SOLOPRENEUR: Self-Employability in Remote Regions of Europe

Entrepreneurship in ecotourism


COU_12_EN  

 Title
Entrepreneurship in ecotourism

 Keywords
Bet on ecotourism in the ORs

 Author
ECCA

 Languages
English

 Objectives/goals
In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda, tourism as an engine of local development worldwide must internalize circular economy measures, reusing resources, such as water and generated waste, to reintegrate them into productive systems. Sustainable and respectful tourism must be the driving force behind this change towards a model that reduces the enormous negative impacts of tourism while enhancing its significant positive impacts.


 Contents


 Entrepreneurship in ecotourism

Bet on ecotourism in the ORs


  Bet on ecotourism in the ORs

In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda, tourism as an engine of local development worldwide must internalize circular economy measures, reusing resources, such as water and generated waste, to reintegrate them into productive systems. Sustainable and respectful tourism must be the driving force behind this change towards a model that reduces the enormous negative impacts of tourism while enhancing its significant positive impacts.

"Guarantee a healthy life and promote well-being for all at all ages" points to SDG 3, to which tourism can contribute.

Why ecotourism?

“Innovation and sustainability, the new normal”

(World Tourism Organization-UNWTO)

Source: https://www.seo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/CAMBIO-EN-EL-MODELO-TUR%C3%8DSTICO-POST-COVID-19-2.pdf

What is ecotourism?

According to the International Tourism Organization (ITO), it is a form of nature-based tourism, in which the main motivation of tourists is the observation and appreciation of that nature or the local cultures of the area.

Differences between Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism

Benefits

Trends

Ecotourism or ecological tourism has become a growing industry, more and more people prefer this alternative form of tourism and the governments of different countries are betting heavily on the development of projects in this sector.

All types of tourism related to experiences in nature will have enormous growth in the coming years.

Ecotourism activities

⮚Birdwatching
⮚Whalewatching
⮚Astrotourism
⮚Diving/snorkel*
⮚Flora and fauna watching
⮚Nature photography
⮚Ethnographic tourism
⮚Agritourism

 

*(Must be involved in a sustainable project)

Professional profile

✔Dynamic and sociable person
✔Communicative skills
✔Ease of languages
✔Interest in nature and outdoor activities
✔Analytical traits
✔Synthesis capacity
✔Leadership spirit

Different professions within ecotourism

⮚Ecotourism promoter
⮚Tour guide
⮚Travel agency
⮚Tourist intermediary
⮚Tourist planner
⮚ Rural tourism agent
Potential clients
⮚Available to collaborate with sustainable initiatives
⮚Experienced travelers
⮚Usually from socio-economic backgrounds with high purchasing power
⮚Interested in having direct contact with nature and the local community
⮚Interested in sport and wellness
⮚Preference for a personalized service with a quality seal
Be different

Innovation:

- Take advantage of technological resources such as videos on YouTube or routes on Wikiloc to provide knowledge and information to the ecotourist.

- Use social networks: people share their experiences and recommend the destination (digital word-of-mouth).

 

 

Link to education:

It is about creating specific ecotourism activities

for schoolchildren, with the aim of transmitting

environmental, cultural and social values.

Be different

Orange tourism: It is a sustainable tourism and generator of cultural, economic and social development based on responsible tourism management of cultural heritage, artistic production and cultural and creative industries.

 

Events are the future:

Take advantage of the potential of ecotourism to plan events aimed at promoting local culture, conserving the environment and diversifying the economy.

Aspirational facilities:

Glamping = Glamour + Camping

These are facilities in the middle of nature

with a minimum environmental impact and with

high degree of comfort.

 

Synergies with other companies:

Through complementary activities that enhance the ecological character of the project: accommodation, restaurants, workshops, entertainment, etc.

Ecotourism survives Covid-19

Ecotourism, especially in mountain areas, has been, since the end of the lockdown, one of the favorite vacation alternatives for many families, a summer in which safety prevails above all else.

 

In ecotourism and tourism in nature, the positive impact outweighs the negative, unlike the balance in the impacts of the massive tourism industry.

 

Finding a balance will be crucial for the tourism industry to recover and develop sustainably.

10 tips to undertake in ecotourism

1)Do not be bohemian. Ecotourism is a business and as such it is necessary to invest human and economic resources based on viable short, medium and long term objectives.

 

2)Study your environment well. An exhaustive analysis of the offer as well as the demand for general tourist services will help you analyze the real and potential possibilities that your project has.

 

3)To be sustainable you have to be economically viable. Sustainability is a long road and, therefore, you have to be patient to consolidate a good environmental policy and management in the company.

 

4)Be clear about your communication strategy. In an extremely competitive environment, and sometimes unethical, being clear about the values of the company and its added value is vital to transmit it to potential partners and clients.
 

5) Do not work alone. Partnering and networking with different entities in the territory will help you to know how it works.

 

6) Be creative. Try together with your communication strategy to put your personal point to everything you do and everything you show to others: logos, social networks, photographs, website. There are millions of web pages that are flat not transmitting anything. Customers expect something that shocks them or piques their curiosity.

 

7) Certifications are not the solution. Do not get obsessed with obtaining certifications, the first thing is to implement and consolidate the values of the company. Once the internal process is controlled, it is easier to implement any certification. There is a wide variety and options but you have to be very careful when selecting, wondering: “Who is going to value that label?”

8) The search for marketing channels. To obtain customers, you have to research and connect with the marketing channels that allow the business to meet its sales objectives and ensure its economic viability. And, once achieved, the most important thing is to strengthen those marketing channels and retain those customers.

 

9) You must be alert to opportunities. You must be an observer of your environment. The ecotourism sector and other forms of responsible and sustainable tourism are changing rapidly, so one has to work in connection with the trends and demands that are generated at different territorial scales.

 

10) Look for agreements with the local government and non-governmental organizations to help you develop specific plans for the management of your future visitor that will help them protect the environment, and especially the local population residing there.

Source: http://www.ecoturismocuenca.com/noticias/10-consejos-para-emprender-en-proyectos-ecoturisticos

 


  Links of interest

 Bibliography


 Training Fiche PPT:
277.solopreneur_Enterpreneurship_in_Ecotourism.pptx

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