Specifics of alternative forms of tourism

Alternative tourism practices in their aggregate are characterized by two seemingly contradictory aspects – both businesses and activities oriented towards protecting environment and creating positive attitudes in humans to that environment. This type of tourism has the potential to become a key sector in the 21st century and contribute to the prosperity of the population inhabiting economically underdeveloped areas. The main preconditions for its development at international level are limited to beautiful and unspoiled natural environment, cultural heritage, kindness and hospitality of the local population. Encouraging the initiatives of small and medium private business, alternative tourism can be a profitable business and can be used as an instrument for economic growth and self-assertion of local people. At the same time, alternative practices integrate the concept of sustainable development. They contribute to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, providing opportunities for economic returns from environment-friendly tourism practices.

The variety of types of tourism[1] is big and is determined by the increasing number of resources used in the structuring of the tourist products. For the purposes of classification a combination of different criteria is used:

ü    destination and nature of recreational and tourist activities,

ü    origin of tourists,

ü    socio-demographic characteristics of tourist flow,

ü    economic and social effect,

ü    way of conducting,

ü    type of transport used,

ü    geographical environment, recreation duration,

ü    impact on environment and so on.

Placed within certain frames, tourism is defined /following the above-specified sequence/ as recreational and cognitive, national and international, active and passive, for children, for young people, hobby, group, individual, economic or social, organized, partially organized, unorganized, auto, airline, water, railway, urban, rural, mountain, marine, short-term, long-term, old and new, sustainable tourism, etc.

The most common, broad and frequent interpretation of the term tourism allows defining it as marine, mountain, cultural and cognitive, ecological, rural, spa, business and congress, sport, adventure, hunting and fishing, or also recreational, medical and rehabilitation, sightseeing, specialized, etc.

Marine tourism is offered in the stereotype sun, sea and beach in traditionally largest and colorful brochures and catalogues, made in a way that attracts the attention of the general public and especially the segments of families with young children, young families and those who live alone. It is practiced in hotels, self-rent apartments or villas and has duration of two to three weeks. Summer vacation offers are concentrated in the Mediterranean region – France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco and the Black Sea Coast. Exotic destinations are the Caribbean, South America, Australia and Oceania. The main reason to undertake them is the desire for relaxation with good food, sunbathing, swimming and diversification of the stay by day trips to standard attractions /there is a barely perceptible hint at cognitive interest/.

Marine tourism is traditionally present in the tourist offer of Bulgaria. Much of the tourist flow and beds of the destination are concentrated in the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Seaside resorts and settlements along the coast provide various opportunities for family recreation, relaxation and active sport. The offer includes practicing surfing, water skiing, diving, underwater fishing, underwater archeology and other water sports. The ports in Balchik, Varna, Nesebar and Burgas provide opportunities for yachting, with the necessary maintenance and customs services. Routes are developed for hiking, biking and horse-riding tourism, photo and eco-tourism, for visiting natural, archeological and cultural sites.

With the growth of welfare of the population and with the increase of leisure in the 70’s of the 20th century the market of vacations in mountain areas has expanded. The first vacations of this type were short. Their market is structured on the basis of two types of products – winter skiing/sun vacation and summer vacation in the mountain.

Winter skiing vacations are products that are mostly sell as all inclusive[2]. In respect to them more important are the following destinations – France, Norway, Austria, Andorra, Switzerland, Italian Alps, Bulgaria and Romania, USA and Canada.

The Bulgarian mountains offer various opportunities for active tourism and recreation in the aspect of mountain tourism. Tourists have the opportunity to diverse their stay with programs for hiking, horse-riding tourism, parachuting, rock climbing, orienteering competitions and others. Suitable tracks and facilities for ski tourism and winter sports are offered in Rila, Pirin, Rhodopes, Vitosha and Balkan Mountains. The total length of the ski runs is over 80 km, with a displacement of up to 1500 m.

The resorts of Pamporovo, Borovets, Bansko and the ski tracks on Vitosha Mountain have year-round functioning accommodation facilities and infrastructure for winter sports /lifts, slopes for alpine skiing and cross-country skiing/, which are renovated, developed and modernized in line with the global trends. In response to the modern demand, new centers for ski tourism are winning a place for themselves such as Smolyan, Chepelare, Dobrinishte, Malyovitsa, Semkovo and others.

Alternative forms of tourism are not just forms of tourism. On the contrary, as a concept and an approach to the development of tourist activities, they require long-term resource planning, environmental care and improving the welfare of local communities. Understanding and appreciation of the existing relationship between tourism, the people involved in its development, the local economy and the environment is the basis of this approach.

When handling the term, a conceptual apparatus comes into use, indicating tourist activities friendly both to the environment and the cultural heritage, educating the new generation of tourists and having a positive impact on their physical and mental health. Rural tourism, agritourism, ecological tourism, cultural tourism, ”soft” tourism, alternative tourism, specialized tourism, etc. are common terms associated with sustainable tourism practices. Because of their specific interpretation and in order to facilitate communication between consumers and providers of tourist services, the European Union has accepted a common terminology of rural tourism, relating it to a set of activities of tourist nature carried out in suburban or rural areas. Such interpretation gives rise to controversy and raises new questions concerning the classification of the aggregate of various specialized or alternative tourist activities with increasing consumption.

In fact, along with the rural, cultural and ecological tourism, the spa, sport and adventure tourism, hunting and fishing tourism can also be considered as alternative forms. They are sustainable tourism practices, which are completely different in terms of product features and consumer segments from the mass tourism and recreation.

In this vein, the forms of tourism that are perceived and consumed as alternative will be presented. For greater clarity particular examples of the Bulgarian experience will be discussed.

[1]In our country it is defined by the Law on Tourism.

[2]Heath E &Wall G, Marketing Tourism Destination: a Strategic Planning Approach, John Wiley, New York, p. 76, 1992.