The Travel Motivations of Canadian Ecotourists

This article reports on the grouped findings of three studies that have taken an in-depth look at the travel motives of Canadian ecotourists. The results from these studies are compared to the general Canadian traveler population. These studies indicate that the ecotourists are much more likely to have social motives that put stress on physical activity, meeting people with similar interests and seeing the maximum possible in the time available, than is the general Canadian traveler. The ecotourist is also much more likely to be interested in the destinations that contain wilderness, lakes and streams, rural areas, parks, mountains and oceanside, than is the general traveler.