When I was a kid, my family often drove from northern Kentucky to Clearwater, Florida, where my grandmother had retired. We loaded down our van with camping gear and snorkels. Along the way, we camped in the Smokey Mountains, canoed with alligators in the Okefenokee Swamp and snorkeled with the manatee in Crystal River. Nature was my family’s playground.

We were ecotourists before it was cool. According to Market.us, in recent years “the increasing awareness of environmental issues and the desire for authentic and sustainable travel experiences have driven the demand for ecotourism.” It is defined by the International Ecotourism Society as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and educa

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