The Organization of Ecological Tourism in Karelia. Часть 2

In the territory of Karelia there is a set of recreation facilities. For example: Gardarika, Aleksandrovka, Suysar, Soromyaka farm and others. The prices are different therefore you will be able to choose what suits you.

So, the Republic of Karelia offers perfect conditions for recreation and development of ecological tourism.

When organizing ecological trips tourist products must be eco-friendly. According to A.V. Drozdov, one of the most authoritative experts in the field of ecotourism, who has developed the system of criteria of environmental friendliness of a tourist product, atour is eco-friendly if:
- the program allows options and changes at the request of tourists; programs, as a rule, are designed for small groups or individual trips; short visits aren't characteristic of ecologically focused rounds;
- the purpose of an ecological tourdoes not includean obligatory visit of standard "sights", but aims at acquisition of deep impressions and knowledge. Therefore, tourists must be ready for the trip in advance, studying the nature and culture of the country; routes are in interesting and ecologically favorable natural and cultural landscapes;
- the program includes visitsto educational ecological tracks, museums of local lore, eco- technological farms and the acquaintance with local environmental problems; the program of tours is combined with the study of traditional forms of environmental management;
- transport which tourists use is eco-friendly (automobile tourism, for example, doesn't belong to eco-friendly forms of tourism at all);
- the food is ecologically clean and useful, at the same it includes local products; the garbage is gathered separately in a special way and arrives then for ecotechnological processing, and organizers of eco-friendly toursprefer reusable products packing;
- campsites, bivouacs and fires are arranged only in specially equipped places; mushrooms, berries, flowers, herbs, any natural souvenirs can be gathered only when and where it is authorized;
- hotels, campsites, shelters and huts in which tourists stay are located so that they do not break ecologically sustainable development of a neighboring landscape and donot change their shape; Accommodation is constructed of ecologically harmless materials, their inhabitants do not spend excessively energy and water, at the same time drains and emissions are cleared, other waste is utilized;
- locals are involved in tourist business and have an opportunity to develop their traditional ways of life; tourists, in turn, are respectful to local cultural traditions, seek to study and understand them; participate in the solution of local environmental problemsin the ways available to them;
- tour guides are able to give first aid and know natural and climatic features of the region,have practical skills in organizing active tours;
- the income from tours isnot withdrawn entirely from the local budget, and on the contrary, promotes its filling.

Thus, the organization of ecological tours is a lot of work and it is necessary to consider a set of factors, mentioned above. [1]

To sum up, successful ecotourism projects must:
• effectively promote the preservation of entire local ecosystems, not just individual species, vistas or sites;
• be economically viable in order to attract financing and be sustainable:
• be well planned, financed, managed and marketed in order to meet the stringent environmental and recreational demands of a true ecotourism development. [6]

Eco-tourism is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of vacationing as far as it is a low - impact form of tourism which typically involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Ecotourism is intended to offer tourists insight into the impact of human beings on the environment, and to foster a greater appreciation of our natural habitats.To attract tourists, existence of three important components is necessary: appeal, availability and informational content. Karelia aspires to this ideal, and ecological tourism becomes more popular every year.

References:
1. Arsenyeva E.I.Kuskov A.S. Problems of social management: Interuniversity collection of scientific works. Features of the Russian practice of the organization of ecological and ekologo-cultural rounds. Issue
- Saratov: SGSEU, 2005. - Page 7-19. Электронный ресурс: код доступа http://tourlib.net/statti tourism/kuskov ecotourism3.htm (дата обращения 26.05.16)
2. Babkin A.V. Special types of tourism. Chapter 8. Ecological tourism. /. Rostov upon Don: Fenix, 2008.
3. Электронный ресурс: код доступа http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/other/WEBx0137xPA/part-two.pdf(дата обращения 20.05.16)
4. Карелия. Туристский портал. Электронный ресурс: код доступаhttp://www.ticrk.ru/en/useful/tourist-tips/
5. Karelia: mysterious beauty of the Russian North: tourist reference book / A.I. Gribushin [etc.]
Электронный ресурс: код доступа http://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/etour-define.html(дата обращения 26.05.16).

Abstract: The report is devoted to ecological tourism. The author names the main components of ecotourism and proves that the Republic of Karelia provides large opportunities for the development of ecotourism. The report contains information on the examples of ecological tourism in the region. It also includes some recommendations on how to organize ecotours and describes criteria of environmental friendliness of a tourist product.
Key words: ecological tourism, the Republic of Karelia, environmental friendliness, tourist product.

В. Г. Шмат