EcoTourism in the Americas

I've done the tourist thing in Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and the message I brought back was the same everywhere - tourism can damage or (less often) restore the environment, depending on how it is handled.
If you want to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem, look for a hotel/resort that supports local conservation of the environment - i.e., a place committed to ecotourism or sustainable travel.
This kind of shopping for a better world is now easier with the second edition of Go Green! A SmartGuide to Sustainable Travel in the Americas, published by the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas in collaboration with Rainforest Alliance. It covers more than 200 tourism businesses in the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and the Caribbean that as of October 2007 were certified by one of the Network's member programs.
All of them have demonstrated their commitment to protecting their surrounding natural and cultural resources. The guide is organized by country and certification level, and by hotel, restaurant and tour operator. Printed and CD versions are distributed free at related trade shows and conferences. This guide was supported by the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations and the Inter-American Development Bank.