Ecology tour bus tours. Ecological tourism and tours in Russia. Ecotourism in Europe
As noted by a large number of researchers, the concept of "ecotourism" for a long time had rather blurred boundaries. The reason for this is the initial use of the word by marketers to attract tourists focused on nature, its protection and outdoor activities ( outdoor). In fact, such tour operators had little concern for environmental protection. Therefore, the ideas of ecotourism have for a long time caused and continue to cause skepticism among tourism theorists. For example, B. Viller, having been on an “ecotour” in Cuba, noticed that for an hour, while the tourists were having lunch in a restaurant, the driver of their bus did not turn off the engine so that the air conditioner would work in the cabin. The locals who were sitting nearby were hardly delighted with such concern for the comfort of tourists 1 .
According to P. Shackleford, WTO Representative in Europe, the term "ecotourism" has been used in the tourism industry for more than 10 years. There are also claims that the term was first used by Miller in 1978 as a designation of one of the options for the sustainable development of tourism.
However, in some cases, this refers to travel undertaken in untouched by civilization corners of nature: ecotourism - "travel to relatively undistorted or unpolluted areas with unique natural objects to admire and enjoy the landscape, wild plants and wild animals, as well as any cultural manifestations in these areas." In other cases, these are efforts to maintain the ecological balance in nature; ecotourism - "nature tourism, which includes the study of the natural and cultural environment and serves to improve the situation in this environment."
There are also geographical differences in the definitions, which are associated with differences in views on ecotourism. Experts from developed countries - suppliers of ecotourists see ecotourism through the eyes of consumers (guests), or rather, in accordance with their desires and recreational needs. Tour operators and researchers of the host country (hosts) are concerned about the profit and contribution of tourism to the socio-economic development of a given country.
In Russia, the term "ecological tourism" appeared in the mid-80s in the Bureau of International Youth Tourism (BMMT) "Sputnik" of the Irkutsk Regional Committee of the Komsomol, when its specialists developed and implemented such routes as "Ecotour along the Circum-Baikal Railway", "Ecotour along the Goloustnaya River Valley", etc. To the VLKSM. Then the phrase "ecological tourism" meant routes equipped in such a way that the presence of tourists had a minimal impact on the natural environment, and they themselves not only had a rest, but also got acquainted with the environmental problems of Lake Baikal, moreover, if possible, participated in their solution. The concept of "ecotourism" in those days was perceived more as a moral category than an economic one, since in organizing its routes BMMT "Sputnik" closely interacted with the emerging Baikal environmental movement, the militant student squad named after. Uldis Knakis of the Faculty of Game Science of the Irkutsk Agricultural Institute.
The very concept of "ecotourism" is an abbreviated version of the phrase "ecological tourism", the use of which is not entirely correct from the point of view of ecology as a science.
One of the earliest and most successful domestic interpretations of ecotourism, proposed by G.S. Guzhin, M.Yu. Belikov and E.V. Klimenok in 1997, is as follows: “Ecotourism is based on concern for the environment. At the forefront is the organization of trips with a limited number of participants to natural areas with possible visits to places of cultural interest in order to implement various projects for the protection and rational use of natural resources” 1 .
This definition has much in common with the definition of the International Ecotourism Organization (TIES): ecotourism is “responsible travel to natural areas, areas that conserves the environment and supports the well-being of local residents”.
For a deeper understanding of this type of travel, here are the 10 ecotourist commandments formulated by TIES:
remember the Earth's vulnerability;
leave only traces, take away only photographs;
to know the world in which he got: the culture of peoples, geography;
respect local residents;
do not buy products from manufacturers that endanger the environment;
always follow only the beaten paths;
support programs to protect the environment;
where possible, use conservation practices;
to support (patronize) organizations promoting the protection of nature;
10) travel with companies that support the principles of ecotourism.
Natasha K. Ward subdivides existing definitions of ecotourism into passive and active. Among the first, she refers to the definition of M. Maya: “Ecotourism coordinates, helps and stimulates the use of cultural and natural tourism resources, recognizing the importance of preserving the local cultural heritage and natural resources of the region (region) for the local population and future tourists.” An example of "active definition" is the opinion of the International Survival Society: "Ecotourism encourages the primacy of the interests of local residents in the tourist development of the territory, protects local flora and fauna and provides local residents with economic incentives to preserve the environment."
There is a whole range of signs of ecotourism:
– any journey during which the traveler studies the environment;
– a journey in which nature is the main value;
– revenues from ecotourism are used to financially support environmental protection;
– ecotourists are personally involved in activities that conserve or restore wildlife resources;
– ecotour is a journey in which all activities are “environmentally friendly”.
The situation is aggravated by the use of other terms that seem to be similar in meaning to ecotourism: “nature tourism”, “soft tourism”, “green tourism”, “responsible tourism”, agritourism, etc. In this regard, President of the Ecotourism Society D. Western said: “There will never be a hard distinction between tourism and ecotourism. Ecotourism must define itself as an avant-garde camp, an industry that brings the best to the tourism market and is a role model around the world” 1 .
The attitude towards eco- and agro-tourism is characterized, in particular, by the following provisions:
(a) Nature tourism and ecotourism are particularly enriching and valuable forms of tourism in that they show respect for natural heritage and local communities and respect the potential for hosting tourist sites.
b) [In the development of the tourism industry] special attention should be paid to ... vulnerable rural and mountainous areas, for which tourism is often one of the rare development opportunities in the face of the decline of traditional economic activities.
C) Tourism policy should be carried out in such a way that it contributes to raising the living standards of the population of the areas visited and meets their needs; in urban and architectural planning and operation of tourist centers and accommodation facilities, it is necessary to provide for their maximum integration into the local socio-economic environment; under equal conditions, the possibility of hiring local labor should be sought in the first place.
Agrotourism is a sector of the tourism industry focused on the use of natural, cultural, historical and other resources of the countryside and its specifics to create a comprehensive tourism product.
A prerequisite is that tourist accommodation facilities (as a rule, individual, specialized) are located in rural areas (or small towns without industrial and high-rise buildings).
The Spanish expert Montaner X. Montejano interprets green tourism as “an activity that takes place in contact with nature, life in camps or villages. This activity is associated with agricultural work, acquaintance with the life of small villages, walking tours, the study of flora and fauna, river sports and more” 1 . For example, in Italy there are three areas of agritourism: "nature and health", "traditional gastronomy" and "sport". Ecotourism is most associated with the first direction, related to rural settlements on the territory of resort areas, nature reserves and national parks.
The Canadian Environmental Advisory Council has proposed its own definition of ecotourism. It quite specifically summarizes modern views and approaches to the phenomenon, and is also widely used by ecotourism organizations. "Ecotourism is a type of tourism associated with the knowledge of nature and contributing to the conservation of ecosystems while respecting the interests of the local population."
The main goal of an ecotourist is not natural history education, but the consumption of environmental resources, incl. and information. Ecological resources are the properties of the natural balance of the components of the natural environment (animals, vegetation, soil, climate, relief, etc.), which was formed without the active influence of human activity. The main value of ecological resources is naturalness. It is she who attracts tourists from cities where people constantly feel the negative impact of polluted air and water, noise and social conflicts. By consuming ecological resources, vacationers receive a healing and educational effect.
Thus, in order for eco-tourism to really have a positive impact on the economy and social sphere of the country, as well as to be a real priority for tourism, its concept should include three main aspects: 1) the orientation of tourists towards the consumption of environmental resources, 2) the preservation of the natural environment, 3) the maintenance of the traditional way of life of the population of peripheral regions.
Summarizing all the options considered, we can distinguish three main components of ecotourism:
"knowledge of nature", i.e. travel involves the presence of elements of studying nature, obtaining new knowledge and skills by tourists;
"preservation of ecosystems" implies not only the appropriate behavior of the group on the route, but also the participation of tourists, tour operators in programs and activities to protect the environment;
3) "respect for the interests of local residents" - not only compliance with local laws and customs, but also the contribution of tourism to the socio-economic development of tourist destinations. As they say, the art of being a traveler is the art of being a good guest.
In the absence of at least one of these components, there is nothing to talk about ecotourism.
The term "ecotourism" was proposed by marketers, not scientists, tourism analysts, i.e. ecotourism emerged as a result of the needs of the tourists themselves, manifested in the demand for ecotourism. If previously tourism organizations (travel agencies, tourism administrations) that form a tourist offer were engaged in sustainable development, then ecotourism arose as a result of the emergence of new group and public needs in the study and protection of nature, cultural heritage, i.e. as a result of demand. Thus, ecotourism is a new, economically more effective form of encouraging tour operators to take real action.
Therefore, the definition of ecotourism should be as follows: "Ecotourism is a type of tourism based on tourist demand, associated with the tourist needs to know nature and contribute to the conservation of ecosystems while respecting the interests of the local population."
Based on this definition of "ecotourism", it is easy to explain the geography and direction of ecotourism flows. After all, their orientation from industrial, developed countries (USA, Germany, Japan, Great Britain) to developing ones (Nepal, India, Pakistan) is now justified. Developing this idea, the birthplace of ecotourism should be considered not tourist destinations, areas, but the place of appearance, the formation of the first group of ecotourists.
From here it is also clear why ecotourism is poorly developed in the Russian Federation as a type of domestic tourism - we have not yet formed a demand for a published type of tourism, there are very few ecotourists. Not many domestic tourists are willing to spend money, time and effort on protecting the environment. The consequence of this is the weak development of the tourist offer, as a result of which the few types of domestic ecotourism are often referred to as social tourism, i.e., supported from public funds.
The world has practical experience in the implementation of several models classified as agro-tourism (eco-agro-tourism). They can be grouped as follows 1:
a) Development of agritourism business on the basis of a small family hotel business. This model is successfully implemented within the framework of several concepts that involve the official implementation of the state policy of transferring the rural population from the agricultural production sector to the service sector - that is, subject to the adoption at the national level of a comprehensive socio-economic strategy aimed at supporting rural regions. One of the components of this strategy includes support for the development of a network of accommodation facilities (private micro-hotels) based on the existing housing stock in rural areas and agricultural (farms, apiaries, fish farms, etc.) and specialized facilities (sports centers, boat stations, stables, etc.).
b) Construction of large and medium-sized private agro-tourism facilities in rural areas: specialized private hotels in the form of stylized “agro-tourist villages”, cultural and ethnographic centers, etc. (Typical for countries with a low level of comfort in the housing stock in rural areas, but with good tourism potential). This model for successful implementation requires, first of all, investment resources - both local and external, as well as support for relevant projects at the regional and local levels.
c) Establishment of public (or, more rarely, private) agricultural parks. In addition to the development of the tourism industry as such, the concept based on such a model puts at the forefront the popularization and promotion of the achievements of agriculture in a particular country, the preservation of practical skills and the demonstration of national (traditional) agricultural production techniques. In world practice, the program for the implementation of such a model is usually supervised by the department responsible for the development of agriculture (and not the tourism industry as such). Being multifunctional centers, state agricultural parks can simultaneously carry out research and selection work, while remaining entertainment tourist sites and permanent exhibition and exposition centers.
The concepts of agritourism that are actually implemented in world practice usually, in addition to the economic (commercial) aspect, also carry a certain ideological load. As a rule, the development of agro-tourism is associated with the solution of socio-cultural problems (preservation of national and ethno-cultural heritage, preservation of the natural and historical-cultural habitat, architectural and historical space, revival and promotion of traditional values and lifestyle, etc.). In the practical solution of the latter, the leading role belongs to local communities.
Recently, when developing national concepts for the development of tourism in a number of European countries, the high role of territorial self-government, local communities in the development of various areas of eco- and agro-tourism has been specially noted.
2. CLASSIFICATION OF ECOLOGICAL TOURS AND ROUTES
Currently, there are four types of ecotourism and ecotours.
Scientific tourism. During scientific ecotours, tourists participate in various kinds of nature studies, conduct field observations. For example, eco-tours related to observing the behavior of birds in Latin America and counting the number of whale populations in the Pacific Ocean are widely known. As a rule, specially protected natural areas (SPNA) act as tourist destinations in such tours: nature reserves, sanctuaries, national parks, natural monuments. Scientific tourism also includes foreign research expeditions, as well as field practices of students studying at the natural science faculties of universities and institutes.
Nature history tours. These are trips related to the knowledge of the surrounding nature and local culture. As a rule, such tours are a combination of educational, popular science and thematic excursions that run along specially equipped ecological trails. Most often they are also organized on the territories of nature reserves and national parks. This also includes hikes for schoolchildren, during which the teacher, the guide conducts excursions and talks about nature. This type of ecotourism is especially popular in Germany, which is why it is also called the “German ecotourism development model”.
Adventure tourism. This type combines all trips associated with active ways of transportation and outdoor recreation, with the goal of obtaining new sensations, impressions, improving the tourist's physical fitness and achieving sports results. This includes such types of tourism as mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing, caving, mountain and hiking tourism, water, ski and ski tourism, canyoning, horseback riding, mountain biking, diving, paragliding, etc. Many of these types of tourism have appeared recently and are considered extreme, as they are associated with great risk. At the same time, it is the fastest growing, profitable, albeit expensive, type of ecotourism. Adventure tourism is often referred to as "heavy ecotourism" due to the fact that tourists' thirst for adventure prevails over nature conservation motives.
Adventure tourism is often identified with sports tourism (mountaineering, caving, paragliding, etc.) and active tourism, when tourists move using the so-called active methods (on foot, by bicycle, boat, raft, etc.). In fact, this is not entirely true.
Sports tourism as travel for the purpose of playing sports or attending competitions also includes types of tourism that are not related to adventure, risk. For example, football teams going to a training camp, or fans following their team to an away match.
4. Travel to nature reserves, protected areas. The high attractiveness of unique and exotic natural objects and phenomena located in protected areas attract many tourists. For example, 48% of tourists arriving in Latin America have the purpose of traveling to nature reserves. The management of many national parks and reserves turn ecological excursions into a real show. An example is the Yellowstone National Park in the United States, where the duration of excursions is calculated in minutes and is associated with periods of activity of geysers. Very often, the display of natural objects, especially in caves, is accompanied by color illumination, music, theatrical performances showing scenes from the life of the natives. This type of ecotourism is most developed in Australia, therefore it is identified with the "Australian model of ecotourism development".
Ecological tours can be classified according to many criteria - according to the method of transportation, according to the composition of participants, according to duration, in relation to the borders of the country of residence of tourists, etc. (Table 1).
First of all, the whole variety of types of ecotourism is divided into two main classes:
- ecotourism within the boundaries of specially protected natural areas (water areas) and in the conditions of "wild", undisturbed or little changed nature. The development and implementation of such tours is a classic direction in ecotourism; the corresponding tours are ecotours in the narrow sense of the term, they will be referred to as the "Australian" or "North American" model of ecotourism;
Table 1 - Classification of ecotours
|
Type of ecotourism |
Ecotours |
|
|
Classes |
1 Ecotours in the "wild" nature, within the boundaries of protected areas |
|
|
1 Ecotours outside protected areas |
Ecotours in the cultural landscape |
|
|
Kinds |
1 By main goal |
|
|
2 By main object |
||
|
Forms |
1 By age of participants (children and adults) |
|
|
2 For their health reasons (with restrictions) |
||
|
3 By group size (small and large) |
||
- ecotourism outside the boundaries of specially protected natural areas and water areas, in the space of a cultivated or cultural landscape (most often rural).
This class of tours includes a very wide range of environmentally oriented tourism, from agritourism to a cruise on a comfortable liner; this type of ecotours is referred to as the "German" or "Western European" model.
However, two species features are considered the most significant - the goal and object of the ecotour. According to the main purpose of the tour, the following types of ecotours can be distinguished:
- observation and study of "wild" or "cultivated" nature (with elements of environmental education and upbringing);
– rest surrounded by nature with emotional, aesthetic goals;
– treatment with natural factors;
– tours with sports and adventure purposes.
According to the main object, which largely determines the content of the tour program and partly the form of its organization, the types of ecotours are distinguished:
– botanical, zoological, geological and similar tours;
– ecological and ethnographic or archaeological, ecological and cultural tours;
– agricultural tours;
– speleological, water, mountain tours, etc.
Of course, the goals of the tour and its objects are related; both main species features cannot be considered as absolutely independent bases for classification (in a real tour program, its goals and objects are often combined and combined). Nevertheless, each organizer and participant of the tour can determine its main features and attribute each specific tour to one or another type.
The German market is clearly dominated by nature and eco-tours within Europe; trips to the Americas (North and South) are only in second place. Moreover, the most popular tourist destinations in Europe are France, Greece and Poland, followed by Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Ireland and Italy. An important classification feature for distinguishing forms of ecotourism is the age and health of the participants (in many countries with developed traditions of ecotourism, there are, for example, special tours for the disabled), as well as the number of groups. It is quite clear that the content of tour programs and their organizational features will be fundamentally different for children's trips and for expeditions designed for adults, as well as for small compact and large groups of participants.
This laconic classification is quite convenient for identifying the main content and organizational features of ecotours, which are especially important to take into account when planning and conducting them.
Thus, first-class ecotours require the indispensable participation of professional guides responsible for observing the strict rules of conduct for tourists prescribed by the regime of protected areas. In many cases, the participants of second-class ecotours are given opportunities for fairly free behavior - of course, subject to certain restrictions. In addition, the organization of first-class ecotours does not involve providing tourists with a highly developed accommodation and service infrastructure, while second-class ecotours are usually organized with a higher level of comfort.
In the same way, types of eco-tours with clearly defined main goals and objects of visit in advance require more special planning and provision than, for example, an agro-tour under the motto "rest in a peasant's house."
We invite you on a trip to the Zoo Nursery!
The Rare Animal Species Reproduction Center, or Zoo Nursery, was established in 1994 near Volokolamsk, less than 100 km from the capital. The picturesque territory of 200 hectares contains many rare and valuable species of animals, many of which are listed in the Red Book of Russia, as well as the International Red Book.
The mission of the Center is to form stable breeding pairs and groups of animals, develop new methods of keeping and breeding different species. It can be said that the Center is a kind of genetic ark in which reserve populations of rare and endangered animal species are created.
The center is located in a quiet place with a unique natural landscape, which allows creating the most comfortable conditions for keeping animals, providing them with the opportunity to lead an active life and feel safe.
To date, our specialists have managed to create favorable conditions for the reproduction of many rare species, such as the Amur tiger, Far Eastern leopard, manul, red wolf, harza, Japanese crane and Siberian Crane, bustard, Steller's sea eagle, golden eagle, vicuña, Sichuan takin and many others. Many of the cubs born at the Center subsequently go to the world's leading zoos.
For a long time, the Center was closed to the public, as its employees sought to protect their pets from any disturbance. Only in 2017, he slightly opened the doors for the first tourists. As part of the exclusive Ecocultural Tourism program created by the Moscow Zoo, everyone has the opportunity to visit the Center and observe the life of its inhabitants. Ecotours have become a significant part of the large-scale educational work that the Moscow Zoo has been conducting for many years. Thanks to them, we have a chance to acquaint people with the unique representatives of the Earth's fauna, the peculiarities of their life and behavior. In addition, in the summer of 2018, we launched a program to visit the Center for small excursion groups.
A multifunctional enclosure for polar bears will soon appear on the territory of the Center. It will contain rescued orphaned bear cubs, elderly animals, individuals that have left the breeding program, and will also undergo rehabilitation of polar bears injured in private zoos or at the hands of poachers. Now two very young she-bears live in the Center - Nika from Chukotka and Umka-Ayana from Kolyma, rescued by specialists of the Moscow Zoo last year. When a bear cub is left an orphan in the wild, in most cases it is doomed to death. Up to three years, a mother bear teaches her cub to hunt, survive in the difficult conditions of the Far North, and make sure that he is safe. If the female becomes a victim of poachers or dies for some other reason, the orphaned bear cub needs to be helped. That is how Nika and Umka-Ayana ended up at the Rare Species Reproduction Center. Now young bears are growing up, gaining strength and getting to know the world around them. In the future, they will take part in a program to preserve the population of polar bears in captivity.
Ecotourism is considered a trip to places with almost untouched nature, the purpose of which is to get an idea of the cultural, ethnographic and natural features of the area without violating the integrity of ecosystems. A distinctive feature of ecological tourism is that a person is immersed in the beauty of nature and the originality of the region where the ecological journey takes place.
Currently, eco-tourism in the world is becoming more and more popular every year. It creates economically beneficial conditions for the local population, so nature protection comes to the fore.
History of ecotourism
The term "ecological tourism" officially appeared in the 80s of the XX century. The small country of Costa Rica did not have a favorable geostrategic position, unique crops, valuable minerals, or even an army. The country had only a magnificent tropical forest, which also had neighboring countries. However, they all cut their wood and sold it. Then the inhabitants of Costa Rica decided - we will not do this. Let people come and look at our beautiful forest, admire the plants and animals. They will come again and leave their money in our country.
This is how the development of ecological tourism began, and a very small country of Costa Rica in a few decades was able to make the beauty of nature the main source of income and dramatically raise the standard of living of its citizens, while not depleting natural resources and not destroying the environment.
Types of ecological tourism
This type of tourism can be divided into several subspecies:
- Nature history tours. They include a set of scientific, cultural, educational and tourist excursions. Such tours run along special ecological routes.
- Scientific tourism. Usually, in this case, protected national parks, reserves, wildlife sanctuaries act as tourist sites. During scientific tours, tourists conduct field observations and participate in research expeditions.
- Adventure tourism. May include tours to remote areas, short-term bicycle tours, hiking in difficult terrain, physical activity travel, travel in cars converted for housing. This type of ecotourism is associated with extreme outdoor recreation, which also includes mountaineering, rock climbing, mountain and hiking, ice climbing, diving, caving, water, horseback riding, skiing, ski tourism, paragliding.
- Travel to nature reserves. Unique and exotic natural objects and phenomena located in the reserves attract many tourists. Such ecological tourism is very developed in Karelia. And no wonder, because in Karelia there is a natural park, 2 reserves and 3 national parks, where you can fully feel the greatness of wildlife. Also earlier, the reserves were mainly visited by scientific groups.
Ecotourism in Europe
Ecotourism in Europe is especially interesting because here, at relatively short distances from each other, there are many small countries where people with completely different languages and traditions live. Europe does not have to overcome great 
distances in order to get to know another culture.
In Europe, there are a lot of options for ecotourism: green eco-Sweden, "biking" Germany, mountainous Austria, colorful rural Italy, romantic Slovenia, space Iceland or little-studied Slovakia.
I must say that the biggest fans of ecotourism live in Europe. They are Germans, British, Swiss. Of course, protecting their own protected areas is very important for them. In almost all countries of the Old World, this is an important part of state policy.
