The emergence and development of ecological tourism is due to the desire of mankind to minimize the environmental change. Ecotourism - particularly the tourist sector areas directed primarily at the contact with nature, the knowledge of its objects and phenomena akivny holiday. In this traditional entertainment, comfort, fade into the background.
People move to cities. Stress - already commonplace otribut urban lifestyle. Urban pace of life - did not match any physiological or psychological needs of man. Citizen seeks to nature, to be alone with her, a breath of fresh air from menit (at least temporarily) the stereotypes of urban life.
need for communion with nature was always a man. But if the early periods of history, wilderness has been an integral part of his life, later she gradually reduced, losing their savagery. Modern man, increasingly moving away from nature, still tends to slow down or even stop the inevitable process of technogenic.Therefore, it is in the second half of XX century, simultaneously with the formation of a consumer society and the emergence of global environmental problems arise eco-tourism. Environmental orientation of modern tourism was clearly manifested in the late 80-ies of XX century. However, back in the 60s in the United States held the first ecotourism campaign: tourists started showing whales to collect money for the protection of animals.
The emergence of ecological tourism in Russia and Ukraine can be dated 1995-1996. when the North West and the Far East was launched ecotourism projects. For the Tacis project plan was drawn up development of ecological tourism in the national park Vodlozersky in the North West. In the Far East on the draft of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) began supporting ecotourism in nature reserves and protected areas (PAs).
gained during the implementation of these projects, experience has enabled:
- determine the capabilities and features of the development of ecological tourism in the-sky reserves;
- formulate the main problems encountered in the implementation of sustainable tourism;
- propose a strategy of development of ecological tourism in protected areas.
In the course of this project was created Ecotourism Development Fund "Dersu Uzala" in order to promote theoretical and practical advancement in the Russian international concept of sustainable tourism, ecotourism development activities within the protected area.
in 1998-2001. positive experience in the Far East project was replicated in the Reserves and National Parks of Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast, Altai-Sayan region, Northern Caucasus in the framework of the ROLL Institute for Sustainable Communities in the means of USAID.
The project to develop eco-tourism was established Russian Association of ecotourism, which included the association of national parks in some regions of the Russian Federation, public organizations, tourist agencies, etc.
development of ecological tourism contributed a desire to get customers in new and unusual travel experiences, as well as the realization that the environment irreparably harm. It became obvious that mass tourism does not stand the test of time and customers want exotics in the program of tours, but then it becomes widely available, no longer considered exotic. Today the notion of exoticism is generally associated with the unexplored corners of the world, where previously traveled only a few, which preserved the natural state of nature and varieties of human culture vecheskoy in pure form. The development of ecological tourism, as tourism in general and to explain the two major factors: natural and recreational, historical and cultural. The presence of the rich cultural and natural potential of allowing countries, not even related to one of the most economically developed countries, to gain strong positions in the global tourism market. However, a prerequisite for this is an active state policy in tourism development.