Ecotourism in Jordan has grown tremendously due to environmental pressures and the demand for jobs outside of the cities, especially since the establishment of the Dana Biosphere in 1993, the first biosphere reserve. The early history of ecotourism in Jordan is attributed to His Majesty, the late King Hussein who was behind the creation of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, created in 1966, which protects and manages the natural resources of Jordan. It currently oversees ten protected areas. Jordan was one of the countries that responded to the declaration of the International Year of Ecotourism in 2002. Ecotourism practices were considered when planning for tourism destinations in order to improve its contribution to the local and national economic development. The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) published an ecotourism booklet in April 2004 with the cooperation of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and the Jordan Royal Ecological Diving Society. The booklet includes all the ecotourism sites in Jordan with a brief description of each site location, what it is, and what has been done to enhance and develop the site. Six nature reserves including the Ajloun Forest Reserve, Dana Biosphere Reserve, Mujib Nature Reserve, Azraq Wetland Reserve, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, and Wadi Rum in addition to the Dead Sea, Bethany Beyond the Jordan, and the Gulf of Aqaba are distinguished. The booklet also provides some important and useful guidelines for visitors; the guidelines include: Respect the culture and the traditions of the local community Purchase local products Use energy conservation practices Follow directions and rules of the reserves Use water conservation practices Do not use natural water resources as they may not be clean Do not hike alone in the dark The booklet also encourages tourists to become members of the RSCN, providing them with a membership form. A person can become a regular member with several benefits or can “adopt” an animal by paying a fee which provides some benefits such as a “parent” certificate and free entry to the reserve to visit the adopted animal. Jordan uses tourism as a tool for conservation. By promoting tourism throughout the country, business owners and hoteliers contribute to conserving Jordan's landscape. The ecotourism scheme has provided job opportunities and a market for local products, bringing much needed economic stability to some of Jordan's poorest rural communities. In addition to small NGOs and other organizations, The Royal Society