From “Landscape eaters” to conscious tourists

From “Landscape eaters” to conscious tourists
Birth of alternative tourism From “Landscape eaters” to conscious tourists

The operational system of tourism Mass vs
The operational system of tourism Mass vs. alternative tourism Negative impacts of mass tourism Ecotourism

Increase of international tourist arrivals
Increase of international tourist arrivals. Source: UNWTO Tourism Barometer 2015

Forecasts

Number of international tourist arrivals (2014, thousand)
Country Number 1. France 83.767 2. USA 75.011 3. Spain 64.995 4. China 55.622 5. Italy 48.576 6. Turkey 39.811 7. Germany 32.999 8. UK 32.613 9. Russia 32.421 10. Mexico 29.346 11. Hong Kong 27.770 12. Malaysia 27.437 13. Austria 25.291 14. Thailand 24.810 15. Greece 22.033 16. Saudi Arabia 18.259 17. Canada 16.537 18. Poland 16.000 19. Macao 14.566 20. Republic of South Africa 14.202 … 24. Hungary 12.140 Total

Number of international tourist arrivals departures (2014, thousand)
Country Sum 1. China 98.185 2. Hong Kong 84.519 3. Germany 83.008 4. USA 68.303 5. UK 60.082 6. Poland 56.000 7. Russia 45.889 8. Canada 33.518 9. Malaysia 30.761 10. Italy 28.460 11. France 28.180 12. Ukraine 22.438 13. Saudi Arabia 19.824 14. India 18.330 15. Mexico 18.261 16. Holland 17.928 17. Japan 16.903 18. Hungary 16.340 19. South Korea 16.081 20. Sweden 15.917 Total

International tourism receipts in 2014

International tourism expenditure in 2014

The economic impact of tourism – touristic spending
One of the major economic impacts of tourism is money spent by tourists Most-visited countries by international tourist arrivals in 2014

International tourism, receipts (current US$)

Impacts promoting the growth of international tourism
Growing welfare and leisure time Globalisation (trade, economic relations) Development of transport Development of communication tools Motivation (5 categories: leisure, holidays VFR MICE health religious/pilgrimage

Pull factors Decreasing or eliminated administrative restrictions
Easement of travel restrictions After 1954: no visa regime in several European states 1989: Iron Curtain Falls down Tourism policy of receiving areas, destinations

Mutual interrelations
Nature Science Politics Technique Economy Tourism Culture Society

The system of tourism Two main subsystems: demand and supply, and sending and receiving places meet via three internal sub-systems: marketing intermediary sector: tour operators and travel agencies travel

ICEBERG OF TOURISM INDUSTRY
Accommodation Catering Travel organisation Air transportation Railway, road and water transportation. Financial activities. Postal activities. Vehicle rent. Insurance. Telecommunication. Rent of real estates. Public sanitation. Public safety. Retail trade. Fuel trade. Higher education. Vocational training. Health services. Entertainment, culture and sports. Agriculture. Food industry. Construction industry: motorways, roads, airports, sports fields etc. Tourism industry Tourism economy 17

Ecological footprint EF is the size of an area necessary for the production of the food of raw materials of a population and the neutralisation of the produced waste

"Please come but not too often”¹
"Please Don't Visit Hawaii Until We Can Save What's Left” ² Why? Masses of people, environmental consequences, impact on global warming (greenhouse gas emission) Destruction of marine ecosystems( e.g. coral reefs) Drastic increase in real estate prices 1.Scowan, idézi Edwards (1987, pp Cohen 1978, pp.227)

First criticisms of tourism
1. Eco-activists 2. Krippendorf: Die Landschaftsfresser (“The landscape eaters”) 1975 3. Robert Jungk: Need for mild tourism 1980 4. Butler: Destination life cycle models 1980

Life cycle of destinations

The environmental impacts of tourism

Environmental impacts of tourism
The growing awareness of ecological and other global problems The dynamic growth of tourism industry Relationship of tourism and natural environment The impact of tourism on the environment A response to challenges: ecotourism

Growing awareness of ecological and other global problems
2nd half of the 20th century, a growing number of worrying phenomena Can infinite growth be sustained in a finite system? First warnings by philosophers and scientists Rachel Carson (27 September 1962) Ernst F. Schumacher Konrad Lorenz Club of Rome

The Club of Rome

The Club of Rome – first reports

Dynamic growth of tourism industry
“The industry of 21st century” “The industry of peace” Growth never experienced before, indeed “Suicidal industry”

Relationship of tourism and natural environment
Tourism had an impact on environment after the industrial revolution – for two reasons Considerable impact from the middle of the 20th century, with mass tourism and the intensive use of motorisation Mass tourism entails environmental degradation Relationship between tourism and environment is reciprocal, but impact of natural environment on tourism far less intensive and frequent as vice versa

Impact of tourism on environment
The largest scale degradation in most popular tourism destinations Pollution of air soil water Noise pollution Degradation of flora and fauna landscape

Impact of tourism on environment – air
Pollution of the aircrafts and vehicles using combustion engines Heat pollution by the excessive use of air conditioning devices

Impact of tourism on environment – soil and rocks
Littering Chemical degradation of soil: pollution by combustion engines Physical degradation of soil: touristic constructions; treading by (too many) tourists Destruction of rocks by climbers Damages by tourists (breaking of stalactites)

Impact of tourism on environment – water
Pollution from combustion engines Deterioration of shore and seaside flora (due to port constructions, establishment of beaches) Heat pollution at thermal water resorts

Impact of tourism on environment – flora and fauna
Fires lit by tourists Collection of plants, rare and endangered species Disturbing animals (noise or simple presence of tourists) Treading of plants Infrastructure splits larger habitats into smaller and non-contiguous ones Irresponsible hunting

Impact of tourism on environment – scenery and landscape
Constructions not fitted into nature Degradation of vegetation to due touristic infrastructure (e.g. cutting down forests to make way to ski lifts and ski slopes) Turning picturesque seaside resorts into blocks of hotels

1960 Dubai Now

1950s Now Costa Blanca, Benidorm

1937 Uruguay, Punta del Este 2006

Possible positive impacts of tourism on natural environment
Areas declared protected will be protected from further damages (caused not only by tourism); Growing demand by population and municipalities for the for the beautification and protection of the environment; Education and enlightenment related to tourism; Infrastructure made along tourist paths

A response to challenges: ecotourism
Rio World Summit,1992: agreement on the protection of species and natural habitats. Part of this convention is “Precautionary principle” UNWTO concept of sustainable tourism (also by EU): “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.” IUCN definition of ecotourism: “environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features — both past and present) that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local populations”

Historical preliminaries
1980: Manila Declaration (with special focus on the protection of the environment) 1982: Acapulco Documents (moral and environmental responsibility of tourism development) 1985: Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourism Code (responsible behaviour of tourists) 1987: Brundtland Report (significance of sustainable development first emphasised in the report called”Our Common Future”

1992 Rio de Janeiro, Environment and Development – „Earth Summit” 1995: Lanzarote Charter for Sustainable Tourism, (UNEP, UNESCO, EU on sustainable tourism) 1996: Agenda 21 „For travel and the tourism industry” (featuring important steps to be done by the tourism sector, governments and other organisation) WTO; WTTC; Rio E.S. 1999: GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS FOR TOURISM 2000 Millennium Development Goals

2002: Québec Declaration on Ecotourism (International Year of Ecotourism) 2002: Cape Town Declaration 2002: Johannesburg Earth Council, World Conference on Sustainable Development 2012: Rio de Janeiro, Rio+20 Corporate Sustainable Forum 2015: New York: UN Sustainable Development Summit

Alternative tourism A break away from (the negative impacts of) mass tourism Focus on individual demands and relationship to natural environment Principles of sustainable development in focus Now a deeper, positive content and meaning: a collective category that aggregates tourism actions as a counter-trend against mass tourism. Like mild, responsible and ecotourism

Alternative tourism Mass tourism will remain but hopefully number and proportion of responsible tourisms will increase Also attractive for those tourists fed up with schematic solutions of mass tourism, want unique and authentic Allows a more in-depth insight to the cultural and natural values of the visited destinations As opposed to financial gains in the narrow sense, it is ecology, future generations and interest of local inhabitants that are represented

Hard and soft tourism Features of hard tourism
Features of soft tourism Inconsiderate Considerate Offensive Defensive Aggressive Cautious Fast/untamed Slow/realistic Great leaps forwards Small steps Controllable Controlled Non-regulated Regulated Maximalist Optimising Exaggerative Moderate Short term Long term Particular interests General interests Managed from outside Self-defined and managed Less resistance More resistance Sectoral/thematic Integrated Price-centred Value-centred Quantitative Qualitative Growth Improvement

Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
Article 1: Tourism’s contribution to the mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies Expectations against the behaviours of the tourists: respect for minority and indigenous rights and habits; Keeping local laws and respect for local traditions; Respect different tastes and lifestyle in destination; No offensive behaviour

Article 2: Tourism as a vehicle for individual and collective fulfilment Tourism (most often associated with recreation, sport, culture and nature) must be planned and practiced as a special tool of individual and collective fulfilment; if done openly enough, tourism is a factor of self-training, mutual tolerance and recognition of the differences and diversities of nations and cultures

Article 3: Tourism, a factor of sustainable development (1) All actors in the development of tourism must protect natural environment for a health, continuous and sustainable economic growth that satisfies the needs of both present and future generations (2) National, regional and local authorities must manage and promote tourism developments aiming at the preservation of rare and expensive resources – especially water and energy –and minimising the production of waste (3) Influxes of tourists must be distributed in time and space. Less concentration is needed so that the environmental stress of tourism should decrease and positive impacts of tourism on environment and local society should increase

Article 3: Tourism, a factor of sustainable development (4) Tourism infrastructure must be designed and touristic actives planned so as to protect natural heritage made by ecosystems and biodiversity, and protect endangered species. Actors in tourism development must approve some restriction of their activities in sensitive areas (deserts, polar areas, coasts, tropical forests or swamps) or protected areas (5) Natural tourism and ecotourism are seen as forms of tourism that increase the recognition of tourism, provided that they respect natural heritage and meet the carrying capacity of the areas

Article 4: Tourism, a user of cultural heritage of mankind and a contributor to its enhancement Touristic activities must be done with respect to the artistic, archaeological and cultural heritage of the destination. Some oft he revenues must be reinvested for preservation and development. Interest of private owners and case of clerical buildings the aspects of believers must be considered. The preservation and promotion of traditional handicrafts activities and folk art must be supported, making sure that they do not become cheap

Article 5: Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities Local population must be involved in tourism, the economic, social and cultural benefits of tourism must be shared with them. A tourism policy must be implemented that contributes to the increase in the living standards of the host community. The employment of local labour force must be given priority. For the foundation of environmental plans environmental impact assessments must be made

Article 6: Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development Tourism experts of the destination must give honest and objective information on the services. All efforts should be made for safety, accident prevention and food safety. A contribution must be made to the cultural and intellectual development of tourists, free practice of religion must be secured

Article 7: Right to tourism All inhabitants of the world have the right to tourism, so no obstacles should be made to it. Authorities must support social tourism, promoting access to leisure time, travel and holidays. Family, youth and student tourism must be promoted, and also the tourism of the elderly and handicapped persons

Article 8: Liberty of tourist movements Article 9: Right of workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry Article 10: Implementation of the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

Sources: https://www.baraka.hu/zold-baraka
Edwards, J.R .(1987): The UK Heritage coast: An Assessment of the Ecological Impacts of Tourism, Annals of Tourism Research 14(1): 71-87 Cohen, E. (1978): The Impact of Tourism on the Physical Environment, Annals of Tourism Research, 5(2): WTM 2014 Industry Support

Sources:

Sources: Hawaiian town of Kailua asks state to stop recommending it as a tourist destination. Available online: Németh Á. (2008): A klímaváltozás hatása a turizmusra. A Magyar Tudomány Ünnepe a Föld bolygó nemzetközi éve jegyében, Miskolc, november 12

The birth and development of ecotourism
The birth and development of ecotourism. Ecotourism in the travel industry. Advantages of ecotourism

Possible ways to achieve sustainable tourism
Balance of impacts of tourism on nature can be made positive by Preference of alternative (possibly environment friendly) types of tourism, decreasing the number of participants in mass tourism Placing mass tourism on environment friendly grounds, emphasising and intensifying positive impacts Steps to sustainable tourism: Planned (conscious) developments constructions matching the environment, the landscape, infrastructure developments to decrease the amount of pollutants emitted to nature designation of nature protection areas Information and knowledge shaping experiences of former tourists, publications, travel guide books media, internet etc.

Appearance of ecology in tourism – world tourism day themes 1980-1991
1980: Tourism's contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to peace and mutual understanding 1981: Tourism and the quality of life 1982: Pride in travel: good guests and good hosts 1983: Travel and holidays are a right but also a responsibility for all 1984: Tourism for international understanding, peace and cooperation 1985: Youth Tourism: cultural and historical heritage for peace and friendship 1986: Tourism: a vital force for world peace 1987: Tourism for development 1988: Tourism: education for all 1989: The free movement of tourists creates one world 1990: Tourism: an unrecognized industry, a service to be released ("The Hague Declaration on Tourism") 1991: Communication, information and education: powerlines of tourism development

1992: Tourism: a factor of growing social and economic solidarity and of encounter between people 1993: Tourism development and environmental protection: towards a lasting harmony 1994: Quality staff, quality tourism 1995: WTO: serving world tourism for twenty years 1996: Tourism: a factor of tolerance and peace 1997: Tourism: a leading activity of the twenty-first century for job creation and environmental protection 1998: Public-private sector partnership: the key to tourism development and promotion 1999: Tourism: preserving world heritage for the new millennium 2000: Technology and nature: two challenges for tourism at the dawn of the twenty-first century 2001: Tourism: a toll for peace and dialogue among civilizations 2002: Ecotourism, the key to sustainable development

2003: Tourism: a driving force for poverty alleviation, job creation and social harmony 2004: Sport and tourism: two living forces for mutual understanding, culture and the development of societies 2005: Travel and transport: from imaginary of Jules Verne to the reality of the 21st century 2006: Tourism Enriches 2007: Tourism opens doors for women 2008: Tourism Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change and global warming 2009: Tourism – Celebrating Diversity

2010: Tourism & Biodiversity 2011: Tourism Linking Cultures 2012: Tourism and Energetic Sustainability 2013: Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future 2014: Tourism and community development 2015: 1 billion tourists, 1 billion opportunities 2016: Tourism4all

Ecotourism One of the fastest growing sectors in tourism – but growing from a low initial level A productand a way of thinking? Not all is eco was is said to be eco

The concepts of ecotourism
Clarification of the concept of ecotourism in the professional literature has not been done yet Very concept of ecotourism itself is debated, i.e. whether it should be seen as a tourism product or as a basic principle to be followed The first definition of ecotourism was made by Mexican architect Hector Ceballos Lascuráin: "That form of environmentally responsible tourism that involves travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas with the object of enjoying, admiring, and studying the nature (the scenery, wild plants and animals), as well as any cultural aspect (both past and present) found in these areas, through a process which promotes conservation, has a low impact on the environment and on culture and favours the active and socioeconomically beneficial involvement of local communities".

The concepts of ecotourism – Ecoclub
Ecotourism means an ecological tourism, it is a process meant to change the whole of tourism ideal state of tourism to be reached, which minimises its own environmental impacts, establishes a financial fund for the protection of the environment, this financial fund supports equality and decreases poverty in local communities by the assistance of projects, also, it increases environmental and cultural knowledge, mutual understanding of cultures. Also, it is accessible and open to all

The concepts of ecotourism – IUCN
Ecotourism is environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and accompanying cultural features, both past and present) that promotes conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local peoples

The concepts of ecotourism – WTO
Ecotourism is used to mean forms of tourism with the following characteristics: All nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is the observation and appreciation of nature as well as the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas. It contains educational and interpretation features. It is generally, but not exclusively organised by specialised tour operators for small groups. Service provider partners at the destinations tend to be small, locally owned businesses. It minimises negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural environment. It supports the maintenance of natural areas which are used as ecotourism attractions by: generating economic benefits for host communities, organisations and authorities managing natural areas with conservation purposes, providing alternative employment and income opportunities for local communities, increasing awareness towards the conservation of natural and cultural assets, both among locals and tourists

Basic principles of ecotourism
Conscious choice Small groups of visitors Use of local Consumption of locally made products Preference of environment friendly solutions Responsible behaviour, respect of local values, habits and traditions Demand to get to know the local lifestyle Longer duration of stay, deeper and more meaningful relationship to the local society Part of healthy lifestyle (physical activity, tranquillity, eating habits) – LOHAS group

The importance of ecotourism
It is very difficult to assess the market share of the world’s ecotourism, because it is organically linked to other tourism activities; the definition of ecotourism is not universal; and accordingly the statistical data are also collected in different ways UNWTO estimates the market share of ecotourism to be around 1 to 9 per cent, while this figure is about 20% in Europe

Origins of ecotourism After the post World War II period, also linked to the appearance and transition of consumer society The development of the tourism supply can also be traced back to individualisation typical of consumer society, which process has implications for ecotourism too One of the aspects of individualism is that travellers of the consumer society wanted special, unique experiences Another aspect is the increase of mobility, as a result of which distant destinations also became accessible

Origins of ecotourism In the mid-60s then a new form of travel appeared: adventure tours, which participants chose for some extra sports achievement (e.g. mountain climbing), or special aesthetic experiences or natural phenomena (volcanoes, the observation of exotic animals etc.), or simply to try a specific means of travel (boats, elephants) Primary destinations of these travels were countries of the third world with their almost unspoilt nature Travellers fascinated by the new pleasure of consumption – and also the organisers of tourism – used natural areas at that time without taking into consideration the principles of sustainability, which soon made the negative impacts of tourism palpable

Origins of ecotourism In the late 1970s and early 1980s the world organisations of nature and environment protection were created and they drew attention to the problematic impacts on the natural and social environment induced by the travels Their campaigns resulted in the organisation of the first eco-minded tours and to the birth of ecotourism per se as a form of travel

Origins of ecotourism Ecotourism was raised to the level of the other tourism sectors and was given more and more attention, due to the ever strengthening global and local movements of environment and nature protection The appearance and development of ecotourism thus perfectly fits into the worldwide trends: the appreciation of nature, increased environmental consciousness, evaluation of health and healthy environment, self-expression, the strengthening of individualisation, the search for authentic values (or values looking authentic), globalisation and the access to information

The benefits of sustainable tourism

Economic benefits of ecotourism
For the visitor: value for the money paid for the participation in the experience, if there are competitive businesses and good touristic infrastructure in the destination For the host: jobs, diversification of the local economy, decreased dependence on a small number of jobs. Sustainable tourism leads to cooperation and specialisation of businesses, leading to higher efficiency and higher profitability

Environmental benefits of ecotourism
For the visitor: beauty of the landscape – if there is access to natural and historic sites and it is possible to do outdoor hiking or cultural activities For the host: tourism is seen as a tool for the protection of nature and cultural heritage. It is good for nature if tourism strengthens the environment friendly production and consumption patterns of the guests and the local society

Social benefits of ecotourism
For the visitor: tourists feel at home because tourism respects the lifestyle and culture of hosts. Sustainable tourism promotes personal contacts and value transfer between cultures – contributing thereby to the better understanding of different cultures and peoples For the host: if hosts feel the advantages of tourism (stable and more jobs, improved living standards), the level of social justice will rise. Hosts feel that they are parts of the society they live in (social involvement). Contacts are made between visitors and hosts

Important to know about ecotourism products
Tourists travel for experiences, visitors buy experiences → transfer of knowledge in itself is very rarely enough to offer a real experience; some other – interpretation – tools are also necessary Passing on information without experiences is similar to teaching, which is not a good approach for attitude shaping Interpretation also means that we should develop the expectations and experiences of tourists. Interpretation is a tool for getting to know and understand local values, as it effectively makes tourists aware of the natural and cultural values. Besides the protection of values, interpretation itself creates a value

Market and trends of ecotourism
The market of ecotourism has been one of the fastest developing tourism segments for years, reasons: tourists more and more consciously seek experiences enriching their lives and worldview changing attitude to nature, development of environmental education in public education and the growing attention of media in environmental issues From the 1990s, ecotourism has reached an annual growth of 20-34% (three times more rapidly than the whole of the tourism sector) A significant growth is expected in the development of ecotourism in the coming two decades as well, parallel to the stagnation of the traditional sun-sea-sand market

Market and trends of ecotourism
The market of ecotourism is not a single market: wide spectrum of products/experiences several consumers activities, motivations and features Participation of the elder generations in the major markets of ecotourism: in North America, Northern Europe and to a smaller extent in Japan A problem related to the interpretation of ecotourism is that travel agencies, taking into consideration the sensitivity of the consumers in this respect, label all of their products offering nature-related services or done in nature with the “eco” specification

Supply of ecotourism The supply structure of ecotourism is special from many aspects, as it does not exclusively has to adapt to the demands, to the needs of the visitors but it should primarily focus on the protection of environmental values, and on the service elements designed for and realised besides the protection of these values

Supply of ecotourism – attractions
The attractions of ecotourism are built on the natural endowments Natural endowments and natural values in themselves are not necessarily attractions: in most cases it takes interpretation techniques and tools which are suitable for the successful presentation of the given natural or cultural-historical values The objective of ecotourism services, besides giving tourists an unforgettable experience, is to make visitors more dedicated to the preservation of natural, cultural and social values

Supply of ecotourism – other elements
Respective elements of the tourism supply should harmonise with the objectives of ecotourism Accommodations should preferably be buildings fitting into the landscape, with minimum stress on the environment and applying environmental-friendly procedures Catering should be based on foods made from local products An indispensable part of ecotourism is the involvement of guides and experts providing knowledge dissemination and education in the design and implementation of programmes. In absence of guides, adequate information network, infrastructure and interpretation are needed to allow visitors to get a deep and enjoyable knowledge on the area

Supply of ecotourism – other elements
The success of the ecotourism product is secured if it is built on local resources and the services are offered in the first place by local inhabitants In addition, one of the biggest sources of please for ecotourists is the relationship built with the local people, getting to know the local culture, habits, and participation in the lives of the local people

Supply of ecotourism Many of the values in protected areas: dilemma
In protected areas it is protection that has a priority Hungary, Act No. LIII. of 1996 on the protection of nature: “in protected areas the national park directorates must provide access to the protected natural values as part of knowledge dissemination, education, scientific research and tourism” For the national park directorates, tourism is a “compulsory” task but also a source of revenue Target areas of ecotourism are not exclusively protected areas, and the needs of market can be better focused on in non-protected areas

Infrastructure of ecotourism
Visitor centres or reception centres Complex institutions established at the centres of the national parks or in other areas visited by tourists, whose basic services include an information desk, exhibition room for permanent and temporary environmental exhibitions, a conference room, a workshop and a “green” shop. In addition, auxiliary services may include a library of publications on nature protection, catering facilities and accommodation

Educational centre, with nature-related workshop programmes Environmental education programmes offered in these places are primarily used by organised school and forest school groups, often together with accommodation

Local sights or specialised exhibition places Designed for the general introduction of natural or cultural heritage of a specific type, and the surrounding area. Typically, several forms of introduction are applied, including geological exhibition places, show farms, arboretums, local museum houses and local history exhibitions Open-air exhibition places are not bound by opening hours, they can be visited at any time

Cave exhibition places in more or less explored caves open to visitors

Ecotourism – accommodations
Typical accommodations of ecotourism are the so-called eco-lodges Example: Öko-park boarding house in Szarvaskő, Hungary ( In the centres of the Hungarian national park directorates and connected to the visitor centres and forest schools we also find accommodations, offered mostly to researchers and school groups Ecotourism may also involve the local accommodations used by rural tourism, as through these accommodations the ecotourism product can involve and support the local community

Demand of ecotourism 2005 survey of the International Ecotourism Society found that the consumer groups participating in international ecotourism can be characterised as follows: two-thirds of the tourists from Great Britain are aged 25-40; this figure is 70% in North America; North American tourists prefer travelling in summer, but pre- and after-season are also favoured; the average duration of stay of visitors of nature is 5-9 days in the USA; in Australia an average of 33 days are spent on getting to know natural environment; the Hungarian travellers only spend 3 days on ecotourism activities on the average, only 20% of them spend more time on ecotourism

Demand of ecotourism The motivations, behaviour and socio-cultural background of ecotourists primary motivation: observation and evaluation of the beauties of the landscape and nature, and getting to know the culture of the visited areas auxiliary motivation: demand for getting new experiences and seeing new places

Types of ecotourists There are no “clear” traveller types, today’s intensive travellers travel in many different ways Everybody is only an “occasional” ecotourist, because they also visit cities, make holiday in rural areas or at seasides Only a part of the tourists participating in ecotourism are “real” ecotourists

Types of ecotourists International Ecotourism Society differentiates among four consumer segments on the basis of driving forces, motivations: occasional green tourists (50-60% of all visitors) active green tourists, “outdoor tourists” (20-30% of all visitors) ecotourists (10-15% of all visitors) dedicated ecotourists (5-10% of all visitors)

Occasional green tourists
they make short visits of one hour or two; their main motivation is getting to know a place of historical relevance or protected natural area, as well as entertainment; the main attraction for them is special natural landscapes, tranquillity and clean air; their interest can be grabbed with awareness raising events, they are more attracted by experiences than receiving in-depth knowledge; they travel primarily when weather is fine for excursions; the require higher comfort level and are less keen on active recreation; they decide on the basis of what they hear from acquaintances and friends, in the first place; they use middle category accommodations; they typically make self-organised tours, but they also may be participants of group tours who only pay a short visit to an exhibition place

Service packages for occasional green tourists
well-known and well built out exhibition places, visited study paths easily accessible by car; programmes enriched with experiences, e.g. carriage riding in the ‘steppe’ (waste land) or horse riding

Active green tourists this group can be divided into one-day, several days and longer stays. They are typically young; the main motivation of the tourists is to pursue some fashionable outdoor sport or active recreation; these people can be divided into two groups on the basis of their interest: those interested in adventure tours, and in outdoor sports (mainly hiking), the centre of their interests is recreation; they frequently participate in eco-tours or eco-based tours; their travel does not depend on the weather; they see special landscape and clean air as attractions too; they gather detailed information on the accessible values of the areas, the exhibition places, accommodations etc.; the sources of information they use include internet, catalogues, travel guide books; they also use middle category rural tourism and private accommodations

Service packages for active green tourists
sport activities that can be pursued in beautiful natural environment; they primarily make group travels, both in organised and non-organised way

Ecotourists their main motivation is getting to know and understand natural-ecological values; they feel themselves responsible for the protection of the natural environment and they actively do something for that; they visit areas for a longer time, in order to get to know their values more thoroughly; their travel does not depend on the weather; their level of tolerance to environment pollution is low; they are willing ot take an active part in researches and eco-projects

Dedicated ecotourists
for this segment ecotourism is more of a lifestyle than a product; they regularly participate in ecotourism; their primary motivation is learning; the love of nature and the concept of sustainability are parts of their lives; they often sleep in tents, they require simple but environment friendly accommodations; they take an active part in nature protection

Service packages for dedicated ecotourists
instead of spectacular and striking programme elements, they choose a destination in order to get to know the values significant from natural sciences or cultural history perspective; they prefer to purchase local products, in fact, they search for such products; they often try the local public transportation, they travel in an environment friendly way, by bicycle or on foot, or by public transport; they use as much information as possible before making their travel decisions

Most renowned eco-destinations of the world
Most important ecotourism destinations on the international market are Latin America, Africa, Australia and some parts of Asia In Latin America it is mostly concentrated on the mountains of the Ands, and the forests of the inner regions. Most tourists come from the USA; besides the visitors form the USA a large number of European visitors also arrive Brazil has an outstanding significance, in this country the environment friendly attitude is becoming more and more typical, following the traditions of the 1992 Rio Conference

In the larger part of Africa visitors are attracted by huge open areas, exotic wildlife and tribal culture The wildlife of East Africa, the safaris, the huge national parks of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda may be the most famous destinations, but the South African countries also consider as central elements their unspoilt national parks, which are better protected than the East African ones and where the demands of the animals are more often taken into consideration. Both regions are successful in attracting tourists from the largest tourism markets of the world (USA, Great Britain, Germany etc.), despite the fact that in East Africa market sales are hindered by serious social and economic problems

The huge and sparsely populated continent of Australia is an important attraction in ecotourism, due to its unspoilt seaside, deserts and mountains and the political stability Its main markets are the countries of the Pacific region, mostly the USA and Japan

In Asia it mainly India and Nepal are significant ecotourism destinations India’s ecotourism market includes the large countries of origin in Europe (United Kingdom, Germany, France), the USA, but also a large number of tourists from the Middle East and Japan Average duration of stay very long, 28 days, but this also includes the visits to the relatives having emigrated to the UK and the Middle East The proportion of young tourists with rucksacks is also high; they spend 21 days on the average in India

The Indian sub-continent has the most diverse fauna and flora after Africa, and in the proportion of protected areas it is Africa again that can compete with India, only (more than 70 national parks and 330 game reserves ) In Nepal it is the ridges of the Himalaya that are the primary attraction, apart from China it is the place from which it is possible to approach the highest peaks in the world, the Mount Everest or the Annapurna. Visitors are usually mountain climbers, mountain hikers, adventure tourists, but white water rafting and mountain cycling are also available. The most popular activity is mountain hiking

International trends in ecotourism
In the United Kingdom ecotourists are typically years old (two-thirds of them), a similar proportion can be seen in North America where the share of this generation is approximately 70% The age of the tourists impacts to a large extent on the experiences that they seek: a higher proportion of visitors under 24 participate in physically challenging activities such as mountain climbing, kayak tours, rafting, cliff climbing and sailing. In Australia this age group is interested in derelict lands and in safaris, the age group of is more keen on diving, while the national parks are more typically visited by people older than 55

Literature has little information on seasonality. The North American ecotourists like travelling in summer (23% in June, 40% in July and 40% in August), but the pre- and post-season months are also popular (16% for May and 29% for September), also, there are ecotourists even in winter The length of the travels is rather varied, depending on the activity chosen. The average USA tourists on vacation spend less time (3-4 days) than the nature walkers (5-9 days) during their travel. In Australia, those who arrive with the goal to see the natural environment spend an average of 33 days in the country, those on vacation 24 days. The domestic travellers, however, only spend half a day or one day with ecotourism activities and only 20% of them spend four days or more; the average is only there days

A quarter of the North American tourists wish to spend USD 200 per capita on ecotourism activities, and they also calculate USD 238 per capita for travel costs For specialised ecotourism products there seems to be a higher spending willingness. It is also evident that people are willing to pay more for rare natural values than for values similar attractions to which can be found in many places. Willingness to spend money also correlates to the quality of other services, like tourism information centres, the quality of accommodation and guiding, and of traffic devices

Connection of ecotourism to other tourism products
Ecotourism is an excellent segment to mutually complement and intertwine with the services of cultural and heritage tourism, rural tourism, and active and health tourism Supply of ecotourism may be enriched by the creation of joint complex programme packages worked out with other tourism segments: there is a very narrow layer of people in many countries who consider natural attractions as their primary motivation to travel. On the other hand, ecotourism supply may complement the supply of a region, ecotourism destinations may be parts of bigger tours, also, ecotourism offers special, unique programmes attractive for smaller segments (e.g. photography tours, wildlife watches, adventure tours)

Ecotourism and active tourism: cycling, walking and water tourism are possible means for environment friendly movements The improvement of the possibilities of public transportation contributes to the environment friendly operation, which is a basic principle of ecotourism Some special, unique means of travel – e.g. the narrow-gauge small trains – may be parts of the ecotourism products, due to the adventure of the nature of transport

Ecotourism and rural/agritourism: ecotourists indirectly may revive local handicrafts, and they also may have a favourable impact on arts In the green shops of the exhibition places of nature protection, the sales of the local handicrafts products may enlarge supply, on the one hand, and may contribute to the support of the local community, on the other hand In the visitors centres locally made products should be sold, and in catering facilities local food products should be preferred

Ecotourism and rural accommodations: Such accommodations are important parts of the supply of ecotourism in a region from several aspects: in space they are connected to the locations of ecotourism, to rural regions; if tourists visiting natural attractions and the related cultural sights use local accommodations, a basic criterion, i.e. the support of the local community is already satisfied; rural accommodations fit into the image of ecotourism, coming from their character and structure; accommodations and ecotourism services can collaborate and mutually advertise each other; rural accommodations are small capacity accommodations, which is also a basic principle of ecotourism

Ecotourism and health tourism: for the development of health tourism a basic condition is healthy environment, the diversity of the natural and landscape endowments, their preservation and sustainable use If the conditions of ecotourism are also improved in connection with the development of health tourism, we make a more effective step to improve the living conditions of the domestic population and to disseminate the importance of a healthy way of living

From “Landscape eaters” to conscious tourists

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