Role and Place of Alternative Tourism Development in Mountain Areas

Plamen PATARCHANOV1
1“St. Kliment Ohridski”University, Faculty of Geology and Geography, Department of Social and Economic Geography, Sofia, BULGARIA
E-mail: p_patarchanov@abv.bg
Pages: 149-155

Abstract. Tourism, the first global industry, is undergoing a major development. As a result of using only traditional forms of such activities and resources for them in many areas including in the mountain ones, it becomes obvious the necessity of imposing major changes for tourism development. The aim is to provide sustainability of socio-cultural and economic processes, as well as to preserve the natural environment and the identity of any territory, which is subject to active economic exploitation through tourism. Tourism as a major sector of the local economy of the mountain regions of Bulgaria should be seen as a complex activity, which involves additional production, services, transportation and specialized education. Therefore, the development of alternative tourism as a priority for these areas should be considered in all its complexities and opportunities, which ultimately contributes to the elimination of some problems, such as: unemployment, low income, narrow specialization of the economy in the mountain areas and the general lagging behind of the rural mountain areas as compared to the lowland areas and the larger urban centres.

K e y w o r d s:  alternative tourism, mountain areas, local development, regional development, specialized tourist product