The concern about hands-on rural tourism is whether it can be accomplished in a responsible manner. In Ecuador, the answer is it can be and is being done responsibly. One particular tourism organization, Maquita Cushunchic, with support from the foundation of the same name, offers the following hands-on opportunities: visiting and working directly with indigenous communities, visiting sites of environmental interest in those communities, observing social projects in progress, etc.

So, are rural and responsible tourism part of the same concept in Ecuador? Yes and no.

They are part of the same concept in the sense that they share many of the same economic, social, and environmental components and that the tourist is attracted to both types of tourism for many of the same reasons. But they differ in the sense that the tourist often comes out of one experience with a different sense of involvement and contribution to its cause as compared to the other.

Ecuador is probably one of the countries in South America that has best developed its sustainable tourism, with an interesting combination of efforts from private tourism companies and indigenous organizations, and with key support from various types of non-profits. All work together for a common goal: to develop a new type of alternative tourism that meets the needs and desires of the new twenty-first century tourist. It's safe to say that although rural tourism and responsible tourism aren't always equal, they both fit into the category of "alternative tourism.