Ecotourism planning in a wetland of international importance and sustainable territorial development
Ecotourism planning in a wetland of international importance and sustainable territorial development

Summary/Abstract: Wetlands are complex ecosystems, which provide excellent conditions as habitats for numerous species. It has been known that continuous unsustainable urbanization negatively affects natural resources, especially wetlands. The study has underlined the need for proper planning in a wetland of international importance, as a key element in the development of a sustainable urban-rural scenario. This paper is a mixture of both inductive and deductive steps, which underline a case study based on the abductive method. The investigation consisted in analysing the ecotourism planning methods of several case studies and drawing a parallel between them and the study area, Old Danube-Măcin Arm, where this activity is not implemented. The key results show that ecotourism plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of an urban-rural area with the following properties: compact microregion and the adaptability of it to the challenges of the territory. Successful zoning and visitor management methods are used to mitigate the existing conflict between conservation of sensitive areas and the danger of exposing said areas to public use. Ecotourism, encouraged and managed by the community, becomes a way of consolidating the economic growth of the study area.

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