eco-tourism

The term 'ecotourism' is a modern compound, coined in the late 20th century by blending 'eco-' from 'ecology' and 'tourism'. The Greek root 'oikos' (house) gives 'eco-' its sense of "environment" or "habitat," the place where life dwells. 'Tourism' derives from the concept of making a circuit or journey for leisure. Thus, the word's logic is literally "environment-travel," defining a practice of traveling to natural habitats with a focus on conservation and minimal environmental impact, transforming the simple act of touring into an ethically and ecologically conscious activity.

Structure: eco (ecology) + tourism (travel) - eco: A clipping of 'ecology', from Greek 'oikos' (house, household, dwelling place). It functions as a combining form meaning "habitat" or "environment". - tourism: From the word 'tour', from Old French 'tour' (a turn, a trip), plus the noun-forming suffix '-ism', indicating a practice or system. It functions as the core noun denoting the activity of traveling for pleasure.