Section 5.1: Concepts


	II. Main Cultural products 5. Nature

Section 5.1: Concepts

It is important to differentiate between different concepts linked to tourism relating to the natural environment:

Nature tourism. Its main objectives are the practice of recreational and leisure activities, the interpretation and knowledge of nature and the practice of sports activities that use natural resources specifically without degrading or exhausting them.
Tourism in nature: leisure tourism in nature. Its main objectives are recreational and leisure activities in nature without degrading it, and without express use of natural resources.
Tourism about nature: active sports tourism in nature. The practice of sports activities is the most significant objective, with express use of natural resources without degrading them.
Tourism for nature: ecotourism. The main objective is the observation, enjoyment and/or knowledge of the natural environment, with the option of practicing low-intensity physical activities without degrading natural resources.

Figure 1. Nature tourism and its productive modalities. Source: Nature tourism in Spain and its Promotion Plan. General Secretariat of Tourism. Made by UTE Antar – Ecotono.

Nature tourism is sustainable by character: tourist activities are environmentally friendly and respectful of the values of a community, with a positive exchange of experiences between it and the visitors.

“Sustainable tourism development attends to the needs of tourists and the host regions, and at the same time, protects and promotes opportunities for the future. It is conceived as a way of managing all resources in order to satisfy economic, social and aesthetic needs, while respecting cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life-sustaining systems” (World Tourism Organization, WTO).

In order for nature tourism to acquire a sustainable character, it is necessary to try to:

Maintain the value of the territory in utilizing the natural resources without endangering their existence.
Conserve the cultural identity, focusing on the tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and the social stability, respecting the local idiosyncrasy.
Promote global economic development, creating wealth that impregnates the other sectors through the multiplying effect of tourism.

Figure 2. Glacier of the Aneto, Huesca, Spain

Objectives

Section 5.2: Resources Utilized