Ecotourism(noun)-is focused more on individual values; it is a tourism with a conscience ,sharing many of the same aspirations as sustainable tourism, responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people.

Source:Zeiger, J. B., & McDonald, D. (1997, September). Ecotourism: wave of the future. Parks & Recreation, 32(9), 84+.

Quote from the article:  It is not only about safeguarding the environment, but employing and informing the locals, as well as educating the tourist. Ecotourism is a softer, more gentle version than the tourism we have come to know. It might not bring in as many people as other forms of tourism, but the true recipients of the benefits of ecotourism are the traveler, the host population, the tourism industry and, of course, the environment.The basic objective of ecotourism is to help visitors appreciate the natural and cultural uniqueness of a site by bringing them closer to it

My thoughts: Ecotourism is important because it promotes sustainable travel that benefits local communities ,culture,heritage and educates tourists as mentioned from the article .We should be really familiar and as well as let more people be familiar with it since it has a lot of benefits.