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most commonly used indicators of invasive species, showing that the greater the tourist population becomes

established in Peru, the more it holds invasive properties (Catford et al., 2016).

Because criteria differ so broadly, and because it becomes such a subjective topic it stands to reason

that tourists could be viewed as an invasive species. On a more technical level it is understandable that they

can’t be considered a different species, but it is easy to believe they should be universally regarded as invasive

at the least. Official classification of invasive species many times relies greatly on expert opinion through

organizations (Catford et al., 2016). The convention in 1999 shows that not only popular opinion regards

humans as an invasive species, but many experts and scientists do as well. The impact of humans and of

tourists specifically, has not gone unnoticed and shows how vulnerable the ecosystem of Peru is. Whether

tourists are officially an invasive species or not it is important to acknowledge the damage they are doing that

is similar to invasive species. There is obviously awareness of the issues humans cause to the environment,

but tourists add an additional level of negative effects due to the fact that not only does their behavior impact

the environment, but the native populations view them as positive and consequently change their behavior in

ways that perpetuate and add to the negative behavior. While tourists can also have positive or neutral effects,

many other invasive species have this quality as well. It is when the negative effects are ignored in favor of

positive effects that a species (or tourists) become especially dangerous as an invasive species. Treating them

like an invasive species, regardless of their official status, would be beneficial in that there would be more

incentive to take action against the damage the ecotourism industry creates (Wallace & Bargeron, 2014).

The impact of ecotourism in Peru has been explored previously in this paper, and the negative effects

of tourists on the country’s biodiversity, both direct and indirect, are indisputable. Along with more obvious

effects, tourists also leave native species (including other humans) vulnerable to potentially destructive

progress, contribute to climate change which increases the effects of other invasive species, and are facilitators

in their own right when it comes to introducing invasive species to a new area (Catford et al., 2012). Because

of these issues, and because of Peru’s reliance on tourism, the need to create a sustainable ecotourism industry

has become more of a priority in recent years. Without it, tourism could destroy the very attractions the

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