Glowing responsibly: guidelines for sustainable firefly watching

Ecotourism, defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people and involves interpretation and education” [The International Ecotourism Society, hereafter, TIES (2015)] is globally increasing. This approach combines recreational activities with ecological principles and reconciles tourism development with conservation efforts, thereby fostering biodiversity conservation, local community economic development and sustainable travels (Bulbeck 2012; Hausmann et al. 2017). Ecotourism can enhance local livelihoods, safeguard recreational opportunities and natural landscapes and address current priorities, e.g. preserving biodiversity and caring for ecosystem health.