Путешествие - Travelling. Руденко Т.П. - 20 стр.

       However, there are several simple questions that will provide quali-        Tourism Council (WTTC). The scheme is now an independent concern,
fying evidence of a company’s commitment to minimise its impact on the             though the WTTC still supports it. Until recently, tour companies became
environment and maximise the benefits to the tourism area’s local commu-           affiliates and could use the Green Globe logo merely on payment of an an-
nity. For example, does the company use recycled or sustainable, locally           nual fee, hardly a suitable qualifying standard. However, in November
harvested materials to build its tourist properties? Do they pay fair wages to     1999 Green Globe 21 introduced an annual, independent check on opera-
all employees? Do they offer training to employees? It is common for city          tors wishing to use the logo.
entrepreneurs to own tour companies in country areas, which can mean the                   Miriam Cain, from Green Globe 21 marketing development, explains
money you pay ends up in the city rater than in the community being vis-           that current and new affiliates will now have one year to ensure that their
ited. By taking a little extra time to investigate the ecotourism options, it is   operators comply with Agenda 21 standards. If they fail the first inspection,
not only possible to guide your custom to worthy operators but you will            they can only reapply once. The inspection process is not a cheap option,
often find that the experience they offer is far more rewarding.                   especially for large companies, but the benefits of having Green Globe
       The ecotourism business is still very much in need of a shake-up and        status and the potential operational cost savings that complying with the
a standardised approach. There are a few organisations that have sprung up         standards can bring should be significant. ‘We have joint ventures with
in the last ten years or so that endeavour to educate travellers and operators     organizations around the worlds, including Australia and the Caribbean,
about the benefits of responsible ecotourism. Founded in 1990, the Eco-            that will allow us to effectively check all affiliate operators,’ says Miriam.
tourism Society (TES) is a non-profit organisation of travel industry, con-        The scheme also allows destination communities to become Green Globe
servation and ecological professionals, which aims to make ecotourism a            21 approved.
genuine tool for conservation and sustainable development. Helping to cre-                 For a relatively new industry it is surprising that ecotourism has un-
ate inherent economic value in wilderness environments and threatened              dergone teething pains. However, there are signs that things are changing
cultures has undoubtedly been one of the ecotourism movement’s most                for the better. With a committed and unified approach by the travel indus-
notable achievements. TES organises an annual initiative to further aid de-        try, local communities, travellers and environmental experts could make
velopment of the ecotourism industry. This year it is launching ‘Your              ecotourism a tag to be proud of and trusted.
Travel Choice Makes a Difference’, an educational campaign aimed at
helping consumers understand the potential positive and negative impacts           B
of their travel decisions. TES also offers guidance on the choice of ecotour
and has established a register of approved ecotourism operators around the                             Medical Tourism:
world.                                                                                    Americans Find Low-Cost Treatment in India
       A leading ecotourism operator in the United Kingdom is Tribes,              By Subhash Vohra
which won the 1999 Tourism Concern and Independent Traveller’s World               Washington
‘Award for Most Responsible Tour Operator’. Amanda Marks, owner and                18 March 2005
director of Tribes, believes that the ecotourism industry still has some way              Medical “tourism” is becoming a huge industry in India. Many types
to go to get its house in order. Until now, no ecotourism accreditation            of medical treatment in India cost a fraction of what they do in the United
scheme has really worked, principally because there has been no systematic         States and other Western nations, and citizens from these countries are
way of checking that accredited companies actually comply with the code            flocking to India by the thousands. Until recently, it was the other way
of practice. Amanda believes that the most promising system is the recently        around, as upper-income Indians commonly rushed to America and Europe
relaunched Green Globe 21 scheme. The Green Globe 21 award is based on             for sophisticated treatment.
the sustainable development standards contained in Agenda 21 from the                     With world-class medical care, equipment and facilities now
1992 Earth Summit and was originally coordinated by the World Travel &             available in India, patients from the United States and other developed

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