Business and biodiversity :: Ecotourism

The interdependence between tourism and the environment is recognized worldwide. A recent survey by the Industry and Environment Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP/IE) shows that the resource most essential for the growth of tourism is the environment.

Tourism has a significant impact upon the physical and social environment, while, at the same time, tourism''s success depends on the continued well-being of the environment. Because the physical and social environment constitutes the resource base for tourism, tourism has a vested interest in conserving and strengthening this resource base. Hence, conserving and strengthening biodiversity can be said to hold the key to tourism''s success.

Tourism that sustains the physical and social environment has come to be known as ecotourism. The precise definition of this term remains ambiguous even within the tourism industry itself. However, ecotourism can be differentiated from traditional tourism in that ecotourism not only attempts to minimize the environmental impact of tourism, but also has as a goal that local communities and the physical environment will actually benefit from tourism. In its ideal form, ecotourism is a philosophy, an activity, a development policy and an environmental policy, all at the same time.

Bulgaria has all the conditions for the development of ecotourism – natural beauties, diversity of the plant and the animal world, rich history and culture. These, in addition to the diverse palette of traditions, cuisine, habits and nature monuments.