58
ecologically friendly development policies (Triarchi and Karamanis 2017). It promotes in particular the use of public transport, e.g. modernised traditional mountain
railways that represent attractions in themselves or cable cars instead of private cars
to prevent traffic congestion and pollution.
The term alternative tourism is comprised of different forms of tourism based on
the special motivation of visitors, as opposed to mass or conventional types of tourism. Since it includes some forms of travel that can include a large number of visitors (e.g. cultural tourists), it has been replaced by the term special interest tourism.
Although there is no widely accepted definition of these terms, they are characterised by having a higher awareness of environmental issues and protection, a more
delicate approach to social issues by connecting to the local community, and an
emphasis on experiencing the destination by all senses (e.g. by seeing attractions,
by listening to sounds and/or music, by eating local food and drinking wine, by
experiencing local culture, by adopting new cultural values, tolerance, etc.).
Consequently, special interest tourism aims to increase positive impacts of tourism
and reduce its negative impacts on the destination area.
These new approaches to tourism have many common characteristics with
Environmental Citizenship and do involve Environmental Citizens. A good example
is volunteer tourism, where participants are active agents of change in destination
areas: being helpful to other (economically marginalised) people (e.g. building traditional houses), working in disaster areas (e.g. after the 2010 Haiti earthquake), or
helping to preserve the environment (e.g. at the bear orphan refuge on Velebit
Mountain in Croatia).
New or soft tourism materialised in various new forms of tourism (e.g. ecotourism, geotourism, nature-based tourism, heritage tourism, adventure tourism), as
well as new approaches to tourism (e.g. ethical travel, slow tourism, and communitybased tourism). Nature tourism and ecotourism are particularly important for
enriching and enhancing the experience; they respect the natural heritage and local
populations and are kept within the carrying capacity of the sites (UNWTO 2001).
Ecotourism is defined as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the
environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation
and education (TIES 2015). Environmental Citizenship provides a cradle to these
characteristics by aiming to (1) minimise physical, social, behavioural, and psychological impacts of tourism; (2) build environmental and cultural awareness and
respect; (3) deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise
sensitivity to the host country’s political, environmental, and social climates; and
(4) design, construct, and operate low-impact facilities (TIES 2015). Unlike other
forms of tourism motivated by visiting nature (e.g. nature-based tourism, tourism in
protected areas), ecotourism is distinguishable by the motivation and responsible
behaviour of tourists towards the environment. It builds directly upon Environmental
Citizenship, since visitors have to be highly conscious of the environmental values
of the destination areas and must act in ways that preserve the sensitive environment. It also requires a high level of Environmental Citizenship from the local population, in the way of good tourism and spatial planning, actions, and consciousness
on the value of the environment.
I. Šulc et al.
ecologically friendly development policies (Triarchi and Karamanis 2017). It promotes in particular the use of public transport, e.g. modernised traditional mountain
railways that represent attractions in themselves or cable cars instead of private cars
to prevent traffic congestion and pollution.
The term alternative tourism is comprised of different forms of tourism based on
the special motivation of visitors, as opposed to mass or conventional types of tourism. Since it includes some forms of travel that can include a large number of visitors (e.g. cultural tourists), it has been replaced by the term special interest tourism.
Although there is no widely accepted definition of these terms, they are characterised by having a higher awareness of environmental issues and protection, a more
delicate approach to social issues by connecting to the local community, and an
emphasis on experiencing the destination by all senses (e.g. by seeing attractions,
by listening to sounds and/or music, by eating local food and drinking wine, by
experiencing local culture, by adopting new cultural values, tolerance, etc.).
Consequently, special interest tourism aims to increase positive impacts of tourism
and reduce its negative impacts on the destination area.
These new approaches to tourism have many common characteristics with
Environmental Citizenship and do involve Environmental Citizens. A good example
is volunteer tourism, where participants are active agents of change in destination
areas: being helpful to other (economically marginalised) people (e.g. building traditional houses), working in disaster areas (e.g. after the 2010 Haiti earthquake), or
helping to preserve the environment (e.g. at the bear orphan refuge on Velebit
Mountain in Croatia).
New or soft tourism materialised in various new forms of tourism (e.g. ecotourism, geotourism, nature-based tourism, heritage tourism, adventure tourism), as
well as new approaches to tourism (e.g. ethical travel, slow tourism, and communitybased tourism). Nature tourism and ecotourism are particularly important for
enriching and enhancing the experience; they respect the natural heritage and local
populations and are kept within the carrying capacity of the sites (UNWTO 2001).
Ecotourism is defined as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the
environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation
and education (TIES 2015). Environmental Citizenship provides a cradle to these
characteristics by aiming to (1) minimise physical, social, behavioural, and psychological impacts of tourism; (2) build environmental and cultural awareness and
respect; (3) deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise
sensitivity to the host country’s political, environmental, and social climates; and
(4) design, construct, and operate low-impact facilities (TIES 2015). Unlike other
forms of tourism motivated by visiting nature (e.g. nature-based tourism, tourism in
protected areas), ecotourism is distinguishable by the motivation and responsible
behaviour of tourists towards the environment. It builds directly upon Environmental
Citizenship, since visitors have to be highly conscious of the environmental values
of the destination areas and must act in ways that preserve the sensitive environment. It also requires a high level of Environmental Citizenship from the local population, in the way of good tourism and spatial planning, actions, and consciousness
on the value of the environment.
I. Šulc et al.