ACTA SZEKSZARDIENSIUM - Pécsi Tudományegyetem Illyés Gyula ...

Zoltán Raffay
deficits, maritime safety and pollution, growing gap between rich and poor nations,
terrorism etc.), the necessity to develop the tourism sector in a direction that does not
prevent the future generations from enjoying the tourism attraction that we can enjoy
today became a more and more often raised issue. The World Tourism Organization and
other organisations interested in tourism development first defined sustainable tourism
and ecotourism and then started to pay more attention to this tourism activity, besides
other tourism branches, of course. Sustainable tourism in the WTO’s definition is seen as
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- integrating the idea of sustainable development and
tourism, actually, where sustainable development is seen as “meeting the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
(World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). Ecotourism, also known
as ecological tourism, is “responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected
areas that strives to be low impact and (often) small scale. It helps educate the traveller;
provides funds for conservation; directly benefits the economic development and
political empowerment of local communities; and fosters respect for different cultures
and for human rights” (wikipedia.org).
“In late 1970s and early 1980s the world organisations of nature and environment
protection were created and they drew attention to the problematic impacts on the natural
and social environment induced by the travels. Their campaigns resulted in the organisation
of the first eco-minded tours and to the birth of ecotourism per se as a form of travel. The first
definition of ecotourism was made by Hector Ceballos Lascuráin, and this way ecotourism
was raised to the level of the other tourism sectors and was given more and more attention, due
to the ever strengthening global and local movements of environment and nature protection.
The appearance and development of ecotourism thus perfectly fits into the worldwide trends:
the appreciation of nature, increased environmental consciousness, evaluation of health and
healthy environment, self-expression, the strengthening of individualisation, the search for
authentic values (or values looking) authentic, globalisation and the access to information.”
(TÁMOP.-4.1.2-08/1/A project)
2. Ecotourism in Hungary
2.1. The ecotourism potential of Hungary
Hungary is extremely rich in natural values, not lat partly due to the belated economic
development of the country that allowed the survival of many natural or quasi natural
areas, plain lands, marshes, flood plains, pastures, grasslands and forests. These areas
are home to a spectacular fauna and flora, including many indigenous and rare species.
Hungary now has no less than 10 national parks, 36 areas of landscape protection and
152 nature protection areas of national importance (Figure 2).
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