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by Jennifer Dart
The Westerly News
April 18, 2007

Many Americans may come to Clayoquot Sound as a travel destination because it's "eco-friendly," according to a recent US survey.

The study found that two-thirds of Americans place importance on the eco-friendliness of their travel destinations, and the Clayoquot Sound region was recommended as one of these.

"Travellers are reassessing how they travel, where they stay and the impact they leave behind when on vacation," states the survey of 320 individuals between the ages of 19 - 65 who travel regularly, completed by Orbitz.com.

Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed are concerned about how environmentally-friendly a travel destination is, and more than half (51%) believe the US tourism industry is not making the grade.

More than half of respondents also said it would sway their decision to stay at a hotel if it used solar or wind energy to heat the building, and most would pay more to rent a hybrid vehicle or stay at a "green" hotel.

Fifty-two percent of those asked would also be willing to donate a portion of their travel budget to help save the environment when booking a trip.

The company that conducted the survey recommended eight travel destinations that provide "opportunities to help maintain the health and well-being of natural locations that belong to everyone." Clayoquot Sound was listed, along with Yosemite National Park (California), Alaska, and Glacier National Park in Montana.

"Only covering about 0.2 percent of the earth's land surface, the type of ancient coastal temperate rainforest found around the Clayoquot Sound area is truly special," reads the news release. Touting the region's UNESCO biosphere reserve designation, the company also mentions the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet and the Hot Springs Trail near Hesquiaht village, along with wildlife tours, as main attractions.

Wickaninnish Inn general manager Charles McDiarmid said US visitation to that resort has dropped roughly 15 percent since 2003. He's pleased with the survey results because, "after three years of declining USA travel volume since September 2003, it would be great to have this be a turn-around year."

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Copyright The Westerly News, a Canwest Company. Reproduction of this article or photographs, in whole or in part, is illegal without the written consent of The Westerly News (westnews@ukeecable.net). The Westerly News is published each Wednesday in Ucluelet. Phone: 250 726-7029

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