Nature interpretation and sustainable
tourism. Visitor Management
strategies. Marketing based on
interpretation.
Latinka Topalova-Rzerzycha, Varna, 20-22 April
Nature in tourism
Nature-based tourism involves
experiencing natural places, typically
through outdoor activities that are
sustainable in terms of their impact on
the environment.
Ecotourism (1)
“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.” - IUCN
Ecotourism (2)
“Ecotourism is responsible travel to
natural areas that conserves the
environment and sustains the well-being
of local people.”
- Ecotourism Society's definition
Ecotourism (3)
(a) based upon relatively undisturbed
natural areas;
(b) non-damaging, non-degrading;
(c) a direct contributor to the continued
protection and management of the areas
used; and
(d) subject to an adequate and appropriate
management regime.
Adventure tourism (soft)
It requires a moderate level of physical
involvement by participants and are less
physically challenging than hard
activities. They can include – hiking/
bushwalking, mountain biking/bicycling,
camping, horseback riding, orienteering,
walking tours, wildlife spotting, whale
watching, river and lake canoeing and
fishing.
Adventure tourism (hard)
It involves a higher level of physical or rugged
involvement or a potentially greater personal
challenge for participants. The risk factor can
also increase. Hard adventure activities with a
nature basis or need include – caving, scuba
diving, trekking, white water rafting, kayaking,
rock and mountain climbing, cross-country
skiing, safaris, surfing, windsurfing, ballooning
and ocean sailing.
Special interest tourism
Nature-based tourism and its various
subsets can also encompass some
particularly challenging, but potentially
high spending, special interest market
segments. These often comprise socially
and environmentally aware, highly
educated and potentially demanding
visitors who travel both to learn and to
achieve personal and social goals.
Wildlife tourism
It involves travel to observe wildlife in
natural environments and preferably
their native habitat. It is a further subset
of nature tourism and one in which
significantly high levels of domestic and
international interest exist. Wildlife
tourism involves wild and non
domesticated animals and can encompass
free-ranging and captive circumstances.
IS NATURE-BASED
TOURISM SUSTAINABLE?
Sustainable tourism
“leading to management of all resources
in such a way that economic, social and
aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while
maintaining cultural integrity, essential
ecological processes, biological diversity
and life support systems”
- WTO
Visitor Management strategies
Direct Visitor Management strategies
• Physical (barriers, paths, boardwalks,
location of facilities).
• Regulatory (rules, regulations, permits)
• Economic (incentives, charges).
Indirect Visitor Management strategies
• Education
• Interpretation
Indirect mechanisms which seek to
reduce inappropriate behaviour on a
voluntary basis through education.
Interpretation-based Management
Strategies
• A ‘win-win’ situation for environmental
managers and tourists.
• Help to protect the environment.
• Increase visitor enjoyment.
• Widely applied in protected areas.
Interpretation and sustainable tourism
Enhancing visitor experience
• Providing information about products and
services
• Providing information to encourage safety
and comfort
• Creating actual experience
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: potential (1)
Managing visitors and theirs impact
• Influencing where visitors go.
• Informing about appropriate behavior
• Influencing visitors attitude and
behaviour to long-term conservation
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: potential (2)
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Local economic benefits
Interpretative facilities/attractions
Encouraging visitors to stay longer
Diversify and strengthen local economy
Direction to local businesses
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: potential (3)
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Local environmental benefit
Enhance visitors understanding about
environment
Raise awareness
Get involved
Change behaviour
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: potential (4)
Attitudes and values
• Bring less exploitative and more
rewarding interactions
• Stimulate the hosts pride
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: pitfalls (1)
Economic imperatives
• Interpretation for visitors, driven by
economic objectives (compromise themes
and neglect of resources)
• Community or heritage commoditized
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: pitfalls (2)
Selection and simplification
• Time limit of the visitors
• Not seeking for educational activities
• Adaptation of the programmes
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: pitfalls (3)
Danger of intrusion
• Interpretation on heritage and culture
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: pitfalls (4)
Danger of creating giant tourist’s
landscapes
• Interpretation focused on specific,
spectacular, unusual
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: pitfalls (5)
Politics, beliefs and integrity
• History and politics
Interpretation and sustainable
tourism: pitfalls (6)
Danger of elitism
• Easy to interpret for educated people
• Personal interpreters background
Marketing tourism destination
Mix of tourism products, experiences and other
intangible items offered to consumers.
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Amalgam of the 7 As:
Available packages
Accessibility
Attractions
Amenities
Activities
Ancillary services
Marketing strategy
Vision
Aims
Priorities and actions to achieve the aims
• Branding
• Accomplishment of common price policy
• Advertising
Conformation of key massages
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For the destination
Great place for a family vacation!
Teach you children to respect and care about
nature!
Escape from the stress of the big cities!
Great opportunity to do something interesting!
Great opportunity to discover new and unknown
mountain!
Discover and feel untouched nature!
Themes of Interpretative Programmes
• The future of Salamandra is in our hands.
• Birds of prey are amazing creatures!
• Thanks to the insects we know the world as it is
today.
• There are so many interesting plants and
animals in the forest.
• The life in forests is magic!
• Everything changes and we cannot judge on the
appearance – caterpillar turns into butterfly.
• All creatures in the forest are connected.
Thank you for your attention!
latinka@biodiversity.bg
www.bbf.biodiversity.bg