Tips - ecotourism. "Green" tourism - what is it
Sergey and Svetlana Podmogilny
A few years ago, a new term appeared in Ukrainian tourism: “rural green tourism". Development of this interesting direction is progressing every year. It would seem marvelous to rest in the countryside, which already has more than enough trouble, but everything has its own explanation ...
The tradition of rural green tourism (hereinafter referred to as NWT) began to develop in Europe about half a century ago. For Ukraine, the aforementioned term is new, but it would be useful to recall that the tradition of this type of recreation in Ukraine is older than it seems. After all, the hospitality of rural residents has long been known. For example, as early as the beginning of the 20th century, well-known figures of culture, science, and politics came to the Carpathians for treatment or rest in the mountains with their owners: I. Franko, L. Ukrainka, M. Grushevsky, V. Hnatyuk, and others.
Now the development of green tourism in Ukraine is engaged in "Splika to promote the development of rural green tourism in Ukraine". This organization concentrates data on green tourism in different regions of the country. She is engaged in its advertising and promotion, holding conferences, thematic exhibitions. One of the important activities of Spilka is trainings and seminars for those who are engaged in green tourism, that is, for the owners. The quality of the reception of tourist guests, which is growing from year to year, depends on the latter.
What is attractive rural green tourism?
In general, the concept of "green tourism" in a nutshell is a vacation in private farms in the countryside, which is interesting for tourist sites.
The main thing that attracts in green tourism is a complex of factors that favorably affect a person: health, aesthetic, cognitive.
Rest in the countryside is not a resort where there are many tourists. Here is a calming and relaxing environment, which is especially necessary for city dwellers! Many people prefer to meet the New Year or Christmas holidays, relax with friends in such conditions. It is very convenient for families and small groups.
In most cases, a calm atmosphere is supported by a positive emotional impact on the tourist of the surrounding area, whether it be mountains or forests, rivers, lakes or the sea, etc. By the way, very often the landscapes and ecology of the chosen area are the basis for choosing a vacation spot in a rural area.
The hosts, for the convenience of tourists, often, in addition to the provided living conditions of different categories (see below) and homemade, delicious and natural food services, offer a whole range of additional services: for example, picking berries and mushrooms, excursions or hiking in the mountains, and much more that enriches the holiday. Isn't it important individual approach hosts to each "their" tourist and, especially, to children, who will be able to try homemade milk, bee honey, and an apple straight from the tree.
Well, how not to remember the prices! This type of recreation is very attractive at prices, because it offers a flexible system.
What does Ukraine offer?
Here is information on the regions that provide NWT services in Ukraine with a brief description:
Western region. Occupies a predominant place in terms of supply and demand.
Hint three: come to tourism exhibitions where you will definitely find "fresh" offers. For your information, in May of this year in Kyiv on the territory State Museum architecture and life of Ukraine, the third all-Ukrainian exhibition-fair “Ukrainian Village Request” was successfully held, where proposals were presented different regions Ukraine.
Hint four: you will find holiday offers in the centers tourist information which appeared recently in some regional centers.
If this bothers you, call us - we will definitely help.
Come be sure, the owners are waiting for you!
The fashion for a healthy lifestyle and environmentally friendly products, although perhaps not fashion, but a tribute to the times, has spread to all spheres of life of citizens. And in addition to clean products and sports, a number of new ones not previously known in the open spaces have arisen. former USSR needs. As you know, the main law of economics is demand creates supply, and with this in mind, dictated by new trends in needs, we are talking about the so-called green tourism.
What is green tourism in the classical definition is ecotourism, that is, outdoor recreation or rather in the bosom of nature. At the same time, there are many varieties and types of this very green tourism, ranging from traditional holidays in village houses to extreme recreation with mountain bikes, all this is green tourism. Actually, such a variety of types and opportunities in green tourism ultimately determines its attractiveness for creating a new business. In fact, you can always find your own zest, which will clearly highlight your business in the village against the background of other holiday destinations. For example, if we compare green tourism with the classic seaside vacation for our country, then it is green tourism, in contrast to sea recreation much more mobile in terms of opportunities to attract tourists.
The second huge advantage of green tourism is its relative unpretentiousness in organization and start-up capital. When compared with the same sea vacation, then for the organization own business from scratch on the seashore you need land, a house and the presence of a beach (do not forget about the cleanliness of the sea and the availability of infrastructure) - but plots with such characteristics cost starting from 100 thousand dollars and more. It does not play a special role where the land is located in a small village or on a deserted coast, the land in these regions is a very expensive commodity. Agree that to start your own business from scratch in tourism, the presence of such capital no longer implies a small business as such. Unlike marine recreation, green tourism is quite realistic to start from the most primitive conditions, and for this you will need not hundreds of thousands of dollars, but literally hundreds of dollars.
Where does green tourism begin - it starts with a small house in the village, while depending on the tour itself, it is quite possible from scratch in the most unpretentious and old house, the main thing when organizing such green tourism is to correctly and truthfully paint all the conditions. It's no secret that in search of relaxation, people put forward the most incredible demands and it is quite possible to create a tour in which tourists are provided with minimal living conditions, for example, a bed, a bed, a toilet on the street - but clean, the opportunity to go fishing and fry barbecue in nature, as well as drink steam warm milk, and eat shish kebab from pork, which a couple of minutes ago (figuratively) ran down the street. As you can see, to create such minimum conditions, large financial investments are not needed, and the cost of a house in a small abandoned village is unlikely to exceed $100. The main condition for such tours is cleanliness and minimal comfort, and it is quite possible to arrange it on your own.
And so the minimum set necessary for starting from scratch in the villages, in the form of a small tour for green tourism:
- Village house with several room
- The presence of a small farm (cow, pigs, chickens)
- Desire to earn
- A little hospitality
Of course, before creating such a business in the villages, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons, because whatever you say, you will have to live there and you will also be engaged in agriculture. The second aspect is a careful miscalculation, because in order not to work at a loss, it is necessary to accurately calculate the cost of such a tour, taking into account all overhead costs. And the last thing is to think over an advertising campaign, as well as conclude agreements with travel agencies that will be happy to supply customers for you.
It is worth noting that conversations are spoken quickly and things are not done quickly, in fact, business in the village treats ideas with a long implementation period, finding a house and putting it in order takes time and effort. But in the end, this will quite realistically create a stable and very good source income for you.
The article describes the minimum set for creating a business on green tourism, in practice, in addition to such a minimal form, I came across and actually worked on creating it with slightly different “highlights”. These projects will be written about in the near future, so do not forget to subscribe to RSS by entering your email at the bottom of the article and clicking subscribe, then activate the newsletter by clicking on the link in the letter that came to your email address. And a big request to support the article by adding a link to it in your social media Your support is very important to me.
For the developing travel company, it is very important to initially concentrate your efforts on the direction that will provide maximum benefits. In fact, the question is what types of recreation the company will represent.
The most promising type of tourism in a rapidly urbanizing world, experts believe "green" tourism, also known as ecological, nature or rural tourism.
For the first time, ecotourism was developed with the legalization of hunting in African countries in specially designated areas. To date annual growth the global segment of ecotourism is 10-15% per year, in accordance with the UN decision, 2002 was marked as the "International Year of Ecotourism".
Actually green tourism is distinguished by its sparing regime in relation to nature. The most common rural green tourism, which is a vacation in the countryside. Pleasant city man for some time to feel like a simple rural inhabitant, to do crafts, to touch the traditions, and finally, just to feed the goats.
The territory of Russia, and neighboring post-Soviet states, provides ample opportunities for the implementation of projects in the field of ecotourism in general and green tourism in particular. Everyone knows the names listed in the UNESCO list nature reserves- Komi, Baikal, Altai, Kamchatka, Caucasus, Carpathians, Balkhash, Alatau, other calm and wonderful places.
Let's take it "on the fly" any region of Russia, Tomsk region. Forests occupy 63%, about 20% of forest resources Western Siberia, 15 zoological reserves, 145 natural monuments, 18 thousand rivers. Why not an ideal platform? Plus, one of the advantages of green tourism is that work does not stop in winter.
Special standards for green tourism are made up of the following components:
1. Vacationers are settled in family-type hotel premises, hotel buildings are made in the style of surrounding rural buildings and are located close to significant sights;
2. Furnishings in the rooms should support the chosen style;
3. It is preferable to use only natural components in interiors;
4. Consumer electronics and appliances are provided solely at the request of customers;
5. The kitchen should be traditional for the location, environmentally friendly;
6. Necessarily available for the purpose of renting "clean" vehicles: bicycles, rowing boats, horses, ponies, etc.
The holiday program usually includes: communication and care for pets; hikes and picnics in nature; picking berries, mushrooms, herbs; fishing; visiting natural attractions. Individual wishes are taken into account separately.
There are special personnel requirements. The employees are required, in addition to the required skills, to have an excellent knowledge of the surrounding area, local residents, traditions, folklore, and nearby attractions.
The restriction on the development of the sphere of green tourism is imposed by the infrastructure, which has not scared domestic businessmen for a long time. Ecotourism, in itself, is able to stimulate the development of depressed rural regions, makes it possible local residents to find a job, at the same time not allowing the destruction of nature, returns strength and peace of mind to people tired of the city.
Rural green tourism - this is spending free time in a rural environment, which is characterized by appropriate buildings, rural life, picturesque landscape, etc. It is green because tourist activities in the form of hiking and horseback riding, sports and health trips (even hunting and fishing) take place in the countryside among living green nature. The term "green tourism" was explained by some experts as a phenomenon of political origin associated with the activities of "green" parties, politicians and social movements, and the Spaniard Montaner X. Montejano interprets green tourism as "an activity that takes place in contact with nature, life in camps or settlements. This is an activity associated with agricultural work, acquaintance with the life of small settlements, walking tours, the study of flora and fauna, river sports, etc." 36 .
Rural green tourism is often identified with agritourism. According to N. Rutinsky and Yu. Zinko, it is impossible to put an equal sign between these concepts, because the concept of "rural green tourism" is much broader in content compared to the concept of "agritourism" 36 . Agritourism is a form of rural tourism, since it has a close relationship with rural farming, where recreation is associated with the active involvement of its participants in traditional forms of farming in the countryside (picking grapes, hay, caring for livestock, etc.).
Popular scientific literature often uses the concept of "ecological tourism". Even textbooks have been published that reveal its essence, they note that ecological tourism is an important phenomenon in world tourism AND HOSPITALITY 87 . According to WTO experts, in the 21st century. its pace will grow significantly, and the income from it will contribute to the development of the economies of many countries, in particular developing ones. It is no coincidence that the UN declared 2002 the year ecological tourism. The essence of eco-tourism is the organization
tourism on landscapes little changed by man without causing harm environment. These include the territories of national and landscape parks, where nature tours are carried out without harming the environment. Since ecotourism and rural green tourism are aimed at preserving ecosystems, there are parallels between ecotourism and rural tourism. IN Lately even a new concept appeared - ecoagrotourism. It combines the use of farmsteads as the main tourist accommodation, take part in rural green tourism, with the use of eco-tourism programs. According to researchers, rural green tourism differs from ecotourism in its main purpose - the appropriate use of free time: rural tourism is a type of spending free time in the form of a stationary holiday in the countryside with small radial routes, and ecotourism is spending free time on the route, during which people get acquainted with natural or historical-cultural monuments of the territory 38 .
Rural green tourism has a long tradition. Even in the period of the Roman Empire, there was a tradition of leaving Rome for a vacation in the countryside. On present stage this phenomenon especially spread in the second half of the 20th century, when the population major cities post-industrial states could no longer do without clean air, attractive sparsely populated, ecologically clean rural areas. Demand rural holiday, or as it is also called in some countries of Central and Eastern Europe - "rest under a pear tree" - is also due to an increase in the cost of paid holidays, an increase in the education of citizens and the development transport infrastructure, primarily networks of high-speed autobahns, railways, modern air transport. At the end of XX - beginning of XXI centuries. overcome a serious obstacle that hindered the development of tourism in rural areas, in particular in the Central-Eastern European countries, - unsettled accommodation facilities for tourists. This was achieved in last years development of small business and the creation of a network of agro-farms, agro-hotels for the reception of vacationers.
"Agroestate," according to the definition of N. Rutinsky and Y. Zinko, "is a dwelling located in the countryside, contains no more than five rooms adapted for tourists, and belongs on the basis of private ownership to the owner who is engaged in agricultural activities or is engaged in services or the social sphere of the village" 39 . Agrohotel - living quarters hotel type designed to provide tourist and recreational services in rural areas.
Agriturismo owns a rural tourism product in the form of total services to the client: a tourist attraction - natural environment with a favorable climate unique landscapes; historical and cultural objects, traditions and customs of the area; infrastructure as a reliable base for tourist accommodation - a gastronomic component, vehicles. Equally important is the public image of the area, as well as favorable prices.
According to WTO experts, rural green tourism is the most dynamic sector of the world tourism industry. The volume of provision of agritourism services in post-industrial countries is 2-4 times higher than the volume of growth in the hotel base and resort services in these countries.
Rural tourism services are mainly used by young people under 35 living in major cities. their share is more than 4/6 of the total number of agro-tourists. In the world, rural tourism has reached the greatest development in North American countries and Europe. So, European Union considers rural green tourism as a determining factor in the development of rural areas and a way of "binding" labor resources to living and working in rural areas. According to the European Federation of Farming and Rural Tourism (Euro Gites) The European market has about 2 million beds. In Ukraine, it is 150 thousand potential participants in green tourism. 37 estates in seven regions of the country are officially invited to rest in the countryside. The Union for the Promotion of Rural Tourism believes that this indicator is quite successful for Ukraine.
For example, in Switzerland (developed tourist country) operates about 80 green estates.
important question further development rural green tourism experts consider the categorization of green estates. The client must clearly know what services he will be offered in a particular estate. So far, rural estates belong to the first category, that is, the lowest level of categorization. In Poland, the authorities have developed standards for rural tourism, and the owners have carried out a voluntary categorization of estates 40 . All this makes it possible to evaluate the quality of services of green estates.
The socio-economic significance of the development of rural green tourism for the state lies in the fact that it:
Stimulates the development of peasant farms that are engaged in green tourism;
Contributes to the development of local infrastructure;
Promotes the sale of surplus agricultural products, increasing the additional income of peasants and contributions to local budgets;
Activates the local labor market, increases employment, retains young people in the countryside, reducing the need for foreign work;
Contributes to the protection of tourism resources, primarily to the preservation of the ethno-cultural identity of Ukrainians;
Creates opportunities for meaningful recreation for the poor;
Contributes to raising the cultural level of the villagers and raising environmental awareness.
We emphasize that in the context of the global economic crisis rural green tourism can get a new impetus for further development, because many citizens of our country will choose to active rest Ukrainian Carpathians, Podolsk or Naddnipriansk regions, and not too expensive foreign objects on advertised international routes.
