vol The Codes of Conduct - interpretation elements for practicing a sustainable tourism in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

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1 29. The Codes of Conduct - interpretation elements for practicing a sustainable tourism in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve NICHIFOR Cristina 1, BOTA Diana 2, BOZAGIEVICI Raluca 3 1 Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development Tulcea, 165 Babadag street, Tulcea , Romania; cristinan@indd.tim.ro 2 Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development Tulcea, 165 Babadag street, Tulcea , Romania; diana@indd.tim.ro 3 Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development Tulcea, 165 Babadag street, Tulcea , Romania; raluca@indd.tim.ro A BSTRACT. The relation between recreation and education is one of the most important in protecting the environment. Everyone, despite of his social status, religion or conceptions, should be aware that by his own behavior can influence things. The environmental education isn t just a regulation method of the tourists circulation, but it can, in the case of protected areas, become also very important in the education in regards with the environment s protection. The ecological guidelines represented in the form of Codes of Conduct have a special role in ecological education of the readers, in understanding the protected areas managers efforts and protecting the area s natural and cultural values. The paper present the Codes of Conduct, designed both for tourists and the tour-operators, recommended for practicing a sustainable tourism in DDBR. KEY WORDS: education, environment, ecological guidelines, sustainable tourism INTRODUCTION The guidelines addressed to visitors, tourists and tour-operators are tools very used by the managers of the tourist areas. These are especially used when the tourist area is a protected one or is a sensitive area to a possible negative impact of the tourist activities. Usually, the guidelines are elaborated in the same time with the tourism s principles of sustainable development in the respective area, principles that addressed, first of all, to the protected areas managers and to the regional and national authorities involved in the tourist development of the area. To reach both the tourists segment and the tour-operators, these principles of sustainable development and minimizing the negative impact of the tourism were transformed into a succession of guiding lines or ecological guidelines that should be followed if we want to reduce the negative effects of the tourists activity and tourists and tour-operators behavior, too. MATERIALS AND METHODS The elaboration of the DDBR visitors guideline had as a primary phase the documentation upon other examples of such kind of guideline elaborated and used in other protected areas. The documentation had also in view the organization of the informative services and visitors ecological education in other biosphere reserves. During the documentation period, it was took into consideration the fact that it is necessary to elaborate, in the same time, a type of a guideline for tour-operators that offer tourist services in the delta. The elaboration of the Codes of Conduct was a process of adapting the general guidelines used in other areas to the special requirements of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. The directory lines of these two guidelines include the general behavior lines, met in generally, in the most part of the protected areas guidelines with a tourist destination, the general guidelines for practicing tourism in nature and ecotourism, and the recommendations/ guidelines regarding directly the Danube Delta. SCIENTIFIC ANNALS OF THE DANUBE DELTA INSTITUTE, TULCEA ROMANIA,

2 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Today, the ecological education is a priority, but still is paid a higher attention to information than to education. The following tools are used in ecological education: Signs with reserve s name and the owner Panels with information about recreation opportunities and the wild life Towers or other kind of facilities for wildlife watching Walking paths Guards or rangers acting as interpreters Guided trips Camps in nature Information centers for the visitors Exhibitions Brochures, maps Protected area managers should use a range of interpretative techniques to meet local information needs and which fit it the character of the local environment. They, should, however, minimize the environmental impact of the techniques used [1]. The information panels are very appreciated, but not very efficiently: the people are remembering the images founded on it, but not the text. A very low percent of people knows about the information centers for visitors. For visitors, the education is less important then the area itself. The visitors come to relax, to enjoy themselves, to admire the landscape. For example, a panel with information can give important information, but in visitor s opinion this kind of object, in the natural context is an artificial, injurious element [3]. Generally speaking, the environment education in the natural reserves has 2 purposes: 1. To promote the preventive rules of the wildlife s disturbing and reserves deterioration 2. To promote the interest, the understanding and the respect for nature. The interest and the understanding are basic conditions for a social and economic effect (financial contribution to the conservation efforts) on a long period of time for nature s protection. The concept of education can be used in this direction - a concept of long standing, a process that aims at a change for a long time in attitude and behavior. Regarding the tour-operators, the guidelines include principles and advices to grow the quality of the tourist act by promoting an ecological policy and ecological education, both to the stuff and the tourists. Following the example and the aspect of the guidelines of other sensitive areas [2], the Codes of Conduct usually contain 10 principles for practicing a sustainable tourism in a sensitive area to the development of the economic activities. For some specific areas, the 10 principles are often used with the name of The 10 green Commandments of the ecotourism. These ecological guidelines contain 10 simple rules: a). visitors: 1. Join tourism practice with nature conservation 2. Support the wildlife maintaining measures 3. Use the natural resources in a sustainable way 4. Minimize the consumption, the waste and the pollution 5. Respect the local culture 6. Respect the scientific and historic sites 7. Bring benefits to the Danube Delta s local communities 8. Choose travel agencies with trained and professional staff 9. Transform your trip into an opportunity to learn about DDBR 10. Follow the security measures SCIENTIFIC ANNALS OF THE DANUBE DELTA INSTITUTE, TULCEA ROMANIA,

3 b) tour-operators: 1. Tourism should to be compatible with the conservation 2. Support the maintaining of the wildlife and the biodiversity 3. Use the natural resources in a sustainable way 4. Minimize the consumption, the waste and pollution 5. Respect the local cultural traditions 6. Respect the scientific and historic sites 7. Bring benefits to the Danube Delta s local communities 8. Train your staff 9. Your services should represent an opportunity of learning about the delta s environment and about its conservation 10. Follow the security measures Most of the principles/guidelines are similar whether they are addressed to the visitors or the tour-operators as they are directed to the same result: practicing a sustainable and ecological tourism. Each of these principles is explained and detailed for a better understanding of the recommendations. The subheadings are acting as the useful guidelines to achieve the principles. Although the Codes of Conducts are aimed to be distributed among the visitors and tour-operators from the Danube Delta, the guidelines can be used as a Code of Conduct in any other protected area or park. For the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve visitors and tour-operators, the adapted Code of Conducts include the following guidelines: a) visitors: 1. Join tourism practice with nature conservation the money you are spending during the trip can help the tourism development in the Danube Delta. Use your money to support the caterers and the tour-operators opened to nature conservation. inform yourself about the laws and the regulations which are protecting the wild life existing here and respect them. Inform yourself about the endangered species that are living here and avoid their hunting or fishing or gaining some products which are obtained of them. ask all the necessary authorizations before your visit in the strictly protected areas. Leave these areas exactly as you found and don t disturb the existing wild life. your reaction has a great importance. Inform the tourism agency if a trip, a tour-operator or a tourist services caterer were not sensitive about the environment or if they could have done more about that. become a member of the Danube Delta s flora and fauna conservation governmental or nongovernmental organizations and support their conservation projects. 2. Support the wildlife maintaining measures visit parks and natural reserves. The visitors demand and the tourism agencies supply support the already existing natural areas and they can lead to the protection of new areas. the wild and undisturbed areas of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve represent an unique source of environment. Oppose to the development that fragments these areas or that can separate the ecosystems or the wild populations. inform yourself about the conservation efforts of the wild life and habitats and support these measures by donating funds, volunteering, educating other persons in conservation or lobbying at the governmental and business organizations. 3. Use the natural resources in a sustainable way walk by foot or use kayaks, bicycles, rowing boats or other not motorized transport equipment where there is possible, in order to minimize the damages produced to the land and to avoid the phonic pollution. watch and photograph the wild life from the distance and don t forget that if this thing is done in a proper manner, the animals will not even notice that you ve passed over there. Don t approach too close to the nesting places of the birds and animals and respect the warning signs. where the law permits hunting and fishing, obtain your necessary authorizations, respect all regulations and take only how much is sufficient for you. Fish and hunt only where the source is sustainable from biologically point of view and do it in an undisturbed manner for local populations of animals and fishes. SCIENTIFIC ANNALS OF THE DANUBE DELTA INSTITUTE, TULCEA ROMANIA,

4 the natural disturbed areas are also a resource leave them exactly as you found them, so the future visitors should enjoy them as much as you did. Don t collect any plant or animal samples if this thing is not allowed or if you don t have authorization to do this. Use camping techniques with a minimum impact and the already existing paths so you don t need to create new ones. in the case that you are traveling in an organized way, assure yourself that your travel agent informed you correctly about the area you intend to visit and about what you have to do for minimizing the impact over that specific area. 4. Minimize the consumption, the waste and the pollution the choice of the accommodation place and of the products you intend to consume as well as the quantity has a great importance. Choose biodegradable and recyclable products or with a minimum wrapping. use recycling systems where these exists. If you travel in an organized manner, choose a travel agency that have such a system. limit the energy usage, including your own consume of heat and hot water. leave as less marks of your visit is possible and take your garbage with you choose transport equipment with a minimum impact avoid the use of a fossil fuel and the motorized transport. choose the accommodation spaces that have waste treatment and recycling stations, efficient from an energetically point of view and which, where is possible, use alternative power sources, with a minimum impact over the environment, like solar energy or the hydroelectric power stations. 5. Respect the local culture inform yourself about the local culture and habits of the areas you intend to visit before you leave. respect the rights of the Danube Delta s inhabitants. The rights of the indigene and not indigene communities that want to settle in a reserve it has to be recognized and their right for traditional life it has to be respected. if you don t travel in an organized manner, announce the local authorities about your incoming. ask the permission before you photograph the local people or before you get in their properties or their homes. 6. Respect the scientific and historic sites respect the historical sites and don t take souvenirs. Even the structures or the sites that look abandoned may be protected by law or might have a historical value for the local population. respect the scientists work and leave the areas with a special regime (reserves, strictly protected areas, historical ruins, etc.) undisturbed when you live. 7. Bring benefits to the Danube Delta s local communities the money that you spent as a tourist can contribute to the economic surviving of the local communities you visit. Buy local products, choose travel agencies, tour-operators and caterer services that have local employment force. buy local products and handicraft ware choose accommodation places owned, built and kept by the local people, where this thing is possible. 8. Choose travel agencies with trained and professional staff choose a travel agency with reputation that holds a well trained staff, preferably with experience in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. 9. Transform your trip into an opportunity to learn about DDBR inform yourselves about the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, and especially about the areas you intend to visit, before your departure. Transform your trip to an opportunity to learn about conservation, in general and about conservation in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, in special. in the case you travel in an organized manner, choose a travel agency that provides you information about the delta s environment, about conservation in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and about the ways you re able to support the conservation efforts. choose travel agencies and trips that provide you specific information about species, habitats, climate, local culture and population and about the appropriate behavior in the area you intend to visit. 10. Follow the security measures SCIENTIFIC ANNALS OF THE DANUBE DELTA INSTITUTE, TULCEA ROMANIA,

5 some areas in the Danube Delta are inhabited by flocks of wild boars, deers or other animals, which represent a potential danger and, for that reason, they must be looked from the distance. crossing the water surface needs special equipment (kayaks, rowing boats or motorboats, life-vests, etc.) and other special equipment needed for surviving in the Delta (maps, compass). In case you don t have this kind of equipment, is appropriate to rent guides. if you go on a trip alone or in group, assure yourself that the local authorities know your itinerary. check the weather and be prepared for a quick change weather. Avoid to be too tired, wet or frozen. the basic equipment, even for short trips, includes a map, food for emergency cases and a minimum set of first aid. b) tour-operators: 1. Tourism should to be compatible with the conservation Give conservation support: develop positive relations with persons and organizations involved in conservation, especially from the areas you intend to visit with your agency s clients. encourage your clients to become, for example, members of conservation organizations. use your personal contact by post mail to educate other, too and encourage the governmental and business organizations to act with the purpose to support conservation projects, as selection of new natural reserves. bring contribution with time and money within the organizations and the projects of environment s conservation. Plan the tourist activities in such a way as to not come in conflict with the conservation efforts: obtain the access authorization before visiting the natural reserves or other areas where the access is limited. When you are visiting these areas, assure that your activities are according to nature and respect park s law or the reserve s one. use the evaluation surveys of the tourist activity to confirm that the trip organized by your agency hadn t a negative effect on the environment. use the clients feed-back as a necessary tool to find out if your tourist activity come in the expectation of their hopes regarding the environment. In the opinion survey include questions referring to the negative impact on the environment and if the agency proved that it had taken into consideration the natural and cultural environment of the area. As a rule, use the written opinion survey, even if the oral ones are acceptable especially for the small agencies. 2. Support the maintaining of the wildlife and the biodiversity Promote the maintaining of large natural areas in the Danube Delta: the undeveloped regions of the Danube Delta have a unique value and represent one of the main reasons for that the tourists are coming here. This thing will be undermined by the infrastructure development through the highways construction, pipes or other forms of development on a large scale, that break up the habitat. Sustain the conservation programs and project: inform your clients about the programs and projects of the wildlife conservation and assure these won t hunt or fish protected species or species threatened with the extinction, won t get into sensitive habitats and won t buy products derived from protected species. 3. Use the natural resources in a sustainable way Where there are laws allowing the hunting and the fishing, follow all the measures and take only what you really need: assure yourself that your tourists respect the laws and the regulations and they fish or hunt in a manner that doesn t prejudice to the local stocks. Cooperate with the local hunting and fishing associations. assure yourself that your tourists use only proper and kept in repair equipment for hunting and that they know how to use these equipment, too. use the established circulation routes and the camping areas where they already exist and avoid the making of new routes and camping areas. Avoid disturbing the wildlife: train your clients about the local wildlife and about its behavior and assure yourself that they will look after the wild animals from a proper distance. 4. Minimize the consumption, the waste and pollution SCIENTIFIC ANNALS OF THE DANUBE DELTA INSTITUTE, TULCEA ROMANIA,

6 Your choice upon the products and the quantity that your clients are using have a major importance: even if you have laid in one s stock of aliments or you buy them from the area, choose biodegradable or recycled products and products with a minimized wrapping. collect the garbage and take it with you recycle if it is possible and encourage the local communities to develop recycling programs in the case they don t have such a program. If it is fezable, deliver financial aid to develop such programs. limit the energy use, including the heat and hot water use. Register the energy and water consumption, the recycling efforts and those of waste reduction. the transport you choose for your clients is very important - choose the transport type that have the smallest impact. minimize the fossil fuel use and try to use unmotorized means of conveyance where it is possible. If this kind of transport is necessary, choose the technology that cause the smallest damages to the environment and, also, the most reduced noise (for example, motors in four times, rather than those in two times). Don t use the motorized transport if it is not necessary. Choose accommodation types compatible with the local traditions and that minimize the negative impact upon the environment: choose accommodation places that have systems for the waste treatment, recycling and that remove efficiently the unrecycled garbage Support the cleaning efforts of the polluted areas and of those with waste: find out about these actions and support them, for example through the money delivery, through lobbies to the governmental or business agencies, through time and staff contributions and through the clients encouragement for their support. Assure that your visit doesn t leave one trace behind: follow responsible practices for camping and trips, including those that are regarding the waste s elimination. if you are a tour-operator who is operating with transport ships, assure yourself that you are following all the international conventions Romania has adhered to. Keep all the plastic waste for their disposal at the proper places and collect all wood waste, glass and metal with the purpose to restore them to the proper recycling services. Assure yourself that the incinerators that you have are properly functioning. 5. Respect the local cultural traditions get acquaintance with the laws or the measures that are operating in that area or in the waters you navigate and get the necessary authorizations. respect the local culture and traditions and assure yourself that your clients will do the same thing, too. inform shortly the clients about the local traditions of the community you intend to visit. Hire local guides with the purpose to give these information where it is possible. Include information about local customs and traditions and about the proper behavior of the visitors for all their term of staying within the community. ask the permission to film or to get a photo. assure yourself that your tourists respect the religious places, churches, cemeteries and other places with religious or cultural signification and that they don t make damages to these places. 6. Respect the scientific and historical sites respect the historic sites and the historical signs and assure yourself that your tourists don t take a souvenir if the access in the historical or archeological sites is limited, get the pass authorizations before your visit. Assure yourself that your tourists have a decent behavior, especially if they visit places with a religious signification. Respect the researchers work : don t visit work places or scientific installations if you don t arrange beforehand this visit don t disturb the scientists when they are working and don t disturb their working places 7. Bring benefits to the Danube Delta s local communities Where there is possible, hire local staff or conclude an agreement with local agencies: train the local employees for your activities, where this thing is possible. Use private local companies as subcontractors. Develop partnerships on a long term with local agencies, private companies or caterers. A local relationship usually means a better tourist experience. SCIENTIFIC ANNALS OF THE DANUBE DELTA INSTITUTE, TULCEA ROMANIA,

7 develop the activity in a manner in which the community you are visiting will also benefit, especially the caterers. if this thing is a fezable one, buy goods and local services. Ask the local community what goods you should bring with you for your visit and use goods that don t cause loss to the local population. Encourage your clients to buy local or workmanship products. Where there it is possible, choose accommodation places built, owned and managed by locals. 8. Train your staff Hire a professional team: hire only the staff with cultural and environmental skills or train the already existing staff for these areas. Deliver training in spirit of the negative impact s avoidance on the environment, of the safety and for services delivery. Estimate your staff performance, including the respecting of this code, for less one time per year if you are an agency that uses floating hotels, hire lecturers and naturalists that won t just give lectures about the wildlife, environment protection, history, geology and local culture, but will act in the same time as guides for the tourists taking short trips on the banks and as the source of information on the local conservation and safety requirements. Hire habituated staff to delta s area: in the large delta s area, at least one of the staff members should have skills on orientation, first aid and survival in special environments. Most part of the staff should have previously experience in this area and be familiar with the conditions from the delta. Educate and inform the staff about this code and about the Code of Conduct for tourists in the delta s area: deliver to all the staff members copies of the Code s principles, as those of the Code of Conduct for tourists in this environment and assure yourself that they are getting acquaintance with the content. Include information about local special requirements. Don t permit the access of an uninformed team. Make a proper clients-staff ratio: for the terrestrial tourism, the recommended ratio is of 8-15 clients per staff member; while for the shipping tourism the ratio is of passenger per staff member Assure yourself that your subcontractors range to this Code of Conduct, too: give a copy of the Principles of this Code of Conduct to all the subcontractors. Include a clause in all the signed subcontracts that stipulate the alignment to this Code norms and give verbal explanations bounding this requirement. 9. Your services should represent an opportunity of learning about the delta s environment and about its conservation Deliver to your clients information about the deltaic environment and about its conservation projects: deliver written brochures about this environment, its features and about its importance. Include information about the overall deltaic environment s conservation actions, about the uncommon conservation efforts in the areas you intend to visit and about the concrete manners in which the clients can participate and bring a financial contribution or other contributions to these conservation efforts. Deliver to your clients specific information about the region you intend to visit: include information about weather, habitats and, also, about the proper behavior for this area Assure that your tourists follow the Code of Conduct for tourists in this environment: apply the code in a concrete manner. Assure that the clients understand their responsibilities. Be ready to use strictly measures where there it s necessary (for example, when the safety is a problem) 10. Follow the security measures Inform the local authorities about your itinerary: this thing is necessary both for safety as for assuring yourself that you are in accordance with the local regulations. Inform, shortly, both the clients and the staff about the dangers that can appear during your visit here: assure at least one staff member who is responsible for the safety s coordination and avoiding the dangerous places. This kind of Code of Conduct is recommended by the Tourism Department within the DDNI and it is intended to all the visitors and tourists of the Danube Delta, regardless of the tourism form they choose to SCIENTIFIC ANNALS OF THE DANUBE DELTA INSTITUTE, TULCEA ROMANIA,

8 practice (organized tourism, with the tourism agencies and the tour-operators help, individual tourism, with the tent, or rural tourism). These kind of guidelines, having the design of the folders or brochures have to be delivered to the visitors through the Information Tourist Centres, Visitors Centres or by the tourism agencies, as part of the tourist supply s informative package for the Danube Delta. For the tour-operators acting in the Danube Delta, the principles of conduct policy have to be brought to their notice by The DDBRA Service of Permits and Regulations when they are applying for the Environment Authorization for conducting tourist activities in the DDBR or during the Public Awareness campaigns. CONCLUSIONS In the most of the world s protected areas, the development of a sustainable tourism form represents a priority for those areas managers. The sustainable development of tourism is achieved by applying the sustainable development principles using different methods and tools. The guidelines addressed to tourists/visitors and tourism tour-operators represent one of the most used awareness tools of these sustainable and wise use principles of the natural resources and wildlife conservation. The guidelines are or general, or specific for a tourist area. The deliver manner and their dissemination represent an important phase, also, in public awareness and in application of the principles included in these guidelines. The dissemination must be done both by the tour-operators, as a condition in their tourist offers for the Danube Delta, and by the Tourist Information Centers. For those tour-operators that offer tourist services in the DDBR, getting the licence to carry on the activities on the reserve territory should to be conditioned by signing and following The Principles of conduct policy, assuring in this way the ecotourism implementation (step by step) in DDBR. REFERENCES 1. I.U.C.N., 1994 Parks for Life: Action for Protected Areas in Europe. I.U.C.N., Gland 2. WWF WWF Arctic Tourism Project, Principles for Arctic Tourism. 3. WWF, 1991 Environmental Education, Environmental education in nature reserves in the Netherlands. Michael Steeghs, Institute for Environmental Education (IVN), The Netherlands, Proceedings of the Seventh East-West Consultation Ubbergen & Bergen, The Netherlands Manuscript received: February 14 th, 2006 Manuscript accepted: June 30 st, 2007 Printed: October 2007 SCIENTIFIC ANNALS OF THE DANUBE DELTA INSTITUTE, TULCEA ROMANIA,