Vocabulary

essentially— по существу

connotation— значение

to define— определять

current— действующий, нынешний

responsible— ответственный

to conserve— сохранять

conservation— сохранение

environment— окружающая средаto improve— улучшатьwell-being— благосостояниеpeople— народ

to favor— предпочитать, оказывать предпочтение, благоприятство­вать

vehicle— транспортное средство, двигатель

sustainable— стабильный

to satisfy criteria— удовлетворять критериям

justification— оправдание, основание

diversity— разнообразие

protection — защита

promotion— продвижение

to provide— снабжать

benefits— выгода, приносить пользу

community— общество, община

indigenous— коренной, местный

consent— согласие

enterprise— предприятие

increase— увеличение

impact— воздействие

affordabiiity— доступность

lack— недостаток

waste— отходы

luxury— роскошь

marginal activity— незначительная деятельность

to intend— намереваться

means— средство

significant— значительный

revenue— доход

chunk— большое количество

concept— концепция

tool— инструмент

related to— относящийся к...

to claim— утверждать, требовать

to abuse— злоупотреблять

splendid— великолепный

detriment — ущерб

to sensitize— делать чувствительнымfragility— хрупкостьto condemn— осуждать

to argue— спорить

precious— ценный

data— данные

to estimate— оценивать

majority—■ большинство

to cause— быть причиной, вызывать

controversy— спор, противоречие

Read and translate the text.

ECOTOURISM

Ecotourism essentially means ecological tourism, where ecological has both environmental and social connotations. It is defined both as a concept / tourism movement and as a tourism sector. Born in its current form in the late 1980s, ecotourism came of age in 2002, when the Unit­ed Nations celebrated the "International Year of Ecotourism". The In­ternational Ecotourism Society (IES) defines ecotourism as "responsi­ble travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people". However, this is a vibrant, new move­ment and there are various definitions.

Many global environmental organizations and aid agencies favor ec­otourism as a vehicle to sustainable development.

Ideally, true ecotourism should satisfy several criteria, such as:

• conservation (and justification for conservation) of biological di­versity and cultural diversity, through ecosystems protection;

• promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity, by providing jobs to local populations;

• sharing of socio-economic benefits with local communities and indigenous people by having their informed consent and partici­pation in the management of ecotourism enterprises;

• increase of environmental & cultural knowledge;

• minimisation of tourism's own environmental impact;

• affordability and lack of waste in the form of luxury.

For many countries, ecotourism is not so much seen as a marginal activity intended to finance protection of the environment than as a ma­jor sector of national economy and as a means of getting currencies. For example, in countries such as Kenya, Ecuador, Nepal, Costa Rica and Madagascar, ecotourism represents a significant chunk of foreign revenue.

The concept of ecotourism is widely misunderstood and, in practice, is often simply used as a marketing tool to promote tourism that is relat­ed to nature. Critics claim that ecotourism as practiced and abused of-

ten consists in placing a hotel in a splendid landscape, to the detriment of the ecosystem. According to them, ecotourism must above all sensi­tize people with the beauty and the fragility of nature. They condemn some operators as "green-washing" their operations—that is, using the label of "ecotourism" and "green-friendly", while behaving in environ­mentally irresponsible ways.

Although academics argue about who can be classified as an eco- tourist, and there is precious little statistical data, some estimate that more than five million ecotourists — the majority of the worldwide popula­tion — come from the United States, with other ecotourists coming from Europe, Canada and Australia.

Currently there are various moves to create national and international ecotourism certification programs, although the process is causing con­troversy.

TEXT WORK

1. Pronounce correctly and transcribe. Consult the dictionary if necessary.

Ecotourism, essentially, environment, environmental, social, society, define, current, conserve, conservation, vibrant, ideally, vehicle, justifi­cation, diversity, cultural, through, ecosystem, communities, indigenous, affordabiiity, luxury, marginal, currencies, Ecuador, foreign, revenue, widely, misunderstood, nature, abused, sensitize, fragility, condemn, al­though, precious, majority, certification, causing, controversy.

2. Compare and mind the difference:

BrE

to favour minimisation

AmE

to favor minimization