THE IMPACT OF TOURISM ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS OF ECOTOURISM

Abstract

Tourism is one of the most important economic activities and a promoter of sustainable development. The increase in the complexity and volume of the tourism offer has led to the development of a real tourism industry, for which reason tourism should be treated as a separate branch of the economy. Tourism plays a key role in the economic and social life by acting as a dynamic force in the global economic system, as a means of diversifying the economic structure and alleviating inter-regional imbalances, and as an active and attractive means of education, raising the level of knowledge, culture and civilisation of the population.