Special Panel on
EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL AND ECOTOURISM
Chaired by Mart Reimann (Tallinn University)
Ecotourism is concerned with the wellbeing of local communities and the protection of natural environments in the destination area and is thus underpinned by principles of sustainable development. Education plays a crucial role in ecotourism because of its potential to enhance the way both local communities and visitors perceive and value cultural and natural heritage. Good interpretation attracts high-end markets and tourists who want to be cognizant of local values. In this process the role of local residents and locally trained guides is crucially important in order to enhance the visitor experience as well as to support sustainable development. A key challenge in this approach is the involvement of all stakeholders working to a common goal to deliver an educative and rewarding visitor experience, while delivering necessary benefits locally. Educational travel can play a positive role in both the development and consumption of ecotourism products/destinations
This panel explores the relationship between educational travel and ecotourism from a range of perspectives and from different geographical, policy, regulatory and market perspectives. We welcome proposals for presentations which engage with any aspect of Educational Travel and Ecotourism.
Please send an abstract of between 300 – 350 words to Mart Reimann at: mart@tlu.ee
Abstract Deadline for this panel: 31st May 2011
Mart Reimann is an ecotourism educator and entrepreneur in Estonia. He is also board member of Estonian Ecotourism Association. He has worked as nature conservation expert in Estonian Ministry of Environment and planned recreational areas for Estonian state forests. He has been training also Estonian nature and adventure tourism entrepreneurs. He has been a visiting lecturer of ecotourism in universities in Finland, Norway, Holland and USA. He holds an A.A degree in adventure sports from Garrett College, Maryland, USA, BSc in geoecology from Tallinn University, MSc in physical geography from University of Tartu. He has been working with his PhD in Norwegian University of Life Sciences and in University of Tartu. His studies and travels have taken him to over 40 countries around the world but his favourite trips have been in cold climate regions like Siberia, Greenland and British Columbia. After the journeys he has returned to his home region where his family has been living already thousands of years. Mart founded company Reimann Retked eight years ago which organizes active nature and culture tours to Estonian islands with sea-kayaks, to Estonian wetlands with bog shoes, to rivers with rafts, to forests with walking tours and skies and kicksledges in winter. His company is also working with ecotourism consulting. Mart is head of Department of Leisure Sciences at Tallinn University. His department is focusing on outdoor recreation research and education. Marts research interests focus on landscape recreational values, tourism impact on local communities and visitor behavior. Mart teaches several ecotourism and outdoor recreation courses
EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL - EXPANDING HORIZONS
Tallinn University, Estonia, 19th to 21st of August 2011
EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL - EXPANDING HORIZONS
Tallinn University, Estonia, 19th to 21st of August 2011
THE EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL FOUNDATION
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