Nature, recreation and tourism

 The broad realm for touristic activities staged in natural

environments, bridging leisure and the environment is called
Adventure Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (ATOR).
 It is surmised that ATOR will be at the forefront for tourists with a
“healthy” lifestyle (Polovitz Nickerson et al 2014)
 ATOR includes adventure tourism, ecotourism and outdoor
recreation.
 From the late 20th century (1980s onward), increasing
environmental awareness have motivated association and
application of more ecofriendly practices to touristic activities
 It has been a dominant and growing trend in tourism, and has
produced several new modes of practicing leisure activities while
visiting places.
 Polovitz Nickerson et al added variation to the following terms:
- Sustainable tourism: informed partnership of all relevant
stakeholders assessing impacts and introducing the necessary
corrective measures to ensure a meaningful experience to the
tourists, raising their awareness and promoting sustainable
tourism practices’.
- Ecotourism: responsible travel to natural areas which
conserve the environment and improves the well-being of local
people

 Eco-terminology applied to tourism

- Responsible tourism
- Fair tourism
- Solidary tourism
- Ethical tourism
- Soft tourism
 - Zero-waste
- Geotourism

 Main principles of sustainable tourism (Aiken 2002):

- Contributes to conservation of biodiversity
- Sustains the well being of local people
- Includes interpretation/learning experience
- Involves responsible action on the part of tourists and the
industry
- Is delivered primarily to small groups by small scale business
- Requires lowest possible consumption of non-renewable
resources
- Stresses local participation and ownership

 7 priorities to help sustainable tourism (Green Flag international,

1990s):
1. Help create internally helpful, not just internally critical info
bases.
2. Demonstrate that good environmental performance can
generate significant and meaningful return on investment.
3. Help stimulate demand for change (not only among the
“converted”)
4. Create a working relationship between environmental action
and business
5. Engender confidence (don’t work from “catastrophe
scenarios”)
6. Stress the need for quality leadership
7. Seek to ensure that tourism is developed upon the basis of
equitable and fair policies
Tourism, sustainability and carrying capacity – Pam Wight 1998
 Carrying capacity is the optimal diversity mix where an ecosystem
works in a healthy, balanced way.
 Capacity is surpassed when this balance is disturbed, usually by an
overcharge of stressors
 Subdivision of capacity:
- Ecological capacity (using ecosystem parameters)
- Physical capacity (using space parameters)
- Facility capacity (using development parameters)
- Social capacity (using experience parameters)
 The notion damage is associated with surpassed capacity (as in
over tourism)
- Damage may refer to an objective (measurable) impact and to
a more subjective interpretation, a value judgement.
- The consideration of damage occurrence depends on
 Management objectives
 Expert judgements
 Public values

Polovitz Nickerson et al (2014) surmise that environnemental législation

and enforcement constitute the best tool to ensure sustainability and
responsibility.
- They support this argument by making reference to
implementation Yukon of a “tough wilderness tourism licensing
law”- imposing permit requirements to adventure tour
companies, involving application of strict low impact practices
and techniques.
 - In 1996 Alberta, through its Tourism Education Council, had
used capacity-based criteria in the certification standards
applied to provincial tourist guides
 The aspect of responsible tourism is a signifying development of
sustainable product that is ecologically sound.
 Specific criteria defining responsible tourism include:
- Minimizing negative economic and environmental effects
- Generating greater economic benefits for local people
- Improving working conditions and access to the industry
- Involving local people in decisions that affect and concern them
- Making positive contributions to heritage preservation and
embracing diversity
- Make enjoyable and meaningful connections for tourists to
local cultural, social and environmental issues
- Providing access for physically challenged people
 Solidary tourism (fair, equitable): different degrees of relationship
and commitment from both tour operators and tourists vis-à-vis
resident populations
 Responsible indicates less commitment.
- There is a concern for using accommodations that respect the
natural environment and to minimally disturb the customs and
lifestyles of resident populations.
 With solidary tourism, the concern is to contribute to the socio-
economic development of the visited destinations.
- A certain share of the trip fare is forwarded directly to
community development projects. Example – development of
portable water systems (pumping and circulation), schools and
community services, crafts, coops etc.
- Travellers may become involved in work at the destination
(participate in building, community work etc.)
Green Certification – certifying groups/agencies to establish a list of
criteria which are weighed/scored to appraise
sustainability/responsibility
 There are now many such certification organizations (many are
identified on destinet.eu).
 Typical types of criteria for certification:
- Use of renewable energy sources
- Reduction of energy and water consumption
- Waste reduction
- Control greenhouse gas emissions
- Wastewater management
 Other types of such endeavours have broader objectives and seek
to consider the social and economic aspects for communities. One
of such is the Geotourism program, initiated through the National
Geographic Society Centre for Sustainable Destinations.
 Objectives of Geotourism certification:
- Minimizing environmental damage
- Education tourists about conservation and cultural heritage
- Involving residents in tourism management and benefits