- TAs report popular destinations: 49% Costa Rica, 12% South Africa, 8% Galapagos Islands, 7% Peru, 6% Belize (all others 5%).

- 58% said their hotel choice is influenced by the support the hotel gives to the local community

- Trip Advisor-survey 2012, 71% said they plan to make more eco-friendly choices in the next 12 months, compared to 65% that did so in the past 12 months

- Given the ageing market, demand will grow in years to come.

- This huge industry now generates over 10 percent of the world’s gross domestic product. And for 83 percent of countries in the world, tourism is one of the top five sources of foreign exchange.

- Vulnerabilities to the economy of tourism are always there. Security risks can cause drastic downturns, armed conflicts destroy tourism markets, and rising oil prices hit fast and hard. All of these factors will affect ecotourism in the next 20 years.

- Local people are increasingly recognizing that they need to protect their resources. What local people do to preserve their destinations must be a high priority for the future of ecotourism.

- With continuing growth in travel, there is increasing recognition among both travel professionals and consumers of the importance of responsible travel—travel that minimizes negative impacts, brings economic benefits to host communities, and preserves the cultural and natural resources of the destinations. Fortunately for travel businesses and destinations, there is strong evidence that responsible travel is also good for the economic bottom line.

-More than 90% of U.S. travelers surveyed by the online travel publisher TravelZoo in 2010 said that they would choose a ‘green,’ environmentally conscious hotel if the price and amenities were comparable to those at a non-sustainable, non-green hotel.

- By 2010, half of the world population was living in cities, for the first time in human history. In response, urban workers are seeking to spend their leisure time in areas where they can “reconnect with nature.”

- “One thing is for sure — travel companies and services are all beefing up their eco credentials in order to attract the rising number of customers seeking a ‘green’ experience.” —Jason Halal, Manager of Sierra Club Outings

-Nearly a third of travelers (30%) would choose a destination for a trip because it is considered eco-friendly. Costa Rica is the most popular destination in the world for travelers interested in an eco-friendly trip, according to a 2012 TripAdvisor survey