Ýêîíîìè÷åñêèå íàóêè/10. Ýêîíîìèêà ïðåäïðèÿòèÿ
Vlasenko N.A.
Odessa National Economic
University
Philosophy of Ecotourism
Ecology is the noble truth of our time.
Eco-philosophy is the dharma of our time.
The development of the human’s society is impossible
without communication with nature. Some time ago negative human’s impact was compensated
by the ability of nature to self-reconstruction. But by the beginning of the 20th
century the situation has changed. There’s no wonder that the question of
ecology has become so actual.
Ecotourism
started its development in
the face of mass tourism excesses. According to The
International Ecotourism Society (TIES), ecotourism is "responsible travel
to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of
local people." [3] In other words to say, "Ecotourism
is tourism carried out in a specific way, following a set of principles that
promote social, economical and environmental responsibility in order to
minimize the negative impact and maximize the positive impact."
Åcotourism is a question of
thinking about the environmental impact that you make by travelling, and
applying yourself to the question of how to travel in an environmentally
responsible manner.
As a general
rule, the central tenets of ecotourism include an emphasis on connecting with
local culture, outdoor activities, and ecological programs designed to increase
awareness, and promote protection of local wildlife.
Ecotourism
isn’t only a “green travel”, but also a tool of improvement and sustainability.
And it has its own philosophy and principles. The underlying philosophy of ecotourism is to DO NO
HARM or LEAVE NO TRACE, scripting people like thieves to sneak in and out of
some place, so they make off with photos and sightings. [5]
The ideas behind ecotourism are not new. Ecotourism
is a new application for an age-old concept of stewardship. It recognizes the
interconnections of all life and the importance of maintaining a balance
between human needs and those of existing ecosystems. Perhaps Aldo Leopold's
famous "Land Ethic" best captures the philosophical essence of
stewardship: "a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity,
stability and beauty of the biotic community...it is wrong if it does
otherwise." [2] In diversity there is stability. Ecotourism is really
nothing more than the application of this philosophy to the self-enriching
discovery made possible through travel. It is a process and an ethic, not an
end in itself.
Eco-philosophy is "ecological" in the broadest sense: it sees
humanity as one with nature, as an integral part of the process of evolution
which carries the universe onward from matter to life, to consciousness, and
ultimately to divine.
The central concept of eco-philosophy is "The World as Sanctuary".
This is offered as an alternative to the Newtonian/Cartesian vision of
"World as a Machine". This new worldview emphasizes the unique,
precious, and sacred nature of our planet. All other principles of
eco-philosophy follow from this one.
The five key tenets of eco-philosophy are:
1) The world is a
sanctuary.
2) Reverence for life is our guiding value.
3) Frugality is a precondition for inner happiness.
4) Spirituality and rationality do not exclude each other, but complement each
other.
5) In order to heal the planet, we must heal ourselves. [4]
Eco-philosophy arose in response to the failings of both the mechanistic
worldview and the impotent linguistic/analytic philosophy that came from it.
These failings are evident in our violent and selfish attitudes toward fellow
humans, and in our widespread abuse of the environment. Eco-philosophy is philosophy as it should be
- meaningful, relevant, and participatory. It is not the stuff of dusty library
books, but rather a thoughtful, contemporary approach to understanding the world,
and ourselves.
Ecological philosophy is itself a form of a dharma. [4]
Once you understand things with all their interconnections, you must act to
bring them back to a right alignment. To understand aright is to act aright.
The dharma of ecological philosophy tells us that we must put our own house in
order.
As a conclusion, we can see that
we, in the Western industrialized nations, have an incredible opportunity
for restorative and regenerative change through ecotourism. There seem little
doubt that tourism will continue to grow; the most important question remains:
Will it be ecologically responsible and sustainable?
The
responsibility clearly rests with ourselves to care for an environmental and
cultural diversity which historically we have used merely to serve our needs - and
our needs only. Ecotourism, as a model, process and philosophy, offers an
opportunity to put respect for our earth into practice in a way that all people
can enjoy its beauty and benefits.
Literature:
2. http://www.innserendipity.com/photo/sts.html - Western Society and Ecotourism: Traveling
Companions?
3. http://www.ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism - What is
ecotourism.
4. http://www.ecophilosophy.org/new/articles/020601_ecodharma.html – Ecological
dharma
5. http://www.nyu.edu/projects/xdesign/ooz/presentation/slide20.html – Ecotourism, farm
tourism.