Focus: touring to economic health.

As Americans grow ever more environmentally conscious, their appetite for nature-based travel is creating a burgeoning market for tour operators, adventure outfitters, and nature guides. But what constitutes ecotourism? And how can socially concerned travelers be confident their dollars are going to host communities?

"I've found that ecotourism means different things to different people," says Deborah McLaren, director of the Rethinking Tourism Project, a two-year-old nonprofit organization with a mission of educating and networking indigenous peoples. "Ask yourself, Who has a stake in the operation? Who is doing the selling? Are they simply selling the outdoors or are they selling something that's about preservation? ... Ecotourism must be sustainable over the long term."

Fay Knox, a community activist and ecotourism promoter in Arkansas, defines ecotourism as a mixture of conservation and community involvement. "You can have environmentally sensitive tours booked outside of a region, but the host community doesn't receive any of the benefits," she says. "People who live in the communities have to buy into the idea."

Knox knows from personal experience. She lives in northwestern Arkansas' Newton County, an area in the heart of the majestic Ozark Mountains. With an average income of only $10,406, almost 30 percent of Newton County's population falls below the federal poverty line. When Congress in 1972 declared the Buffalo River, which runs through this county of farming and logging communities, the first National River, 59 percent of the county's land became federally managed.

Knox and other community members called on the Newton County Research Council (NCRC), a nonprofit community development group. Armed with a Forest Service Rural Diversification Studies Grant and VISTA volunteers, NCRC examined ways to let community members use their skills, talents, and knowledge to promote the economy.

"People were saying, 'You all are crazy! You don't want to build an industrial park or an airport?" recalls Knox. "We said, 'No. We have some beautiful things here. We want to take care of our natural resources.' So we worked on getting more community approval for the project."

In part that meant convincing people that ecotourism was a worthwhile financial investment, so Knox and NCRC embarked on a pilot project. Many communities skip that step, dooming themselves to failure.

"It's important for communities to realize that ecotourism can't replace other economies," says Megan Eppler Wood, executive director of The Ecotourism Society. "No one economy can replace another. Very rarely does the same group that benefits from one economy benefit from another."

Learning from more experienced communities can help. Groups like The Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association (AWRTA), a nonprofit consortium of native Alaskan ecotour operators, has developed a highly profitable system in which tourists can donate a dollar toward Alaskan conservation programs for each day of their vacation. Almost 99 percent contribute.

Not every community will successfully balance its programs' environmental and economic viability. The challenge lies not just in discovering problems, but in taking actions to solve them.

"Look at the Grand Canyon," says McLaren. "They monitor impacts, but you just can't turn down that ecotourist dollar."

Despite these challenges, Wood sees great potential. "There's a lot of opportunity, especially in rural areas. We'd like communities to seek assistance in how they can use ecotourism as a local government tool."

Another vital tool: patience. Although business has visibly improved, Knox's Newton County has yet to draw a profit. Ecotourism will help economies, but it won't happen overnight.

"We've drawn a lot of media attention. We've seen an increase in publicity with an advertising budget of zero," says Knox. "A lot of ordinary folks who have a little equity are building log cabins on their land or opening bed and breakfasts in their homes. This isn't a get-rich quick scheme. It's a community development story."

Janine Guglielmino is an assistant editor at American Forests.