History of development of ecological tourism. The history of the emergence and current state of ecological tourism The history of the development of ecotourism

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

The negative aspects of the impact of mass tourism on the environment and tourist resources were noted back in the 70s in foreign and domestic studies. Today, anthropogenic pressure and its inhibitory development of influence is 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 United States in the Balinger Canyon, as a result of the movement of vehicles serving tourists, the average rate of soil and soil washout was 86 times higher than the maximum allowable.

As the globalization of the world economy grew, negative changes in the geographic envelope of the Earth also grew, in particular:

Climate change; - degradation of soils and lands;

Ecosystem destruction and biodiversity loss;

Increased pollution of water, soil and air;

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 reserves of energy and other types 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 Consultants for Global Change has identified the following typical problem patterns that recur 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, ecological destruction of landscapes due to the implementation of inadequate development programs (“Aral Syndrome”), or ignoring environmental standards with rapid economic development (“Asian Tiger Syndrome”);

3) waste syndromes. For example, degradation environment with controlled and uncontrolled waste disposal (“dumping syndrome”).

As the problems actualized, the number of publications, conferences and meetings devoted to the rational use of natural and cultural-historical tourist resources also increased. In 1999 alone, more than 400 papers on this subject were published abroad. The result of an intense search was developed in 1996 by the WTO, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Green World organization, the concept of sustainable tourism development in the 21st century: “Agenda 21 for travel and tourism industry”. It was addressed to national tourism administrations, tourism, trade organizations and consumers of tourism services. The concept is based on "Agenda 21 for the tourism and travel 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 is understood as a process that occurs without compromising tourism resources. This is achieved by managing resources so that they can be renewed at the same rate as they are used, or by switching from slow-renewable to fast-renewable resources.

Agenda 21 contains the following provisions:

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

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

Priority action areas with defined objectives and steps to achieve them are listed.

The importance of partnerships between government, industry and non-governmental organizations is pointed out, the strategic and economic importance of travel and tourism is analyzed, and the enormous benefits of creating a viable tourism industry are demonstrated. The document calls for the use of the following principles in the development of tourism:

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 patterns of production and consumption;

Protectionist policies in the travel trade and tourism services must be partially or completely changed;

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

Tourism development problems should be solved with the participation of interested citizens (local residents), with planning decisions made at the local level;

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

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

The development of tourism should ensure and support the culture and interests of local peoples;

Should be based on international law in the field of environmental protection tourism and travel industry.

Nine priority areas for national tourism administrations have been identified:

1. Estimation of the capacity of the existing tourism infrastructure in order 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 sustainable tourism technologies 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 used energy;

3) management of fresh water resources;

4) waste water management;

5) management of hazardous substances;

6) management of transport and transportation;

7) planning and management of land use;

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

9) development of sustainable development projects;

10) partnership for sustainable development. Document addressed to governments, industry, non-governmental organizations and funds mass media, was widespread. After the adoption of this document, a five-year program was launched to promote the implementation of its resolutions in the 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 the implementation of its provisions by all parties should be encouraged;

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

It is necessary to have a large number of systems for measuring progress towards sustainable development goals;

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

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

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

Modern studies of sustainable development should be immediately introduced into the tour operator's activities;

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

Advertising plays an important role in motivating consumers and thus forcing the industry to work on new principles. This should be done through: showing videos on planes and airports, publishing articles in travel magazines, advertisements, useful tips on tickets, travel accessories and brochures containing information for vacationers;

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

The principles of sustainable development of tourism 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 “solemnly accepting it, representatives of the global tourism industry, delegates of states, territories, and organizations - members of the WTO, aim to promote the development of responsible, sustainable and inclusive tourism within the framework of the realization of the right to leisure and travel, respecting the public choice 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”.

The 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 uniting 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, followed by adjustments for the further implementation and development of the program.

However, the concept of sustainable development has been skeptically received by many tourism experts. To a large extent, this was facilitated by an unsuccessful phrase - "sustainable (static, motionless) development (movement, dynamics)". It would probably be more correct to speak of "sustainable development".

In addition, at the regional level, the word "development" should not be understood as a desire to achieve Western living standards. The direction of the socio-economic movement of local communities is determined by the residents themselves, and not by outsiders who are endowed with power. In this regard, it is necessary to take into account traditions rather than advertising promises. As American ecotourism expert Ron Mader said: “Development is not imitation of the West. These are not only financial and industrial complexes, chemical fertilizers and giant water and energy dams. 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.

Leading among the main reasons for the emergence of ecological tourism is the increasing pressure on natural and cultural-historical resources due to the mass nature of tourism. This load increases in direct proportion to the growth rate of tourist visits natural areas from settlers quickly spread, and by the end of the 19th century, the number of tourists visiting such territories as Yellowstone, Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada and some other natural monuments increased, which required the introduction of special measures to protect this region. First national park in the territory North America was established in 1872. In Yellowstone.

Principles of the goal and objectives of ecological tourism

The main tasks are the protection of the "works" of nature in order to meet the needs of people for recreation. The idea of ​​creating protected areas was based on their entertainment purpose. In accordance with this, the regime of protection, the organization of use and the internal structure of national parks were established. The main idea of ​​ecological tourism is, first of all, taking care of the natural environment, which is used for tourism purposes. It is the use of the riches of nature for tourism purposes, combined with the education of love for it, the assertion of the importance of its protection, that is the hallmark of eco-tourism. The following can be added to the goals of eco-tourism:

environmental education, increasing the culture of relationships with nature, developing environmental norms of behavior in the natural environment, fostering a sense of personal responsibility for the fate of nature;

restoration of the spiritual and physical strength of a person, ensuring proper rest;

nature protection, minimization of damage to the natural environment;

promotion of socio-economic development of individual regions and the state as a whole.

Objects of ecological tourism: groups of signs of ecological tourism

The main objects of ecological tourism are unique natural complexes, including protected areas, namely:

national and natural parks, state natural reserves, natural monuments;

dendrological parks and botanical gardens; health-improving areas and resorts; nature reserves (with certain restrictions).

The signs of ecological tourism are distinguished:
- any trip during which the tourist studies the environment;
- a journey in which nature is the main value;
- revenues from ecotourism are directed to financial support for environmental protection;
- ecotourists are personally involved in activities that conserve or restore resources wildlife.

Growth dynamics and capacity of the ecotourism market

According to the WTO, in 1993 ecotourism accounted for 7% of all international travel, and according to the World Resources Institute, with a general annual growth of world tourism by 4%, the number of visits and income from ecotourism in various regions of the world increase by 10 - 30% annually . The highest rates are typical for the Asia-Pacific
tourist region. According to experts, from 40 to 60% of all international tourists visit ecotourism centers, of which 20-40% are focused on wildlife tourism resources. Growth dynamics of international arrivals in the global ecotourism market (million people)

Ecotourist Marketing Profile

As you know, the definition of the marketing profile of the consumer of travel services allows you to highlight the characteristic psychological, behavioral and motivational aspects of choosing a tour. This makes it possible to clearly define the marketing strategy of the travel agency in five components: product, price, place, promotion, public relations. the following data were obtained, the characteristics of the ecotourist: age - 35-54 years, although there are various deviations from the average; gender structure of consumers - 50% women and 50% men; education - at least college; preferred society for travel - 60% travel together, 15% - with family, 13% - alone; preferred tour duration - 8-14 days;

Spread of eco-tourism

The geography of ecological tourism is peculiar Ecotourists tend to places with untouched nature, but there are less and less of them, and many have to be content with nature, landscapes significantly changed by human activity. Biotourism (- tourism, the objects of which are any manifestations of wildlife, natural tourism- tourism, the object of which is any nature, both living and non-living (for example, caves, mountains, reservoirs, etc.). Nature tourism includes biotourism A tourism organization uses the term adventure tourism as a broader concept that includes ecotourism.

Ecotourism Development Trends

In the near future, the most promising types of tourism will be cruises, ecological, adventure, educational and thematic tourism.

with the development of tourism, a new tourist will appear. This means that the traditional type of family tourism with a vacation somewhere on the sea every year will gradually give way to new types, namely ecotourism, adventure and educational tourism. The fashion for passive recreation will pass, and the reorientation of tourist flows will begin. High growth rates will be typical for trips to the mountains, as well as travel with elements of adventure and risk."

Theme 2

Tourism and ecology interconnection and interaction

Today we must clearly understand that nature needs protection from tourism. Many violations of the ecological balance are recognized too late. The emergence of irreversible processes as a result of the destruction of the natural environment during its uncontrolled use for tourism purposes often leads to its death. It becomes lost to future generations. Tourists who satisfy their individual needs in the short term put them above the long-term use of natural resources. A serious risk is posed by those places of stay of tourists where there is no necessary and unsuitable infrastructure has been created.

Environmental theories and the development of modern tourism

With regard to the development trends of mass tourism, the following can be emphasized: individual tourism is growing at a slower pace than mass tourism. Although tourists who individually plan their holidays receive great benefits, the implementation of such long-distance travel is difficult, and the cost of individual programs is high.

Recreational travel is growing more dynamically than business travel. At the same time, global tourism is seeing an increase in short-term trips for weekends or two or three nights. This happens at the expense of young tourists who tend to break out on a trip for several days in order to avoid long breaks in work. There is an increase in the demands of customers for service.

Now non-traditional accommodation facilities are popular: mountain chalets, hunting lodges, bungalows, etc.

3 Socio-economic role of eco-tourism

Ecotourism can contribute to both nature conservation and development, it includes, at a minimum, positive synergies between tourism activities, biodiversity and local people, which is supported by the appropriate organization and management of these activities.

Eco-tourism as a system

Ecotourism refers to any journey that involves visiting and exploring unspoilt natural areas. With maximum preservation of their integrity. A journey that involves minimal impact on the ecosystem, as well as using eco-saving devices and equipment.

Immersion in natural natural environment, for its study, acquaintance with the way of life and management of local residents.

minimization negative consequences human life, ensuring a sustainable ecological system;

Protection of nature and local unique historical and cultural heritage; Increasing environmental awareness;

Improving the welfare of the local population in connection with their participation in tourism activities;

Economic effect and development in the visited areas.

5 Environmental legislation and legal content of ecotourism

Environmental legislation includes legal acts and environmental standards that regulate the relationship between man and nature in the system legal protection nature includes 4 groups of legal activities: 1. Legal support for training. 2. Regulation of relations on the use, conservation and renewal of natural resources. 3. State and public control over the fulfillment of the requirements of nature protection. 4. Legal liability of offenses the federal law"On Specially Protected Natural Territories". the federal law<< О природных лечебных ресурсах, лечеб- но-оздоровительных местностях и курортах»

Essay
On the topic: "The history of the development of ecological tourism"

Performed)_________________
Checked (a)________________

Astana 2011
Plan:

Introduction
1 . Definition of "ecotourism"

2. Essence of ecotourism

3. Types of ecotourism

The 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 conserves the environment and supports the well-being of local residents."

For a deeper understanding of this type of travel, we present
The 10 commandments of the ecotourist formulated by TIES:
1) remember the vulnerability of the Earth;
2) leave only traces, take away only photographs;
3) to know the world in which he got: the culture of peoples, geography;
4) respect local residents;
5) not to buy products from manufacturers that endanger the environment;
6) always follow only well-trodden paths;
7) support programs to protect the environment;
8) where possible, use environmental conservation methods;
9) support organizations that contribute to the protection of nature;
10) travel with companies that support the principles of ecotourism.

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 directed to financial support for 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".

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

1) "knowledge of nature", i.e. travel involves 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, 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. This is also reminiscent of the logo of one of the English youth tourism conferences (Fig. 1.1).

Types of ecotourism

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".

The history of the emergence and development of ecotourism

The idea of ​​ecotourism developed inseparably 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 United Nations in the 1970s, such as “development without destruction” and “eco-development”, i.e., environmentally sound development with 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, tourism-leading part of the planet. In 1980, the West German magazine TEO published an article by R. Junk “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", "green tourism", which included recommendations for the conscious, environmentally competent use of natural areas for recreational purposes.

Mid 80s 20th century characterized by the intensification of activities to create new protected natural areas, the development of recommendations for organizing tourism activities in these areas, legislative support for environmental protection.

In 1990, eco-tourism was given official status, with the assignment of which he acquired the right to convene his own annual international symposium "Annual World Congress on Adventure Travel & Ecotourism" and create his own non-profit organizations.

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

Thus, the concept of ecotourism, which originated in the 70-80s. XX century, has gone through a number of stages of development - from the "elite" and little-known 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 appeared, specialized thematic symposiums, conferences, congresses and exhibitions have been 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 of the World Summit on Ecotourism within its framework, and after it, 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 ecological tours to Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan can be likened to a tourist gem, with great tourism opportunities and looking forward to further changes to create global competitiveness.
To turn our country into a well-known 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. According to the results of 2008, the number of people who entered Kazakhstan for the purpose of tourism amounted to: 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 tourist product of Kazakhstan is ecological tourism, which has a 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 world 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 amazing in their beauty. Despite this, ecotourism is not a priority for state tourism policy today. This type of tourism, which has a pronounced social aspect, is not singled out in any strategic state document. KTA, representing the interests of the tourism market, clearly understands that ecotourism can bring income both to the country's budget and to the tourism market. Therefore, in 2003, KTA conducted a preliminary analysis to assess the potential for the development of ecotourism in Kazakhstan. Based on the results of the work done, it became clear that ecotourism needs to be developed 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 regions of Kazakhstan

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

The IRCE project is to provide information on the international and Kazakhstani tourism market, support local communities based on tourism (TBC) and help 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 Fund 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 areas located in close proximity to the protected areas of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

creation, development and promotion of new ecotourism destinations based on rural communities;
reduction of 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 budget was over $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 in the knowledge of nature and indigenous culture, as well as contributing to the conservation of ecosystems and the economic development of the region, while respecting the socio-economic interests of the local population."
etc.................

The first definition of eco-tourism was proposed by the Mexican environmental economist Hector Ceballos-Lascurain in 1980. Eco-tourism, as defined by the author, is a combination of travel with an ecologically sensitive attitude to nature, which allows to combine the joy of acquaintance and study of flora and fauna specimens. fauna with the opportunity to contribute to their protection.

After the appearance of the first definition of eco-tourism by various authors and organizations showing an interest in the development of this type of activity, many new options have been proposed.

The definition adopted by the WTO reads: "Ecotourism includes all forms of nature tourism, in which the main motivation of tourists is the observation and familiarization with nature."

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) understands eco-tourism as “tourism with responsibility to the environment through relatively undisturbed natural areas with the aim of exploring natural and cultural attractions, which contributes to the protection of nature, has a “soft” impact on the environment, provides an active social - economic participation of local residents and their receipt of benefits from this activity”.

The World Wildlife Fund offers its own definition: "Ecotourism is nature tourism that contributes to the protection of nature."

The ecotourism society considers ecological as "targeted trips to natural areas with the aim of a deeper understanding of the local culture and natural environment, which do not violate the integrity of ecosystems, make the protection of natural resources beneficial to local residents."

The emergence and development of ecological tourism is closely connected with the history of the allocation of natural areas, especially attractive from an aesthetic and recreational point 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 XIX century. in the unique corners of the nature of the "Wild West" a whole series of national parks was 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. So, if in 1950 there were about 200 parks in 39 countries, then in 1982 their number exceeded 1 thousand. Developing countries were distinguished by high rates of organization of national parks. So, in Indonesia for two years (1980-1982) it was announced the creation of 16 national parks with a total area of ​​49.3 thousand km2.

In 1990, eco-tourism was given official status, with the assignment of which he acquired the right to convene his own annual international symposium "Annual World Congress on Adventure Travel & Ecotourism" and create his own non-profit organizations.

Estimates of the current state and level of development of ecological tourism in various publications differ significantly. Most of the differences relate to the definition of eco-tourism. So, if we take as a basis the idea that eco-tourism combines 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 eco-tourism includes recreational and educational activities in nature, accompanied by technologies. environmental management.

In countries with particularly outstanding natural beauty, tourism often acts as the main reason for the creation of national parks. Costa Rica, for example, has declared 30% of its territory a protected area. Tourism in this country is the leading source of income and reaches 650 million dollars a year. In South Africa, eco-tourism ranks second in terms of profitability after diamond mining, in Alaska it is second after oil production. Kenya's annual income from the use of national parks reaches 450 million dollars, Ecuador, respectively, receives more than 180 million dollars from ecotourism in the Galapagos Islands. In Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, tourists who come to see mountain gorillas leave 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 village holiday farms registered in Italy, an increase of 14.7% over 1997. 45% of these farms are located in the northeast of Italy, mainly in the province of Bolzano (27.6%). In the central regions of Italy, 24% of objects for rural tourism are concentrated, most of which are concentrated in Tuscany (15%). Rural tourism is least common in southern 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, with the peculiarity 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 rested mainly in Europe. The tourist market of Russia 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 down in the basis of tourism activities. The Charter of the Crimean Mountain Club, established in 1890 in Odessa, contained almost the same provisions that are recognized as the most important in modern ecological tourism. The aims 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 facilitate the stay in them of naturalists and artists who go 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.

For the first time in Russia, the Yalta branch of the club created trails to facilitate hiking trips to the mountains. The first in 1899 was the Shtangeevskaya trail, which led from the Uchan-Su waterfall to the Yaila ridge through the most picturesque parts 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 on Chatyrdag, the first shelter in Russia was created, where tourists visiting the caves of Bin-Bashkhoba and Suuk-Khoba could stay. The number of sightseers who used the services of the Yalta branch of the club in 1896 amounted to 1491 people, in 1912 - 15 229 people.

In 1895, a society of cyclists-tourists was created, and in 1902, for the excursion service of vacationers in the cities of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, the Caucasian Mountain Society. In Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, children's excursions of natural history became widespread. A wonderful example of an ecological tour is a tour 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 natural history and natural history: all excursion stations organized in 1919 worked according to the natural history program. During this period, one-day and multi-day excursions were held 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 out-of-school 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 the stations of young naturalists.

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 are short-term, weekend-time trips of relatively small groups of tourists to territories located in close proximity to large cities, and multi-day trips across the country. Citizens who participated in long hikes not only got acquainted with the nature of the country, but also conducted 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 for Proletarian Tourism and Excursions published a series of pocket speech reference books in more than 20 languages ​​of the peoples of the USSR (Abkhazian, Svan, Uzbek, Tajik, etc.). Amateur tourist groups developed new routes, actively participated in research activities to search for mineral deposits, useful plants, studied the distribution and behavior of wild animals, collected entomological and botanical collections.

Mass tourism was provided by the initiative in the regions, therefore, almost the entire country was involved in tourism activities. A huge increase in tourism occurred 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, more than 200 tourist and recreation camps, 600 fishermen's and hunters' 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, nature conservation raids, and the performance of 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 for 95,200 places in the country, and 5 thousand tourist and health camps were at the disposal of vacationers.

Late 60s - mid 70s. such complex trips as a 13-day trip through the unexplored, deep regions of Svalbard, polar trips to Taimyr, Severnaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, Chukotka were prepared and carried out. In the same period, active work was carried out to find new routes for amateur tourist travel. So in 1969, search expeditions worked in the Sayans, the Baikal region, in the Eastern Caucasus, in 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 pedestrian routes alone in Yakutia reached almost 500, more than 15 thousand weekend trips took place in the Khabarovsk Territory, the number of participants in Sunday “sorties” in the Irkutsk region exceeded 200 thousand. As of January 1, 1977, there were 9058 planned routes in the USSR many areas of the country. They were provided by 996 special tourist hotels, bases and campsites, which annually received 26 million people. Every year in the second half of the 70s. more than 140 million tourists were served in the country. Thus, the widespread mass nature-oriented tourism 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 significantly increased: annually over 30 million people took part in trips around their native land in weekend itineraries and other excursions. During this period, new forms of service and types of services were introduced: routes for parents with children, car tourists, horseback, boat, combined travel, etc. The volume of services provided to the Soviet workers and youth of the country in 1985 exceeded 2 billion rubles. (4 times more than in 1970). By 1985, more than 960 tourist hotels, campsites and bases with a total capacity of about 400,000 beds operated in the system of the Central Council for Tourism and Excursions. There were 925 travel and excursion agencies operating in the country, which sold 20 thousand topics in excursion work.

The development of tourism in Russia in the 90s. V.A. Kvartalnov called the "transitional" period, in which the sprouts of the new were outlined, but the general situation can be defined as a "sharp, almost catastrophic fall." At this stage in the development of Russian tourism, three main trends dominated.

The first trend is changes in the structure of demand and segmentation of the tourist market. Decrease in demand for long-term rest and a marked increase in the need for short-term rest. Rise in the cost of transport and reduction in travel distances. Increasing requirements for the quality of service in the sphere of everyday life (food, housing facilities); differentiation of demand in accordance with the social status of various groups of the population. A sharp drop in demand for group travel, an increase in family forms of recreation and foreign trips.

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

The third trend is the transition to the use of tourism resources based on new economic relations. This trend, according to the author, still has a latent character, is going through a latent phase. It is based on the 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 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. At present, this rent, determined by the advantage of location, serves only to enrich the owner of the resources. But it should be aimed at preserving the quality of resources, developing tourism infrastructure, and so on.

The development of ecological tourism by domestic PAs (Specially Protected Natural Territories) 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 are able to intensify the development of nature-oriented tourism in the country, stimulate the incoming flow, and organize it in the form of ecological tourism. For these purposes, protected areas have a unique, organized territory, competent scientific and administrative personnel, experience in nature protection and restoration, close contacts with domestic (basic and applied) science, foreign relations and contacts, security structures.

The current state of eco-tourist activities in the protected areas of the country. Specific information on the magnitude of the tourist flow on the territory of Russian reserves was published by V.P. Kekushev, V.P. Sergeev, V.B. Stepanitsky. According to the authors, by the end of 1999, 76 reserves of the country (79%) had identified ecological trails and routes on their territory (in the protected zone, on the territory of controlled reserves and natural monuments, or on the marginal territory). The average length of these trails and routes per one 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 amounted to over 140 thousand people, including over 5 thousand foreigners. Over 300,000 people visited the recreation area of ​​the famous Stolby nature reserve in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Work in the field of museum business, focused exclusively on visitors to reserves, is inextricably linked with eco-tourist activities. There are own museums of nature in 37 reserves (39%).

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

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

State natural 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 reserved 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. Creation of a favorable image of the region in the Russian and international tourism markets. Good city marketing is needed. Today, any large western city cannot do without a special division - a marketing service that studies the city's market, calculates trends and develops development prospects.
• 2. Information support of regional tourism business
• 3. Real assistance of the authorities to tourism enterprises developing inbound and domestic tourism.
• 4. Improving the quality of tourist services.
• 5. Assistance in the training of qualified personnel in the field of tourism product production.

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