Ecotourism campaigns Have Succeeded As Witnessed In Arsal, North East Lebanon
Ecotourism in Lebanon really took off as a serious tourism activity in the year 1997 when people began to take annual trips to Arsal which is a huge village in North East Lebanon. The aim of the ecotourism campaigns used here were to add strength to the relations between the local community and those of the Association for Rural Development in Arsal (ARDA) that is a major player in environment and development activities, and is a non-government organization (NGO) as well as partner to Reforestation Network. They were to introduce the unique culture and also nature to friends of Arsal and also provide to ARDA a means to generate income.
Need For Better Organization And Coordination
In the recent past, this region has witnessed growth in ecotourism which has raised the need to have a well managed ecotourism campaign so that this sector can be better organized and there can also be better coordination with those that provide services and also to even certify these processes so that one knows which the proper services are.
Thus, in the year 2000, an organization known as Green Line set into motion the wheels that were to help in the development of ecotourism that ultimately took the shape of an ecotourism campaign that involved municipalities, youth groups as also NGOs. The program so developed included agro-tourism in the form of olive oil production, bee keeping as well as processing of cherries and apricots, and also ecotourism that was taking place in places such as Horsh Ehden, Kammoua, Barouk cedars as well as the valley Nahr Ibrahim.
This ecotourism campaign aimed at highlighting as well as publicizing ecotourism as a concept as well as a method to conserve natures resources while providing a means of earning an income to the local peoples. It also meant needing to coordinate between ecotourism providers and different municipalities as also governmental bodies and NGOs so that a viable network to sustain this form of tourism could be formed.
There have been a number of notable achievements that have resulted from this ecotourism campaign including of course assessing and developing ecotourism sites in places such as Mtein, building teams of experts in ecotourism and also being able to secure adequate sources of finance in the form of income as well as support.
In addition, this ecotourism campaign has been able to organize Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops meant to impart knowledge to teachers, staff involved in administration as well as for parents from many schools. It is ecotourism campaigns such as this that raises hope for being able to conserve nature in different parts of the world, while also sustaining local communities as well.
Eco Tourism Association
There are many forms of ecotourism though generally it means visiting places that have one of a kind environment, and one can easily think of places such as rainforests, and also endangered animals habitats as good examples of such ecotourism destinations.
However, with global warming and other factors becoming more and more noticeable, people, including the governments of the world, will have to take more notice. The aim is to travel to places that protect, educate as well as inform and which do not do any harm to their natural resources. The present day represents everyone who looks to the future in trying to preserve our world and its resources. The idea behind ecotourism and to which much importance is given, is that it is nice to leave the nature as untouched as possible and shooting pictures is much preferred to shooting big game. There may be need to hold meetings as well as conduct conferences with those that are interested in ecotourism development, especially in protected areas, and also recruiting as well as training teachers who can then act as guides for ecotourism tours and who will be able to incorporate the various ecotourism environmental education programmes.
The popularity of ecotourism increased when in 2002 the United Nations declared it as being the Year of Ecotourism.
Though there is no definition of ecotourism that is universally accepted there are also some doubts whether ecotourism is about a pure concept, or is a term that is for public consumption. Ecotourism is a new concept to many, as even though its been around since at least the 1980s, its still not nearly as popular a concept as some feel it should be. What Are the Components in Ecotourism? Also, in parks, lookout towers are sometimes built in trees.
It would also mean building capacity for the creation and also marketing of ecotourism environmental education products as also getting local people to participate in creating as well as developing new ecotourism environmental education products.
Nobody is going to deny that accountability and transparency in ecotourism will lead to economic development and also promote growth that are features that can readily be seen in a capitalist and also a democratic society and which is indicative of good governance. You can also search the internet for more information, just be aware that opinions differ on this subject. If you have ever visited a National Park, no doubt you have seen at least a few pieces of litter in different places. There, people can walk the trails and see natural wonders such as geysers. Some ecotourism policies try to benefit monetarily off of what various organizations promote. |
