed world". But, the quality and reliability of services is sometimes inconsistent because the people are usually not professional tourism providers. To one person this can be accepted as part of the charm of really experiencing a region and to another it can be a nightmare. It depends on the attitude you bring to the equation. If you see any of the programs we have listed as Community Ecotourism programs, please consider yourself advised to expect the unexpected. You will almost certainly have an adventure and if you approach the program in that spirit and make certain your travel plans have a little flexibility, you can have a fantastic time. If you cannot adjust your expectations, you should not take one of these types of trips. Hopefully this injection of reality does not discourage anyone who is truly interested in these programs, but it is important to properly set expectations.