|
ECO-TOURSIM
What is Ecotourism?
According to Elizabeth Boo from the World Wide Fund for Nature, Ecotourism is "a journey to nature, which contributes to its protection".
Ecotourism is an environmentally friendly way of travelling. It takes place, in general, in ecologically and naturally valuable regions. By raising direct financial contributions ecotourism plays an important role in the environmental and cultural protection of these regions. People with ecological awareness and the appreciation for nature choose this kind of tourism.
The definition above can explain some aspects of ecotourism. But is it enough?
We think it's not. Ecotourism comprises tourism as well as ecology, terms used by individuals in different ways, therefore ecotourism means something slightly different for each person.
For us it's something far broader. Wandering and exploring is an indispensable part of our lives, just as eating and sleeping. Close contact with nature is exceptionally important and precious, just like discovering traces of the past or familiarising ourselves with aspects of modern culture. Ecotourism is composed of all these features, but still there's something more.
Ecotourism is the way we, and the people with whom we travel, get around.
The world looks different through an airplane's window or a windshield than when we experience it by walking, cycling or canoeing. Only then we can say that we explore and discover the world. We "breath in the world" and perceive it entirely.
There is a difference between anonymous lump travelling and wandering around with a group of friends. We feel that we are a part of a group with its rights and responsibilities, when we have tasks to fulfil, and we feel needed.
Ecotourism is for us not just travelling, it is discovering nature, history, and culture. It means to get to know other people and ourselves. Ecotourism is a way of living.
|