ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES IN THE RETEZAT NATIONAL PARK

Abstract

Sustainable development means “Think global but act local” (David Brower the founder of the nongovernmental organization Friends of the Earth 1969). Lasting tourism is considered in most of the cases a tourism manner, but all the touristy activities should be durable and bring economic and social benefices to local communities and to encourage the conservation with nature. On the international level, many destinations have chosen to promote ecotourism in order to improve the problems regarding the environment, and for to encouraging the area development. This kind of tourism encourages the responsible behavior of the tourists, local culture and appreciation for the traditional way of living, the conservation of some habitats and ecosystems and brings ways of sustainable development for local communities situated in natural areas with infrastructure problems. Ecotourism is the most recommended one in the protected areas, because the local resources can be advantageous used without causing the degradation of the area. The Retezat National Park is the first park founded in Romania and has a remarkable tourism potential, insufficiently exploited and many times deteriorated by applying an inadequate tourism to a protected area. Ecotourism can bring socio-economic development for the communities round the park, natural and cultural potential capitalization in the area and can be a catalyzing for a sustainable development of tourism and nature conservation. For the development of this kind of tourism the administration efforts of the park, authorities and local communities should be directed to sustainable forms of development and the adjustment of touristy infrastructure of ecotourism requirements.