СONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICAL TOURISM

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of the lack of a single terminology used in the field of ecotourism, offers clarifications in existing concepts and provides a new definition of ecotourism. The emergence of ecotourism occurred as a result of increasing self-awareness and understanding of the global problems of mankind by the broad masses, who are now in favor of ecologization of various spheres of life. New trends to independent travel appeared on the tourist market, the range of the offered recreational and tourist services has expanded. The article proposes a classification of types of tourism, taking into account the criterion of tourist destination, where, depending on the purpose of tourist travel, the nature of the tourist area also changes. The intensification of the processes of formation of a system of protected areas, including in Ukraine, which are the basis for the development of ecotourism, was noted. According to environmental legislation, one of the uses of the territories and objects of the natural reserve fund is their use for tourist and other recreational purposes. Concepts that are closest in content to the term “ecotourism” are considered, such as “soft tourism” and “nature tourism.” Natural tourism is a broader concept than “ecotourism”, and is not always identical to it. The main conceptual approaches that have prevailed in the study of tourism since the 50s of the last century are analyzed. In the postwar period, the “defensive” concept prevailed, which tended to view tourism uncritically as an economic advantage for most tourist destinations. So, the mass tourism sector emerged. During the 1970s, the “defensive” concept faced a “precautionary” concept that viewed mass tourism in a more critical light due to its negative consequences. The next logical step in this evolution was the emergence 1980s of the “adaptation” concept, which introduced the concept of “alternative tourism” as a qualitative alternative to mass tourism. Ecotourism falls under alternative tourism. Mass tourism is in this model as a mutually exclusive category of tourism, divided by the so-called "conceptual barrier", such a structure is common in the literature. Ecotourism can strengthen the product of mass tourism, offering opportunities for diversification, enjoys particular attractiveness in light of the increasing "greening" of the tourism market. In turn, mass tourism provides a large market of potential ecotourists, which helps to position ecotourism as an important stakeholder (stakeholder) that can lobby interests along with stakeholders in other sectors, such as agriculture and logging. At the end of the last century, the concept of sustainable tourism emerged, which was conceived as tourism, which would not threaten the economic, social, cultural or ecological integrity of a tourist destination for a long time. It should meet the same criteria of environmental friendliness and impact on the social sphere, as “soft tourism”, but it should be guided by the interests of the local population. Sustainable tourism can also be realized in cities, while ecotourism takes place in areas close to nature, taking into account environmental, social and cultural influences. Based on this, ecotourism connects the sustainable development of the territory with nature conservation, that is, it should contribute to the preservation of natural resources, and also provides opportunities for environmental education for tourists and the public. The article presents the principles of ecotourism, which are used in international practice, at the same time emphasizing that among the principles are such as competent management of the development of ecotourism in unique natural complexes. Based on the analysis of various options for identifying types and forms of ecotourism, a classification of ecotourism types has been proposed.