“There’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.”

Sarah Kay

Beaufort County Ecotourism Association

The Beaufort County Ecotourism Association formed in early 2020 to bring together professional, qualified and dependable businesses that specialize in ecotourism.

The Beaufort County Ecotourism Association creates a strong platform for sustainable tourism in Beaufort County. The goals of the formation of the BCEA are to standardize ecotourism offering, establish a core group of certified ecotourism operators, allow visitors to experience real ecotourism with confidence, and allow the county tourism office to market ecotourism as a key attraction of Beaufort County along with its history, culture, and beauty.

Allied closely with The International Ecotourism Society, the BCEA will encourage best practices, conservation, community welfare, and preservation of culture and history. Members will interact with protected areas and make sure that visitors can see and experience the wildlife of Beaufort County in a respectful and protective way.

Our short-term goal is to create an organization that supports sustainable and ecologically appropriate tourism in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Located in the southeastern corner of South Carolina, Beaufort County is midway between historic Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA – and Beaufort, chartered in 1711, is the state’s second-oldest city.

Due in part to its geographic location and mix of more than 60 distinct islands, and in part to strong efforts to block “smokestack” industry since the 1960s, Beaufort County enjoys pristine outdoors. Shellfish beds are open for harvest, and catching fish, crabs and shrimp are both popular pastimes and viable commercial enterprises.

The Beaufort County Ecotourism Association invites you to visit this Lowcountry paradise. Our members offer the best services and ALL members have successfully completed ecotourism training by The International Ecotourism Society.