Eubanks, Ted L.Jensen, Richard W. Russell W. Kiesling, and Frank S. ShipleyProceedings: The Second State of the Bay Symposium. February 4 - 6, 19932010-02-152010-02-151993http://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/24161pgs. 367-369Ecotourism is tourism that is based upon the natural rather than the synthetic attractions of a locality. Ecotourism is the tourist industry's most rapidly expanding sector (Alpine, 1986; Groom et al., 1991). A number of states and local communities in the United States have come to recognize ecotourism as a significant facet of their economic strategy. For example, in several western states it has become the largest private employer (Vickerman 1988).tourismeconomicsnatural resourcesChapter