In the 1990s a new concept called "ecotourism," which aims to combine recreation with environmental protection, took off in many nations. Hoping to broaden the impact of this trend, the United Nations proclaimed 2002 the "year of ecotourism."
然而，從一九九○年代，一種倡議兼顧自然保育和遊憩發展的「生態旅遊」概念被提出後，這種新旅遊型態逐漸在許多國家蓬勃發展，二○○二年，聯合國還推動「生態旅遊年」以擴大整合和影響層面。