Ecotourism is one of the forms, more focused on the discovery of ecosystems, agro-ecosystems or ethnocultural aspects of biodiversity, including local tourism that seeks to reduce its footprint écologique1.
A European working group has defined the concept of "sustainable tourism" as seeking to "reconcile economic objectives of tourism development with the maintenance of the database necessary for its existence resources. Specifically, it is tourism that ensures sustainable economic development more in the long run, both respectful of environmental and socio-cultural resources and respectful men, visitors, employees and Hospitality sector "populations.
The World Tourism Organization defines it as follows:
"Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems. "(OMT). Under the condition that all stakeholders actively involved and committed to respecting the effective implementation of sustainable tourism (GTD). "
Sustainable tourism is therefore part of a dynamic that articulates the movement patterns of production and consumption, eco-friendly, while closely associating the people who live, work in or visit the area concerned in tourism development project and socio-economic benefits, equitably distributed.
This development requires a planning and integrated resource management, a mastery of flow (energy, goods and people) that implies the close involvement of local actors, and environmental responsibility tourists, in order to reconcile the implementation tourism with the needs and home planning capabilities.
Method
A general principle arising from the above definition is that proponents of sustainable tourism seeking in each case to assess the local and global impacts, immediate and deferred to a situation or a tourism project from downstream to upstream of a sector with a sustainable development approach types, and at least the following bases:
initial inventory: it includes economic, social and environmental data property (current ecosystems, ecological potential in the case of a site already degraded)
assessing the vulnerability of the environment and people: In some cases, tourism is a source of culture shock or can induce health risks of pathogens through contact not recognized by the immune system of a population authochtone long isolated, or tourist himself ..) face to tourism and these side effects. The vulnerability of communities requires studying its ability to heal (ecological resilience), if exposed to increased attendance (so that it does not reach the limits of overcrowding or overuse of settings, including the case of sport tourism.
Precautionary measures, countervailing and conservatories are implemented and evaluated to minimize and compensate for these impacts, the quality of life of local people and the environment. This principle can include an environmental tax or "eco-contribution2" financial, donated to the environmental damage and the quality of life of local people.
Special cases
Tourism and sport: Some forms of tourism such as "sports of nature" or involving some practiced in nature activities (canyoning, climbing, kayaking, hang gliding, camping, etc.) can have significant eg impacts on birds nesting or breeding fish, animals banks and edges heavily frequented by tourists.
Coastal tourism poses particular problems with boating, scuba diving, fishing (fishing) and often massive and seasonal influx of tourists.
Rural tourism poses particular problems in areas where the land is essentially private, and where domestic animals or crops can sometimes suffer from attending untrained knowledge and respect for these rural life tourists.
Tourism and hunting often lead to clashes and difficulties in the management of security, especially for walks in the woods or on the edge of forest in late summer and fall when hunting.
Winter tourism with winter sports generates significant environmental impacts through the Tourism Planning, space consumption, deforestation for creating tracks, diversion of water resources, for example to feed the snow guns, etc.
Finally, tourism involves motorized travel increasingly frequent, particularly in automotive (including 4x4) and aircraft, two means of transport which are among the most polluting. The "traditional" tourism increases demand for infrastructure, especially in parking lots, roads and highways, the impact in terms of ecological fragmentation continues to grow, and whose impact in terms of roadkill seems to be very exacerbated by tourism . Sustainable tourism aims to promote more efficient transport, the use of rail and cycling in particular. It also seeks to promote local products and limited infrastructure with a high environmental impact.
Position of the European Union
Around the year 2000, tourism ranks first among service activities in Europe. Despite strong growth of tourism in the tropics and in Asia, Europe remains the leading tourist destination in the world, providing nearly 60% of international tourism, and with three of the four preferred tourist destinations including France, Spain and Italy respectively first, third and fourth, the United States came in second place. To these must be added the increasing flow of intra-European flows (88% of international tourists in Europe) and the internal member states. It is also Europe that share the largest flow of tourists to the rest of the world. This tourism has positive impacts in terms of jobs (9 million direct jobs throughout 2 million companies, 95% are small and medium enterprises, 98% employ fewer than 250 people) generates significant environmental impacts, that may increase due to the fact that tourists tend to go shorter, but further and more often. In addition, the World Tourism Organization estimates that between 2000 and 2020, tourism is expected to grow by about 10% and that Europe could experience a doubling of international arrivals (717 million / year against 393 in 2000), prompting Europe to consider impacts3.
Agenda 21 for European tourism gives 4 goals4
) Preventing and reducing territorial and environmental impacts of tourism in destinations;
) Controlling the growth of tourism-related transport and its negative effects on the environment;
) Encourage a favorable local sustainable development controlled by the tourism stakeholders;
) Promote responsible tourism as a factor in social and cultural development.
.. Involving all stakeholders (governments and their agencies, committees and tourism observatories, chambers of commerce and industry, social partners, industries involved (Hotels / Accommodation, catering, leisure, culture, transport, tour operators and travel agencies), information services (guides, companions), scientists (universities and other research organizations), consultants, consumer groups, users, and nature conservation, financial institutions, banks and insurance .
Sustainable tourism in protected areas in Europe
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References [edit | edit the code]
↑ see bibliography, external links in this article and Figures 1 and 2, page 10 of [archive], which shows the different forms of sustainable tourism (UN 2002)
↑ The eco-contribution is one of the recommendations of France Nature Environnement (FNE), including paid to third routisme national meetings and sports activities in nature, in September 2007, Besançon, see Letter No. 228 FNE [archive] pages
↑ Report [archive] "Towards a European Agenda 21 for Tourism" on "the promotion of environmental protection and sustainable development in tourism" (2001) (en) (46p)
↑ p11 / 46 report [archive] (quoted above)
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