Tourism has now become the world's most important civil 
industry, representing annually a US$ 3.5 trillion activity. The 
travel and tourism industry employs 127 million workers (one in 
15 workers world-wide). Overall, the tourism industry is 
expected to double by the year 2006. The segment of tourism 
undergoing the fastest growth is community-based tourism, 
which includes ecotourism. Community-based ecotourism has
been estimated to account for between 10 and 15 percent of all
international travel expenditures, and that figure seems to be
increasing rapidly. It is quite clear that unless this growth
receives careful and professional guidance, serious negative
consequences - some of which may have terminal effects -could
occur.