Eco Tourism

Ecologically sensitive tourism has become more and more popular these days. As awareness of the variety and importance of world wildlife becomes more acute, travelers find that the simple slash-and-burn tourism of their parents and grandparents just isn’t acceptable anymore. They look for a vacation alternative that will allow them to commune deeply with the visited environment, emerging from it changed, while leaving it intact.

The Fiji Islands are a perfect place to indulge in this kind of tourism. For one thing, the islands’ physical environment–encompassing diverse ecosystems spread out across a 330-island base–certainly provides plenty of spots to visit. As with many “hidden treasure” vacation spots in the world, it’s easy to find spots in Fiji where you won’t be rubbing elbows with your fellow travelers every few seconds.

More important, however, the ecotourism philosophy–stressing as it does the appreciation of host environments–fits perfectly with the Fijian way of life. Fijians learn from an early age to appreciate the land in which they live as if it were a member of their family. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that Fijians are “local ecotourists.”

Fijian culture values individual expression and sensitivity over the usual profit-margin economy of the western world. This gives the entire community a very spiritual and laid-back pace, which can be incredibly refreshing to visitors. The lessons learned by close contact with islanders will no doubt remain imprinted on visitors’ minds and hearts for years to come.

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