vEcotourism

A Sustainable System.Virtual Ecotourism (vEcotourism) is a system which provides an economic incentive for people in remote areas to protect local wildlife and its habitat. vEcotourism also provides an interactive, culturally and environmentally sensitive, way for students and adults to explore nature and culture in remote places.

Ecotourism, when done carefully, can provide these benefits but unfortunately ecotourism — unlike vEcotourism — too often causes more harm than good. Ecotourism, for instance, can introduce human disease which affects local human and non-human populations alike; ecotourism can introduce Western culture which affects local culture and traditions; ecotourism can introduce infrastructure which tends to destroy wildlife and its habitat; and, ecotourism, which often requires extensive use of planes, trains, and cars, tends to leave a large carbon footprint.

In 2004, after six years of research, brainstorming, and technical development, Mark Laxer (co-founder of Chimp-n-Sea Wildlife Conservation Fund and Chief Technology Officer at a software company) invented the concept and coined the terms virtual ecotourism and vEcotourism.

Today, in 2008, momentum for this innovative project is accelerating, both in our tech development team and in the field, in western Uganda, where Chimp-n-Sea and our partner organization WCS are working together to bring this idea to light.

Contact Chimp-n-Sea if you would like to experience a vEcotour or if you would like to help support the vEcotourism project. Funds and volunteers are needed!

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