The emergence of ecotourism. History of the development of ecological tourism. Trends in ecotourism development

CHAPTER L ECOLOGICAL TOURISM: ESSENCE AND 19 THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS

1.1. Concept, types, organizational structure of eco-tourism j ^

1.2. Specially protected natural areas (SPNA) as objects of ecotourism

1.3. History of the development of ecological tourism in protected areas of Russia

CHAPTER IL PROSPECTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT

TOURISM IN UDMURTIA

2.1. State of eco-tour and historical resources of Udmurtia

2.2. Ecological camps as a form of activity of environmental organizations

2.3 Prospects for the development of ecological tourism using the example of the Nechkinsky National Park

Recommended list of dissertations

• Formation of an organizational and economic mechanism for managing the development of ecological tourism: using the example of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic 2012, Candidate of Economic Sciences Baysultanova, Leila Borisovna

• Organizational and economic mechanism for the rational use of the region’s natural resource base: based on materials from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic 2009, Candidate of Economic Sciences Baysultanova, Leila Borisovna

• Development of a mechanism for managing the development of ecotourism in specially protected natural areas 2002, Candidate of Economic Sciences Shmeleva, Tatyana Vladimirovna

• Assessment of the natural resource potential of the Belgorod region for the development of ecological tourism 2010, Candidate of Geographical Sciences Kholodova, Rimma Anatolyevna

• Cultural landscapes of the Russian North and opportunities for the development of eco-cultural tourism: the example of Kenozersky National Park 2008, candidate of cultural studies Arsenyeva, Elena Ivanovna

Introduction of the dissertation (part of the abstract) on the topic “History of the formation and development of ecological tourism in Russia at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries: using the example of the Udmurt Republic”

Similar dissertations in the specialty "Domestic History", 07.00.02 code VAK

• Ecological and tourist zoning of Russia 2006, Candidate of Geographical Sciences Basanets, Larisa Pavlovna

• Management of ecotourism in Russian regions 2010, Candidate of Economic Sciences Gusanov, Alexander Anatolyevich

• The role of ecological tourism in the creation of a tourist and recreational special economic zone 2009, Candidate of Economic Sciences Nikiforova, Lina Yurievna

• Analysis of the state of systems of specially protected natural areas of the regions and development of recommendations for their multi-purpose use: Using the example of eco-tourism in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region 2005, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Odintsova, Natalya Andreevna

• Ecological and geographical basis for the functioning and prospects for the development of specially protected natural areas of Northern Mongolia 2011, Doctor of Geographical Sciences Baastyn Oyuungerel

List of references for dissertation research Candidate of Historical Sciences Pimenova, Ekaterina Leonidovna, 2006

Please note that the scientific texts presented above are posted for informational purposes only and were obtained through original dissertation text recognition (OCR). In this connection, they may contain errors associated with imperfect recognition algorithms. There are no such errors in the PDF files of dissertations and abstracts that we deliver.

The first definition of ecotourism was proposed by the Mexican environmental economist Hector Ceballos-Lascurain in 1980. Ecotourism, as defined by the author, is a combination of travel with an environmentally sensitive attitude towards nature, allowing to combine the joy of meeting and studying specimens of flora and fauna with the opportunity to contribute to their protection.

Since the first definition of ecotourism appeared, many new options have been proposed by various authors and organizations interested in developing this type of activity.

The WTO definition states: “Ecotourism includes all forms of nature-based tourism in which the primary motivation of tourists is to observe and experience nature.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) defines ecotourism as “environmentally responsible travel through relatively undisturbed natural areas to explore natural and cultural attractions, which promotes nature conservation, has a “soft” impact on the environment, and provides active social -economic participation of local residents and their benefits from these activities.”

The World Wildlife Fund offers its own definition: “Ecotourism is nature-based tourism that promotes conservation.”

The ecotourism society views ecotourism as “purposeful travel to natural areas with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of local culture and the natural environment, which does not violate the integrity of ecosystems, making the protection of natural resources beneficial for local residents.”

The emergence and development of ecological tourism is closely connected with the history of identifying natural areas that are especially attractive from aesthetic and recreational points of view, with the development of standards for their use and protection. The first national park was established in North America in 1872 in the Yellowstone area. By the end of the 19th century. In the unique corners of nature of the “Wild West”, a whole series of national parks were created: in 1885 - Banff and Glacier, in 1886 - Yoho, in 1890 - Yosemite, in 1895 - Waterton Lake. The process of creating national parks in the world intensified sharply after the Second World War. Thus, if in 1950 there were about 200 parks in 39 countries, then in 1982 their number exceeded 1 thousand. Developing countries were distinguished by their high rates of organization of national parks. Thus, in Indonesia, in two years (1980-1982), the creation of 16 national parks with a total area of ​​49.3 thousand km was announced.

In 1990, ecotourism was given official status, with which it acquired the right to convene its own annual international symposium “Annual World Congress on Adventure Travel & Ecotourism” and create its own non-profit organizations.

Assessments of the current state and level of development of ecotourism in various publications vary significantly. Most of the differences relate to the definition of ecotourism. Thus, if we take as a basis the idea that ecological tourism unites all forms of recreation based on the use of natural resources, then the estimate of volumes will be much higher than in the case when ecological tourism includes recreational and educational activities in nature, accompanied by technology environmental management.

In countries with particularly outstanding natural beauty, tourism is often the main reason for the creation of national parks. Costa Rica, for example, has declared 30% of its territory a conservation area. Tourism in this country is the leading source of income and reaches $650 million per year. In South Africa, ecotourism ranks second in terms of profitability after diamond mining, and in Alaska it ranks second after oil mining. Kenya's annual income from the use of national parks reaches $450 million; Ecuador, accordingly, receives more than $180 million from ecotourism in the Galapagos Islands. In Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, tourists who come to see mountain gorillas spend about $1 million in entrance fees and $2 to $3 million in other expenses. According to the Italian State Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), by the end of 1998 there were 9,718 rural holiday establishments registered in Italy, an increase of 14.7% compared to 1997. 45% of these farms are located in northeastern Italy, mainly in the province of Bolzano (27.6%). 24% of village tourism facilities are concentrated in the central regions of Italy, most of which are concentrated in Tuscany (15%). Village tourism is least common in the south of Italy and on the islands.

The history of mass nature-oriented tourism in Russia has its own specifics associated with the historical development of the country, the peculiarities of its natural conditions and the historically established relationship between man and nature.

Recreation, until the end of the 19th century, was the lot of the Russian nobility, who vacationed mainly in Europe. The Russian tourist market until the First World War and the February Revolution of 1917. had two main segments - elite tourism of the wealthy and excursion and recreational tourism of the intelligentsia.

Organized tourism, which has a natural and educational orientation, began to take shape in the country by the end of the 19th century. It is surprising that even then environmental principles were laid into the basis of tourism activities. The charter of the Crimean Mountain Club, created in 1890 in Odessa, contained almost the same provisions that are recognized as the most important in modern ecotourism. The goals of the club were:

• 1) Scientific research of the Tauride (Crimean) mountains and dissemination of information collected about them.
• 2) Encouragement to visit and explore these mountains and make it easier for naturalists and artists going to the mountains for scientific or artistic purposes.
• 3) Support for local agriculture, horticulture and small-scale mining.
• 4) Protection of rare mountain species of plants and animals.

The Yalta branch of the club was the first in Russia to create trails to facilitate walking excursions into the mountains. The first, in 1899, was the Shtangeevskaya trail, which led from the Uchan-Su waterfall to the Yayly ridge through the most picturesque sections of its eastern slope. Following Shtangeevskaya, the Botkinskaya trail was developed and began to be used for tourist purposes, which led through picturesque pine forests to the Yauzlar waterfall. A little later, the Krestovaya and Dmitrievskaya trails appeared. Following the trails, the first shelter in Russia was created on Chatyrdag, where tourists visiting the Bin-Bashkhoba and Suuk-Khoba caves could stay. The number of excursionists who used the services of the Yalta branch of the club in 1896 was 1,491 people, in 1912 - 15,229 people.

In 1895, a society of cyclist tourists was created, and in 1902, the Caucasian Mountain Society was created to provide excursion services for vacationers in the cities of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. Children's natural history excursions became widespread in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. A wonderful example of an ecological tour is an excursion conducted by 1st grade schoolchildren in Finland.

March 20, 1919 V.I. Lenin signed the Decree “On Medical Areas of National Importance.” In 1920, under the People's Commissariat of Education, the “United Lecture and Excursion Bureau” was created - the prototype of modern tourist and excursion institutions. Russian tourism in the post-revolutionary years continued the traditions of a natural history and natural history orientation: all excursion stations organized in 1919 worked according to a natural history program. During this period, one-day and multi-day excursions were conducted in geology, soil science, botany and zoology. Much attention was paid to attracting young people to local history and tourist excursion work. The organization of children's tourism was entrusted to the extracurricular department of the People's Commissariat of Education, which was headed by N.K. Krupskaya. The organization of tourism for adults was carried out by special units created at many institutions. Nature excursions were developed and offered by young naturalist stations.

By the end of the 30s. amateur tourism has gained popularity and wide scope. Most of the tourist activities of that time contained elements of ecological tours. These include short-term, weekend-long trips of relatively small groups of vacationers to areas located in close proximity to large cities, and multi-day trips across the country. Citizens who took part in long hikes not only got acquainted with the nature of the country, but also carried out educational work among the population of regions remote from industrial centers, helped in harvesting, etc.

To facilitate communication with the local population of remote territories, the Society of Proletarian Tourism and Excursions published a series of pocket speech guides in more than 20 languages ​​of the peoples of the USSR (Abkhaz, Svan, Uzbek, Tajik, etc.). Amateur tourist groups developed new routes, actively participated in research activities to search for mineral deposits and useful plants, studied the distribution and behavior of wild animals, and collected entomological and botanical collections.

Mass tourism was ensured by initiatives in the regions, so almost the entire country was involved in tourism activities. There was a huge growth in tourism at the end of the 50s. According to official statistics, the number of participants in tourist trips was: in 1958. -1,512,860 people, in 1959 - 3,382,868 people, in 1960 - 5,892,853 people. From 1947 to 1962, the number of tourist bases in the country increased from 96 to 297, over 200 tourist and health camps, 600 fisherman’s and hunter’s houses, and more than 800 tourist equipment rental points were created. All this made it possible to cover more than 10 million people with tourist trips and excursions.

Amateur tourism in the post-war years followed the same directions as before the war, namely: local history orientation, nature conservation raids, and performing socially useful work in forestries, public and scientific organizations were welcomed. In 1965, 40 million people took part in tourist trips and excursions, there were 450 bases with 95,200 places in the country, and 5 thousand tourist and health camps were at the disposal of vacationers.

In the late 60s - mid 70s. Such difficult hikes were prepared and carried out as a 13-day hike through the unexplored, deep regions of Spitsbergen, polar hikes to Taimyr, Severnaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, Chukotka. During the same period, active work was carried out to find new routes for amateur tourist travel. So in 1969, search expeditions worked in the Sayan Mountains, the Baikal region, the Eastern Caucasus, and the Pamirs. As a result of the work of these expeditions, more than 60 hiking, mountain, water and combined routes were explored and developed.

Particular attention was paid to the development of tourism in the regions. So in the late 70s. the number of walking routes alone in Yakutia reached almost 500, more than 15 thousand weekend hikes took place in the Khabarovsk Territory, the number of participants in Sunday “forays” in the Irkutsk region exceeded 200 thousand. On January 1, 1977, in the USSR there were 9058 planned routes that ran along many regions of the country. They were provided by 996 special tourist hotels, bases and campsites, which annually hosted 26 million people. Every year in the second half of the 70s. The country served over 140 million tourists. Thus, mass nature-oriented tourism, which became widespread, was not localized in individual regions, but covered almost the entire territory of the country.

In 1970-1985 The number of people involved in active forms of tourism, and, above all, in amateur tourism, has increased significantly: annually over 30 million people took part in hikes around their native land on weekend routes and other excursions. During this period, new forms of service and types of services were introduced: routes for parents with children, autotourists, horseback, boat, combined trips, etc. The volume of services provided to Soviet workers and youth of the country in 1985 exceeded 2 billion rubles. (4 times more than in 1970). By 1985, the system of the Central Council for Tourism and Excursions operated over 960 tourist hotels, campsites and bases with a total capacity of about 400 thousand beds. There were 925 travel and excursion agencies operating in the country, which implemented 20 thousand topics in excursion work.

Development of tourism in Russia in the 90s. V.A. Kvartalnov called it a “transitional” period, in which the sprouts of something new were visible, but the general situation can be defined as a “sharp, almost catastrophic decline.” At this stage of the development of Russian tourism, three main trends dominated.

The first trend is changes in the structure of demand and segmentation of the tourism market. A decrease in the demand for long-term vacations and a noticeable increase in the need for short-term vacations. Rising prices for transport and reducing travel distances. Increasing requirements for the quality of services in the household sector (food, housing); differentiation of demand in accordance with the social status of various population groups. A sharp drop in demand for group travel, an increase in demand for family vacations and foreign trips.

The second trend is associated with the transition from monopoly to a multi-structured tourism economy, to the development of private, medium and small enterprises. A sharp decrease in subsidies from the state, trade unions, large enterprises for social tourism, a general drop in income of the population led to a noticeable reduction in the number of large recreational institutions, especially in 1992. At the same time, small tourist enterprises began to appear, providing services to small campsites, overnight rooms, beaches, cafes , parking lots, souvenir shops, etc. .

The third trend is the transition to the use of tourism resources on the basis of new economic relations. This tendency, according to the author, is still hidden and is going through a latent phase. It is based on relations of ownership of resources - the redistribution of rights to their use between the federal, republican and municipal levels of government, as well as the emergence of private property rights, primarily to land. Obviously, in this situation, an opportunity arises for the formation of a new economic mechanism based on the introduction of differential rent on the resources used in tourism. Currently, this rent, determined by the advantage of location, only serves to enrich the owner of the resources. But it should be directed to maintaining the quality of resources, developing tourism infrastructure, etc.

The development of ecological tourism by domestic SPNAs (Specially Protected Natural Areas) is an extremely important process that can have a significant impact both on the economy of the Russian hinterland and on the intensification of activities to protect the country’s unique natural areas. It is the protected areas that can intensify the development of nature-oriented tourism in the country, stimulate the inbound flow, and organize it in the form of eco-tourism. For these purposes, protected areas have a unique, organized territory, competent scientific and administrative personnel, experience in nature conservation and restoration, close contacts with domestic (fundamental and applied) science, foreign connections and contacts, and security structures.

The current state of eco-tourism activities in the country's protected areas. Specific information about the size of the tourist flow on the territory of Russian nature reserves was published by V.P. Kekushev, V.P. Sergeev, V.B. Stepanitsky. According to the authors, by the end of 1999, 76 nature reserves in the country (79%) had identified ecological trails and routes on their territory (in the protected zone, in the territory of controlled reserves and natural monuments, or in the marginal territory). The average length of these trails and routes per reserve was 57 km; 22 reserves (24%) already have ecological trails and routes on their territory or are in the process of being developed. In 1999, tourist groups visited 64 reserves (67%), including foreign tourist groups - 47 reserves (49%). The total number of visitors to the reserves was over 140 thousand people, including foreigners - over 5 thousand people. Over 300 thousand people visited the recreational area of ​​the famous Stolby Nature Reserve in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Work in the field of museum affairs, focused exclusively on visitors to nature reserves, is inextricably linked with environmental tourism activities. 37 reserves (39%) have their own nature museums.

The data presented show that recreation in the territories of domestic protected areas is in the first stages of development, when the number of visitors is relatively small: for comparison, large national parks in the West receive up to several million visitors a year.

Despite the difficulties of the first stages of development of tourism activities, a number of national parks in the country demonstrate obvious success in the development of eco-tourism. These include national parks: Vodlozersky, Yugyd-Va, Kenozersky, Losiny Ostrov and some others. The team of the Ugra National Park, with the support of the Wildlife Conservation Center charity foundation, is successfully developing rural tourism, the Eco-Village program is being developed in the Tunkinsky NP, etc.

State nature reserves, following the changing realities of world development, realizing that conservation can actively contribute to development, and vice versa, demonstrate examples of the transition from reserve functions to the functions of a biosphere territory.

The conditions for the development of the eco-tourism industry and increasing competitiveness in the world market are currently:

• 1. Creating a favorable image of the region in the Russian and international tourism markets. Good marketing of the city is necessary. Today, any large Western city cannot do without a special department - a marketing service that studies the city's market, calculates trends and develops development prospects.
• 2. Information support for regional tourism business
• 3. Real assistance from authorities to tourism enterprises developing inbound and domestic tourism.
• 4. Improving the quality of tourist services.
• 5. Promoting the training of qualified personnel in the production of tourism products.

Despite objective and subjective difficulties, ecotourism in the country is developing and taking on more and more distinct forms. Training specialists for the field of ecotourism is one of the most important conditions for the successful development of the industry.

Abstract
On the topic: “History of the development of ecological tourism”

Completed_________________
Checked(s)________________

Astana 2011
Plan:

Introduction
1. Definition of “ecotourism”

2. The essence of ecotourism

3. Types of ecotourism

History of the emergence and development of ecotourism
Development of ecotourism in Kazakhstan
Growth dynamics of the ecotourism market
Factors and forecasts for the development of ecotourism
Conclusion
List of used literature

9. Application

Definition of ecotourism

This definition has much in common with the definition of the International Ecotourism Organization (TIES): ecotourism is “responsible travel to natural areas, areas that preserve the environment and support the well-being of local residents.”

For a deeper understanding of this type of travel, here is
10 commandments of ecotourism, formulated by TIES:
1) remember the vulnerability of the Earth;
2) leave only traces, take away only photographs;
3) explore the world into which you find yourself: the culture of peoples, geography;
4) respect local residents;
5) do not buy products from manufacturers that endanger the environment;
6) always follow only well-trodden paths;
7) support environmental protection programs;
8) where possible, use environmental conservation methods;
9) support organizations that promote nature protection;
10) travel with companies that support the principles of ecotourism.

There is a whole range of ecotourism features:
- any journey during which the traveler explores the environment;
- a journey in which nature is the main value;
- income from ecotourism is used to financially support environmental protection;
- ecotourists personally participate in activities that conserve or restore wildlife resources;
- an ecotour is a journey in which all activities are “ecologically friendly”.

Summarizing all the options considered, we can distinguish three main components of ecotourism:

1) “knowledge of nature”, i.e. travel presupposes the presence of elements of studying nature, obtaining new knowledge and skills by tourists;
2) “preservation of ecosystems” implies not only the appropriate behavior of the group on the route, but also the participation of tourists and 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. The logo of one of the English youth tourism conferences reminds us of this (Fig. 1.1).

Types of ecotourism

4. Traveling to natural 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 intend to travel to natural reserves. The management of many national parks and reserves turn ecological excursions into a real show. An example is Yellowstone National Park in the USA, where the duration of excursions is calculated in minutes and is associated with periods of geyser activity. Very often, the display of natural objects, especially in caves, is accompanied by color lighting, music, and theatrical performances demonstrating scenes from the life of the aborigines. This type of ecotourism is most developed in Australia, therefore it is identified with the “Australian model of ecotourism development”.

History of the emergence and development of ecotourism

The idea of ​​ecotourism developed inextricably from the concept of sustainable development, the origins of which were developed by the Russian scientist Vernadsky. The term itself is closely related to definitions used by the UN in the 1970s, such as “development without destruction”, and “eco-development”, that is, environmentally sound development that has the least negative impact on the environment.

In the early 80s. In the 20th century, the first scientific studies began to appear in the press devoted to the study of the negative impacts of excess tourist flows on recreational areas. It is not surprising that the birthplace of these publications was Europe - a densely populated, industrialized part of the planet that leads in the development of tourism. In 1980, the West German magazine TEO published an article by R. Junck “How many tourists per hectare of beach? A word in defense of “soft” tourism.” In 1981, the book by H. Weiss “Peaceful destruction of the landscape and measures to save it in Switzerland” was published. The development of this direction led to the emergence of the concepts of “soft tourism” and “green tourism”, which included recommendations for the conscious, environmentally sound use of natural areas for recreational purposes.

Mid 80's XX century was characterized by increased activity to create new protected natural areas, the development of recommendations for the organization of tourism activities in these territories, and legislative support for environmental protection.

In 1990, ecotourism was given official status, with which it acquired the right to convene its own annual international symposium “Annual World Congress on Adventure Travel & Ecotourism” and create its own non-profit organizations.

A significant event for the further development of ecotourism was the World Ecotourism Conference, which was held in Oslo, Norway from 14 to 16 May and marked the fifth anniversary of the Quebec summit. The conference was organized by TIES, the Norwegian Ecotourism Society and UNEP. It was attended by about 450 delegates from more than 70 countries. As a result, the achievements and problems of ecotourism since 2002, issues of joint work of national and regional associations and ecotourism professionals around the world were considered

Thus, the concept of ecotourism, which originated in the 70-80s. XX century, went through a number of stages of development - from an “elite” and little-familiar type of recreation for most people to an internationally recognized and actively developing trend in the tourism industry. Many non-profit organizations in the field of ecotourism have emerged, and specialized thematic symposiums, conferences, congresses and exhibitions have begun to be held on an ongoing basis. The most important event in the development of ecotourism was the proclamation of 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism and the holding within its framework of the World Summit on Ecotourism, and then, 5 years later, the World Conference on Ecotourism in Oslo. The global ecotourism community has grown significantly and continues to grow, which gives reason to talk about serious steps in strengthening the position of ecotourism in the global travel industry market.

Research and survey (about 10,000 questionnaires) conducted in Germany. Great Britain, France, South Korea and Japan showed that among foreigners there is a high interest in environmental tours to Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan can be compared to a tourism diamond, with excellent tourism opportunities and looking forward to further changes to create global competitiveness.
To transform our country into a renowned tourist destination by 2020, an investment of $1 billion will be required.

The study showed that 14.2 million tourists from Europe to Asia are interested in Kazakhstan as a tourist destination. At the end of 2008, the number of people who entered Kazakhstan for the purpose of tourism was: 618,732 people, domestic tourism - 2,183,973 people, and according to the results of the first; half of 2009 - 127,414 and 355,488 people, respectively.

The main tourism product of Kazakhstan is ecotourism, which has weak competitiveness in the international market. Potential interest in this tourism product is 8.9 million people (or 63% of the total potential). It occupies the best position in the global tourism market and should be one of the key ones for development in Kazakhstan. What can we offer to the international tourism market today? These are our natural resources, untouched landscapes of amazing beauty. Despite this, ecotourism today is not a priority for state tourism policy. This type of tourism, which has a pronounced social aspect, is not highlighted in any strategic government document. KTA, representing the interests of the tourism market, clearly understands that ecotourism can generate income both for the country’s budget and for the tourism market. Therefore, in 2003, KTA conducted a preliminary analysis to assess the potential for ecotourism development in Kazakhstan. Based on the results of the work done, it became clear that ecotourism needs development and our close attention. Moreover, each region of the republic has unique natural resources for the development of ecotourism (Table 1).

Table 1 Types of tourism by region of Kazakhstan

It was clear that it was necessary to create a single body that would support the development of eco-tourism in the republic. It was the first in Kazakhstan (unfortunately, it still remains the only one) Information and Resource Center for Ecotourism (IRCE), created by KTA in 2005 in Almaty with the financial support of the Eurasia Foundation.

The IRTS project is providing information on the international and Kazakh tourism market, supporting local communities based on tourism (TBT) and helping them create sustainable income through the development of ecotourism.
The creation and financing of the IRCE justifies its effectiveness, which can be seen from its own statistics, which show an annual increase in attendance by an average of 20-25%.

Table 2 IRCE statistics*

In July 2004, the Eurasia Foundation and ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc. launched a program to help strengthen local communities in Kazakhstan through the development of ecotourism. It is based on previous ecotourism projects implemented by the Foundation in 2003-2004. In 2007, the ABN AMRO Foundation joined the initiative.
Target

conservation of natural resources and creation of economic opportunities for residents of rural regions located in close proximity to protected areas of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

creation, development and promotion of new ecotourism destinations based on rural communities;
reducing recreational load on protected natural areas;
training of qualified personnel in the field of ecotourism;
establishing partnerships between communities, government agencies and businesses.

Since 2004, EFCA has attracted and invested more than 400 thousand US dollars in the ecotourism development initiative in Kazakhstan. In 2007, the program's budget was more than $140,000.

Growth dynamics and capacity of the ecotourism market

Factors and forecasts for the development of ecotourism

CONCLUSION

“Ecotourism is a type of tourism based on tourist demand, associated with tourist needs to understand nature and indigenous culture, as well as contribute to the conservation of ecosystems and economic development of the region, while respecting the socio-economic interests of the local population.”
etc.............

The emergence and development of ecological tourism is closely connected with the history of identifying natural areas that are especially attractive from aesthetic and recreational points of view and the development of standards for their protection.

The end of the 19th century can rightfully be considered the time of the emergence of ecotourism. The majestic natural rarities of the American continent could not help but shake the imagination of people from European countries, where the scale of the territories is less impressive, and the territories themselves have long been inhabited and urbanized. The qualities of the settlers, such as mobility, enterprise, sociability and receptivity to information, forced them to move inland, occupy and develop new lands, endure inconvenience and endure dangers. Information about new impressive natural areas quickly spread, and by the end of the 19th century the number of tourists visiting areas such as Yellowstone, Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada and some other majestic natural monuments had increased so much that special measures were required to protect this region. The first national park in North America was established in 1872. In Yellowstone. The main tasks that the organizers of national parks in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, and South Africa set for themselves were the protection of the “works” of nature in order to satisfy people’s need for recreation. The idea of ​​creating protected areas in the West was based on their recreational purpose. In accordance with this, the protection regime, the organization of use and the internal structure of national parks were established. In American-type national parks, the main efforts were directed toward organizing recreational tourism. Already at the end of the 19th century. In the unique corners of nature of the “Wild West”, a whole series of national parks were created, formed according to the classical North American model. The process of creating national parks intensified after the Second World War. So, if in 1950 In 39 countries there were about 200 parks, then in 1982. Their number is already more than 1000. National parks were intensively advertised, networks of hiking trails and roads for mechanical transport were laid in them, recreation areas and observation decks were arranged, hotels, catering facilities, tourist equipment rental bases, communication enterprises, etc. were built. All these measures contributed to the growth of interest in national parks.

The peculiarities of the emergence and development of ecological tourism in Russia are largely due to the political and economic changes taking place in the country after 1990. The demand for previously prevailing travel and recreation within the country has sharply decreased, and the demand for previously very few trips to foreign tourism centers has sharply increased. The main reason for the extreme decline in domestic tourism is the cessation of its funding by the state and trade unions. The flow of foreign tourists coming to Russia has also decreased. Thus, socio-economic factors in recent years have not contributed to the full and balanced development of Russian tourism in general and ecotourism in particular.

Ecotourism today is one of the most rapidly developing sectors of the tourism industry.

Every year, goods and services worth $55 billion are produced for the needs of ecotourism, which is 25% of international trade in the services sector and 12% of the gross world product. The annual growth of ecotourism itself is 30% per year

Currently, many developed and developing countries are urgently allocating vast areas of their territory for nature reserves and national parks, creating special organized structures to attract ecotourists, and thus their capital. Costa Rica, for example, has declared 30% of its territory a conservation area. Tourism in this country is becoming a leading source of income. Annual income from ecotourism in the United States reaches $220 million and tends to grow rapidly. Kenya's income from the use of national parks is $450 million. Ecuador annually receives more than $180 million from ecotourism in the Galapagos Islands.

The countries of Southeast Asia demonstrate great interest in the development of ecotourism in their territories. In a number of countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America (Xenia, Tanzania, Chile, Peru, Nepal, etc.), which have realized the undoubted advantages of developing eco-tourism on their territory and have invested in this sector of the national economy, eco-tourism is becoming one of the main sources of income. The Ecotourism Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., serves as a center for research, advocacy, and policy development. The society forms policies and develops programs aimed at creating regional connections and involving regional structures in this work. There are a number of organizations that are looking for regions where ecotourism could replace traditional forms of tourism. These include: WWF, World Resources Institute, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and UNESCO. Since 1971 UNESCO is developing the Man and the Biosphere program. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has the power to award the status of "World Heritage Site" to areas of exceptional interest and universal value. A major role in the development of ecotourism is played by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which conducts research aimed at determining the possibility of engaging in ecotourism in developing countries and finances projects related to ecotourism. Academic research institutions, museums and zoological societies in developed countries play an active role in supporting ecotourism and developing ecotourism programs. Governments of individual countries are promoting the development of ecotourism. Thus, in Canada and Belize (Central America), special departments or advisory councils on ecotourism have been created under the ministries of tourism. The Costa Rican government has made the development of ecotourism in the country a key issue in its party program.

An analysis of historical experience shows that Russia has a long tradition of developing tourism activities, very close in nature to ecological tourism. These origins go back to the 70s of the 19th century, when the “Society of Natural History Lovers and the Alpine Caucasian Club” was created in Tiflis, which at that time was part of the borders of Russia. Following him, in the 90s of the 19th century, the Crimean Mountain Club was established in Odessa.

The history of domestic tourism knows many more examples of the activities of various societies and associations, clubs and groups that devoted their time to hiking in remote corners of nature with a poorly developed network of recreational services, but rich and unique nature.

In Russia, ecotourism is developing slowly and spontaneously. However, the number of projects being developed is growing. Evidence of this is local initiatives - in Adygea, on the Black Sea coast, in the Volga region, Altai, the Far East and Kamchatka.

At the same time, both domestic and foreign tourism organizers assess Russia’s ecotourism potential as extremely high. In recent years, international organizations have also shown a clear strategic interest in Russia’s ecotourism potential. The development of ecological tourism in Russia has become an integral part of the program of activities of the Environmental Education Center "Zapovedniki", created in 1996. The Center studies information, advertising and popular science products that introduce the general public to protected areas.

One of the first organizations that fully devoted its activities to the development of ecotourism in Russia is the Dersu Uzala Ecotourism Development Fund. The main direction of the Fund’s work is the development and practical implementation of various projects for the development of ecotourism in different regions of Russia.

In 1998, an autonomous non-profit organization was created in Russia - the Center for Ecological Travel. Its main goal is the development of scientific, educational and adventure tourism on the basis of Russian nature reserves and national parks.

In general, the nature of Russia presents great potential opportunities for the development of ecotourism: the diversity, uniqueness, attractiveness and vastness of Russian landscapes, not yet covered by urbanization processes, intensive agricultural production, etc., are very great. There are 35 national parks on the territory of Russia (with a total area of ​​6,925,696 hectares, which is 0.4% of the area of ​​Russia), and their number continues to increase. The status of national parks directly implies their use for tourism.

Areas with traditional, indigenous forms of farming, which are of great ecological and cultural value, have also been preserved in Russia. There are still many such areas in the north of the country, in Siberia, in the mountains. It should, however, be borne in mind that, despite the vastness of undeveloped or poorly developed spaces, the state of the environment in Russia as a whole is far from favorable, including outside the largest industrial centers.

This situation is due to backward technologies both in industry and in agriculture and forestry, weak control over monopolistic companies that extract raw materials, as a rule, in remote areas. Finally, one of the limitations for the development of tourism and even ecotourism is the high sensitivity of many Russian ecosystems to anthropogenic influences and their fragility, especially in areas that are attractive to tourists for their wildlife or indigenous forms of farming. A typical example is the degradation of the vegetation cover of the tundra, where excessively large herds of reindeer graze, the size of which was determined without due consideration of the pasture capacity. Almost all forms of ecotourism are represented in small quantities in Russia.

The most widespread of these forms are one-day excursions of environmental orientation, made either by city residents or tourists staying at resorts and other recreational places. This can be judged by information about the attendance of the country's national parks. Nine of them, located near large cities, receive approximately 1.5 million people per year. One park, Prielbrussky, located in the Caucasus and specializing in mountain and ski tourism, receives 300 thousand visitors a year. All other parks together, remote from large cities, are visited by 80 to 100 thousand people per year.

In general, the educational aspect in Russian ecotourism is still poorly developed - more often than not, excursions or tours are aimed only at demonstrating attractions, exotic wonders and the beauties of nature, and not at understanding environmental problems.

Among the main prerequisites for the emergence of ecotourism, the leading role is occupied by the increasing anthropogenic load on natural, cultural and historical tourist resources due to the mass of tourism. This load increases in direct proportion to the growth rate of tourist visits. Considering the indicators of tourism development predicted by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in the 21st century, it becomes obvious that there are growing contradictions in the issue of meeting tourism demand and the rational use of tourism resources.

Negative aspects of the impact of mass tourism on the environment and tourism resources were noted back in the 70s in foreign and domestic studies. Today, anthropogenic pressure and its inhibitory influence on development are observed in almost all sectors of the tourism industry and types of tourism, in the vast majority of tourist areas. For example, already in 1973-1983. In Poland, for this reason, the length of tourist water routes along rivers and lakes has decreased by 40%, and sea routes by 70%. The area of ​​damaged forests increased by 60%. Since 1976, in the USA, in the Balinger Canyon, as a result of the movement of vehicles serving tourists, the average rate of soil and soil loss was 86 times higher than the maximum permissible.

As the globalization of the world economy grows, negative changes in the geographical surface of the Earth also grow, in particular:

Climate change; - soil and land degradation;

Destruction of ecosystems and reduction of biodiversity;

Increased water, soil and air pollution;

Natural disasters caused by human activities;

Uncontrolled population growth and increasing inequality in socio-economic development;

Food security and increasing threats to public health;

Limited energy reserves and other types of natural resources.

Given the global nature of these problems, it is impossible to solve them at the regional or national level.

The German Council of Global Change Advisors has identified the following typical problem patterns that are repeated in many regions of the world. By analogy with diseases, they were called syndromes:

1) utilization syndromes. For example, over-cultivation of marginal lands (“Sahel syndrome”), or recreational development and destruction of nature (mass tourism syndrome);

2) developmental syndromes. For example, environmental destruction of landscapes due to the implementation of inadequate development programs (“Aral syndrome”), or ignoring environmental standards during rapid economic development (“Asian Tiger syndrome”);

3) waste syndromes. For example, environmental degradation due to controlled and uncontrolled waste disposal (“dumping syndrome”).

As the problems became more urgent, the number of publications, conferences and meetings devoted to the rational use of natural, cultural and historical tourism resources increased. In 1999 alone, more than 400 works on this topic were published abroad. The result of an intense search was the concept of sustainable tourism development in the 21st century developed in 1996 by the WTO, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and the Green World organization: “Agenda 21 for travel and tourism industry.” It was addressed to national tourism administrations, tourism and trade organizations, as well as consumers of tourism services. The concept is based on Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry, a comprehensive program of action adopted by 182 governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) on June 14, 1992. Sustainable development refers to a process that occurs without harming tourism resources. This is achieved by managing resources so that they can be renewed at the same rate at which they are used, or by switching from slowly renewable resources to rapidly renewable ones.

Agenda 21 contains the following provisions:

It is stated that the travel and tourism industry is interested in protecting the natural and cultural resources that are the core of the tourism business;

Emphasizes the importance of coordinating the joint efforts of governments, industry and non-governmental organizations to create a strategy for long-term development;

Areas of priority action with specific goals and steps to achieve them are listed.

Highlights the importance of partnerships between government, industry and non-governmental organizations, examines the strategic and economic importance of travel and tourism, and demonstrates the enormous benefits of creating a viable tourism industry. The document calls for using the following principles in tourism development:

Travel and tourism should help people achieve harmony with nature;

Travel and tourism must contribute to the conservation, protection and restoration of ecosystems;

Travel and tourism must be based on sustainable production and consumption patterns;

The policy of protectionism in the travel and tourism services trade should be partially or completely changed;

Environmental protection should be an integral part of the tourism development process;

Problems of tourism development must be solved with the participation of interested citizens (local residents), with planning decisions made at the local level;

States must warn each other regarding natural disasters that may directly affect tourists or tourism sectors;

Travel and tourism should help create jobs for women and local people;

Tourism development must ensure and support the culture and interests of local peoples;

The tourism and travel industry should be based on international environmental law.

Nine priority areas for the work of national tourism administrations were outlined:

1. Assess the capacity of existing tourism infrastructure to ensure sustainable tourism.

2. Assessment of economic, social, cultural and natural components of the development of tourism organizations.

3. Training, education and public understanding of sustainable development processes.

4. Planning for sustainable tourism development.

5. Exchange of information, experience and technologies for sustainable tourism between developed and developing countries.

6. Ensuring participation in the development process of all sectors of society.

7. Development of tourism products in compliance with the principles of sustainable development at their core, as an integral part of the tourism development process.

8. Measuring progress towards sustainable development at the local level. 9. Partnership for sustainable development.

In turn, 10 tasks were formulated for tourism companies:

1) minimization, reuse and recycling of the process of using natural tourism resources;

2) conservation and management of energy used;

3) freshwater resource management;

4) wastewater management;

5) management of hazardous substances;

6) transport and transportation management;

7) planning and management of land use;

8) involvement of employees, clients, local residents in solving environmental problems;

9) development of sustainable development projects;

10) partnership for sustainable development. The document, addressed to governments, industry, non-governmental organizations and the media, was widely circulated. After the adoption of this document, a 5-year program began to promote the implementation of its resolutions in regions of the world. The first two meetings, held in London (February 1997) and Jakarta (November 1997), led to the following conclusions:

The tourism industry has real potential to contribute to sustainable development with effective management and sound regulation. Agenda 21 should be widely disseminated as the main document for the development of the industry, and compliance by all parties with its provisions should be encouraged;

Close collaboration is required between consumers, the public, private sectors and tourism industry organizations;

There is a need to have many systems in place to measure progress towards sustainable development goals;

The process of expansion of tourism infrastructure should be managed in relation to the goals of sustainable tourism;

Environmental taxes should be fair and non-discriminatory, and funds raised should be allocated to the tourism industry for environmental programs;

International, national and local funding bodies should include sustainable development as part of the criteria for selecting recipients of economic support;

Modern research into sustainable development should be immediately introduced into tour operator activities;

Education in the field of environmental protection should be strengthened, especially in educational institutions that train personnel for hotels and tourism firms;

Advertising plays an important role in motivating consumers and thus forcing the industry to operate on new principles. This must be achieved through: showing videos on airplanes and airports, publishing articles in magazines for reading while traveling, advertisements, useful tips on tickets, travel accessories and brochures containing information for vacationers;

Further workshops should be held in different regions of the world to explore the application of Agenda 21 principles to specific contexts, while ensuring their full implementation.

The principles of sustainable tourism development are also reflected in the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, work on which was started by WTO experts back in 1997. The preamble to the document states that “in solemnly accepting it, representatives of the global tourism industry, delegates of states, territories, enterprises, institutions and WTO member organizations, aim to promote the development of responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism within the framework of the realization of the right to holiday and travel while respecting the public choices of all peoples and express the desire to contribute to the establishment of a fair, responsible and sustainable world tourism order that will bring benefits to all sectors of society in an open and competitive global market economy.”

Problems of sustainable development are especially relevant for unique natural objects and phenomena, natural reserves involved in tourism. Often, residents of the territories adjacent to such objects exist only at the expense of income from tourists. This is especially true for mountainous areas. It is no coincidence that 2002, by decision of the UN General Assembly, was declared the International Year of Mountains and the International Year of Ecotourism. This opens up great opportunities for cooperation and combining the efforts of all interested parties in achieving the best possible results during these two events.

In 2002, the UN also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, where Agenda 21 was adopted and subsequent adjustments were made for the further implementation and development of the program.

However, the concept of sustainable development has been viewed with skepticism by many tourism experts. This was largely due to the unfortunate phrase - “sustainable (static, motionless) development (movement, dynamics).” It would probably be more correct to talk about “viable development”.

In addition, at the regional level the word “development” should not be understood as a desire to achieve Western standards of living. The direction of the socio-economic movement of local communities is determined by the residents themselves, and not by outsiders with power. In this regard, it is necessary to take more into account traditions, rather than advertising promises. As American ecotourism expert Ron Mader said: “Development is not about imitating the West. These are not only financial-industrial complexes, chemical fertilizers and giant water-energy dams. There is no need to sell your soul for consumer goods and get-rich-quick schemes. Development is an awakening, awareness of one’s inner wealth and the true potential of the individual and society.”