ECOTURISM

Nunu Corina – ECTS - an III

Ecotourism is a form of tourism that involves responsible travel to fragile, pristine

and relatively undisturbed natural areas. These natural areas usually have
programmes to conserve the environment or sustain the wellbeing of the local
people.
An ecotourism holiday is done on a smaller scale compared to commercial mass
tourism and is intended to be low impact. This means that tour operators and
accommodation providers act as responsibly as possible, ensuring the protection of
flora and fauna in the local area.
Ecotourism (‘eco’ as in ecological) is founded primarily on a specific interest in the
natural history of a region. The concept emerged out of the eco-development and
sustainable development literature of the 1970s and 1980s and has generated a
significant amount of interest and controversy. Interest, because it represents a
desirable alternative to mass tourism; and controversy because many feel that it
has yet to live up to its position as a more responsible or ethical form of travel.
Ecotourism is extremely important to the planet because its principles are built on
helping the natural world, as well as the people and animals that live in it. The
bottom line is everyone benefits – humans and nature.
People who embark on eco-travel adventures are required to stick to certain
guidelines. These principles can help to shift perspectives and transition people
from the indulgent, unenlightened experiences commonly found with mass
tourism. The principles of ecotourism are beneficial for the world as a whole, and
doesn’t just benefit one or two countries, but the entire planet.
With the growing problems associated with global warming and depleting
resources, it’s more important than ever to reduce our footprint in any way we can
– not just in the home, but also as we travel.
Some of the benefits of eco-travel:
 We can help to maintain natural environments and keep places of
outstanding beauty pristine for future generations
 We can help communities by building cultural awareness and spreading the
word through social media
 We can improve the lives of hosts and the lives of local people in host
countries
  We can increase employment opportunities in impoverished areas

What places in the world do you associate with ecotourism?

1. Costa Rica
The country undoubtedly most associated with ecotourism, Costa Rica has made a
name for itself as a travel destination because of its well-protected natural beauty.
The South American country, with coastlines on both the Caribbean and Pacific, is
almost one-fourth rainforest, the main draw for visitors. In addition to the
rainforests, there are breathtaking volcanoes and pristine beaches, both of which
add to the stunning biodiversity in the country. If you’d like to stay in eco-friendly
accomodations while there, you'll have plenty of places to choose from.
2. Norway
Norway might not be a place that first comes to mind when thinking of ecotourism,
but the country’s culture of trying to live sustainably has influenced its travel
industry extensively — especially in the Norwegian Fjords. Fjord Norway is even
one of four pilot destinations of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s program
for new criteria for destinations. Among other things, the government ensures that
fishing, hunting and drilling for oil are all well regulated in this area.
3. Galapagos Islands
In 1978, the Galapagos Islands were declared the first ever Natural World Heritage
Site due to the amazing and unique fauna that call the archipelago home. Luckily,
the country has a Directorate of the Galapagos National Park which implements a
visitor management system to make sure that the natural area is respected and
tourism remains sustainable. If you go, stay at the Villa in the Galapagos where the
owner has taken measures to save electricity and reduce waste.
4. Antarctica
Antarctica remains one of the least-touched places on Earth for obvious reasons —
you can only even reach the landmass during the summer. Still, thousands of
tourists make the journey via boat each year to see the icebergs, penguins, and
whales. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators aims to
promote environmentally responsible practices among private sector travel to the
continent.
5. Iceland
Iceland has recently become a top tourist destination as it lures visitors in with its
remote beauty. The country is the cleanest energy consumer in the world, and
travelers can reduce their footprint by camping instead of staying in big hotels, or
hiking, biking and horseback riding instead of driving when exploring the country. If
you visit southern Iceland, stay at this eco-friendly home in Eyrarbakki.
6. Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon has already suffered extremely from climate change and the
encroachment of man, but some areas around the huge forest are aiming to
change that by having native become guides to lead tourists around the forests in
ways that are sustainable and even promote the health of the ecosystem.

How do you promote Romania as an ecotourism destination?

First and foremost we need to increase the tourism professionals knowledge on
ecotourism. This will help tour providers develop sustainable holiday packages for
travellers who want to lower their carbon footprint and minimise their impact on
their chosen destinations.
Romania has a unique natural heritage that offers an excellent chance of
transforming the country into a special attraction for both the international and
domestic ecotourism market. It has some of the largest areas with virgin forests
still remaining in Europe and the large majority of European brown bears, wolves,
and globally outstanding flora and fauna. This can become part of a big marketing
campaign for promoting Romania as an ecotourism destination, as these travellers
are interested in exploring both natural attractions and cultural or historical sites.
They have a genuine interest in environmental responsibility in tourism and
support the green tourism suppliers. Ecotourists are mainly interested in relatively
undisturbed ecosystems and want to learn more about natural phenomena with
the aim of contributing to the sustainable development of natural sites.
The following activities can be promoted for ecotourism in Romania: photography
and landscape painting, studying the flora and fauna, cultural sightseeing, and
special guided hikes.
Along with the natural attractions, the cultural resources are considered very
important due to their contribution to the social coherence of the communities.
Thus, the cultural tourism activities stimulate the preservation of the natural and
cultural heritage. Finally, both nature and culture motivations of ecotourism
activities may contribute to the sustainable development of the local community.
We are very fortunate to name some of the best ecotourism destinations available
in our country:
 Padurea Craiului – the destination is situated in the Western Carpathians,
with large areas of Karst landscape: caves, gorges, and plateaus. The profile
of the destination is a mix of naturebased and cultural activities, with a focus
on families and children as its market segment
 Transylvanian Highlands (Southern Transylvania) – located in the centre of
the country, it overlaps with the second largest Natura 2000 site in Romania.
This area in southern Transylvania is known for its Saxon cultural heritage,
and the identified unique selling proposition is the last medieval landscape
of Europe. Although the destination is known mainly due to cultural
attractions (fortified churches, preserved medieval villages, fortresses and
mansions, traditional cultural landscape), the destination also has a rich
natural heritage represented by avifauna, meadows of high conservation
value, meadows with secular oaks, etc., and an impressive cycling
infrastructure with more than 500 km of trails.
 Maramures – this is a small destination situated in Maramures, county, in
the north of Romania. The area is known for the wood carving civilization;
therefore, it has a wide range of cultural attractions and activities.
 Tara Dornelor–the destination is in the north of the country and partially
overlaps the Călimani National Park. The uniqueness characteristic is given
by the well-preserved volcanic landscape and the active character of the
destination, the area being excellent for a varied range of nature-based
activities. This area has a long-standing tradition in Romanian tourism,
especially due to the Vatra Dornei spa resort, which acts as a service hub for
the destination.