Ecoturism as a Means of Formation of Ecological Consciousness and Culture of Personality

Abstract

In the conditions of the global ecological crisis the problem of physical habitation of people as a biological species objectively arises in the foreground. The main reasons for the negative impact of human activities and society on the natural environment, which caused such a crisis, are revealed. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the reduction in society of the technocratic worldview in the life of mankind eventually led to such a negative situation. Emphasis is placed on the fact that in order to overcome it, firstly, it is necessary to rethink the relationship in the system «human — nature» at the global level and, accordingly, to form in the individual and society the need to replace the technological worldview with ecological. It turns out that a system-forming element in the system of ecological worldview is ecological consciousness which is ultimately managed to provide a spiritual basis for a set of environmental factors in human life and society. As a result, they become priorities in human life. Moreover, they can even become a meaning of human life. The content of the basic levels of ecological consciousness formation is revealed: national-realistic, everyday-empirical and conscious-theoretical. It is proved that the carriers of the national-realistic level are characterized by an intuitive approach to understanding the existing environmental problems. As for the everyday-empirical level of ecological consciousness, such people are interested in the practical solution of the problem in the field of ecology, which is directly related to them. And only the carriers of the conscious-theoretical level of ecological consciousness are characterized by a conscious and stable attitude towards environmental problems in all their manifestations. They are characterized by the active life position of protection and conservation of nature, which is realized in active environmental activities. It is proved that ecotourism serves as an effective means of forming and affirming the ecological consciousness and ecological culture of the individual and society, due to the fact that in the process of human interaction with the natural environment the need for care is formed. The content and correlation of the concepts «ecotourism», «biotourism», «natural tourism», «agritourism», «green tourism» are revealed. It turns out that ecotourism necessarily supports the «greening» of other types of tourism, which in their activities are beginning to teach not only the risks of negative impact of such activities on the environment, but also create efforts to ensure its preservation. The significant ecological potential of Khmelnytskyi region is revealed.