A mountain hostel in Ecuador epitomises the potential and the pitfalls of the fast-developing ecotourism industry Fifteen years ago, the scenic village of Chugchilán, high in the Ecuadorian mountains, had neither a telephone nor a hostel. Today it has internet access and a world-renowned hotel. Unlike most award-winning accommodation, however, the Black Sheep Inn has no television or swimming pool. It shuns tour groups. Guests are invited to choose from a vegetarian-only menu, wash with the hotel’s own brand of biodegradable soap and use its specially designed dry composting toilets. Ecolodges such as the Black Sheep Inn are becoming a prominent feature in the Latin American tourist market. With growth in the so-called “four Ss” (sun, sea, sex and sand) market beginning to flatten out, ecotourism is booming. Over the past decade, it has grown at a year-on-year rate of between 4% and 10% and now makes up an estimated 7% of the international tourism market. Latin American destinations such as Costa Rica and Belize are reaping the benefits of this exponential growth. More