What is the importance of ecotourism?

There is a strong demand for vacations in nature around the world today.  To meet those demands without damaging ecologically fragile areas, ecotourism promotes responsible visits to remote areas.  The importance of ecotourism is obviously the protection of fragile ecosystems around the world.  If visits are not done utilizing the ecotourism model, the natural environment may not be sustained for future generations.  The beauty of ecotourism is that the profits of the visits generally benefit conservation efforts and national parks.  The tours are also seen as educational in that they teach the visitor about the importance of the local habitat and the threats that exist in those ecosystems.  Also, many of the areas that are attractive to nature tourists are underdeveloped and have scarce revenue sources.  Ecotourism provides an important revenue stream to help those countries become economically viable.