Ex.23. Read and discuss the following text:
Ecotourism: the new face of travel
Although there are many definitions of ecotourism, the term is most commonly
used to describe any leisure in a natural environment. The International
Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as: "responsible travel to natural areas
that preserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people".
Worldwide, tourism generates annual revenues of nearly $3 trillion and
contributes nearly 11% of global GDP (Gross National Product), making it the
world's largest industry. While the events of September 11 have shaken the
tourism industry and made it difficult to predict long-term trends, ecotourism is
a growing component of the tourism industry as a whole, and several factors
indicate that it is likely to thrive over time. These factors include an increased
awareness of environmental issues among tourist populations, the willingness
of tourists to engage in socially conscious travel, and the interest in visiting
lesser-known countries like Thailand and Belize rather than traditional holiday
getaways.
In 1993, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) estimated that nature tourism
generated 7% of all international travel expenditure. More recent research
reveals that this figure is now much higher, accounting for 20% of international
travel in the Asia-Pacific region and some regions, such as South Africa, are
experiencing massive visitor growth of more than 100% per year.
Ecotourists tend to travel in economy class and use clean but private 2 or 3 star
accommodation. They usually stay with local families or in small, eco-friendly
hotels called ecolodges. These opportunities for personal contact with
members of the host community facilitate cross-cultural exchanges and add
greatly to the value of ecotourism experiences for some individuals.
Ecotourists are articulate, assertive and well-educated. They demand quality
experiences. When planning their trips, ecotourists ask themselves many
questions. They want to be informed of the best times to visit a particular site
and the trade-offs that are made at other times.
Among international ecotourists, most come from Northern Europe and North
America rather than Southern Europe or Latin America. Many Australians are
also keen to experience ecotourism.
In practice, ecotourism includes activities in which visitors have hands-on
experiences, such as bird watching in the Brazilian rainforest, hiking in the
mountains of Nepal, participating in a traditional village festival, or taking a
canoe trip on a river.
Here are some of the many topics that interest ecotourists: local flora and
fauna, geology (people are interested in soils and what makes them different),
spectacular features (waterfalls, lakes, large forests, rocky headlands, coral
reefs), history and culture. The aspects that ecotourists find very interesting
are: customs and rituals, religion, traditional arts and crafts (such as weaving),
ceremonies (Balinese attract several hundred people to their cremation
ceremonies), traditional music and dance, traditional architecture and
construction, traditional way of life generally from forms of agriculture to food
and cooking style.
Many factors attract ecotourists. Besides destinations, providing quality
information is the key factor in ecotourism. Ecotourists are willing to endure a
lot of discomfort to explore areas if the topics can be made interesting.
The more it explains, the better the explanations, the more time they will
spend exploring. Ecotourists do not want to be in a hurry. They prefer fewer
stops with more quality time to each. They want to watch the sunsets. They
want to be assured that they will get adequate and well-planned quality time.
Ecotourism has the potential to bring many economic benefits to traditional
crops. However, achieving these benefits depends on how ecotourism is
managed. Having a good resource to attract ecotourists is a good start, but to
get the greatest local benefits, careful management is needed to maximize the
time they spend locally.
Example 23. Read and discuss the following text:
Ecotourism: the new face of travel
Although there are many definitions of ecotourism, the term is most often used
to describe any outdoor recreation. The International Society for Ecotourism
defines ecotourism as: "responsible travel to natural areas that preserves the
environment and improves the well-being of local residents."
Globally, tourism generates nearly $3 trillion in annual revenue and accounts
for nearly 11% of global GNP (gross national product), making it the largest
industry in the world. Although the events of September 11 shook the tourism
industry and made it difficult to predict long-term trends, ecotourism is a
growing component of the larger tourism industry, and several factors indicate
that it is likely to thrive over time. These factors include increased awareness of
environmental issues among the tourist population, the willingness of tourists
to engage in socially-oriented travel, and an interest in visiting lesser-known
countries such as Thailand and Belize rather than traditional holidays.
The World Tourism Organization (WTO) estimates that in 1993 nature tourism
accounted for 7 per cent of all expenditure on international travel. More recent
studies show that this figure is now much higher, accounting for 20 per cent of
international travel in the Asia-Pacific region, and some regions, such as South
Africa, have seen a significant increase in visitor numbers of more than 100 per
cent per year.
Ecotourists tend to travel sparingly and enjoy clean but private 2- or 3-star
rooms. They usually stay with local families or small eco-friendly hotels called
ecolodges. These opportunities for personal contact with members of the host
community facilitate intercultural exchange and greatly increase the value of
the ecotourism experience for some people.
Ecotourists are eloquent, assertive and well-educated. They require quality
experience. When ecotourists plan their trips, they have many questions. They
want to be informed about the best time to visit a particular site and what
trade-offs are possible there at other times.
Among international ecotourists, most come from Northern Europe and North
America, not from Southern Europe or Latin America. Many Australians are also
keen to go ecotourism.
Practically speaking, ecotourism includes activities in which visitors gain handson experience, such as bird watching in the Brazilian rainforest, hiking in the
mountains of Nepal, participating in a traditional village festival, or canoeing
down a river.
Below are just a few of the many topics that interest ecotourists: local flora and
fauna, geology (people are interested in soils and how they differ), impressive
sights (waterfalls, lakes, majestic forests, rocky promontories, coral reefs),
history and culture.
Aspects that ecotourists find very interesting: customs and rituals, religion,
traditional arts and crafts (such as weaving), ceremonies (Balinese attract many
hundreds of people to their cremation ceremonies), traditional music and
dance, traditional architecture and construction, traditional way of life in
general, from forms of agriculture to diet. and cooking style.
There are many factors that attract ecotourists. In addition to directions, the
provision of quality information is a key factor in ecotourism. Ecotourists are
willing to endure a lot of discomfort to explore areas if they can be made
interesting.
The more it explains and the better the explanations, the more time they will
spend studying. Ecotourists don't want to be rushed. They prefer fewer stops
with better quality times on each. They want to watch sunsets. They want to be
sure they get adequate, well-planned quality time.
Ecotourism can bring many economic benefits to traditional cultures. However,
whether these benefits are realized depends on how effectively ecotourism is
managed. Having good resources to attract ecotourists is a good start, but
getting the most local benefits requires careful management to maximize the
time they spend on site.