The need to develop more environmentally and socially friendly tourism is being felt all over the globe. Ecotourism aims at promoting purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and history of the environment, taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem, while producing economic opportunities that make conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people.
 
Ecotourism has lead to raising the environmental awareness of visitors and locals and also provide economic benefits to local people for conservation activities. Ecotourism planning takes into consideration the likely impact of visitors on the ecosystem and on the community and tourism should be regulated to ensure that visitation is restricted to level, which is below the carrying capacity.
   
Today, ecotourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry that attracts between forty to sixty per cent of all international tourists, translating into anything between 317 to 528 million. Yet, it is essential to understand that every environment related tourism activity is not ecotourism. It is, in fact, ‘purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and history of the environment, taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem, while producing economic opportunities that make conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people.’ So on one hand, travel to these areas enlightens, educates and revives the tired souls of the Eco-tourists and on the other provides a basis of economic upliftment to tribals and other stakeholders directly dependent on forest. It is a symbiotic relationship that does wonders

Ecotourism is the fastest growing sector of the world's fastest growing industry, tourism. For many of the world's poorest countries, tourism is seen as a means of obtaining foreign exchange and of developing infrastructure. A country promoting low-impact, ecological tourism may be able to better avoid the adverse environmental effects of traditional tourism and from the sale of natural resources. Furthermore, since the sustainability of the ecotourism industry is dependent upon the preservation of environmental quality and biodiversity, it is felt that it can bolster conservation efforts. Ecotourism is appealing to tourists, environmentalists, businesses, and governments alike.