Tourism and the environment. . . Appropriate environment suitable help to achieve the renaissance tourist promising
Tourism is one of the human activities that are affected by the features of the surrounding environment, which had an important role in the distribution of recreation and entertainment sites in the identification of patterns and themes of tourists flow to the tourist destination and determine the duration of their stay and their visits seasons movement. And tourism are closely interlinked with the environment, environmentally sensitive Tourism Activity In case of neglect of environmental side, it would be a decisive factor in the lack of development of these activities.
This shows that most of the tourist activities depend on the viewing and enjoy the natural and artificial scenery. Although the archaeological and historical buildings are the achievements of human civilization, but over time became part of the natural environment in which account for many of the tourists to view and access, has been in some countries, including Iraq, to ​​the degradation and distortion as a result of lack of attention in terms of restoration and preservation and spread of waste In the surrounding areas, which requires maintaining consistently, and stop all forms of environmental pollution from around the risks.
The environment is the outer frame, which includes all natural and biological agents, such as climate, land, rivers, lakes and mountains ... etc. And where the man lives with other objects of plants, birds and animals in the integration and homogeneity and balance helps to sustain life and survival as he wanted God Almighty, so the question of maintaining the ecological balance can not be overlooked keep pace with economic growth and even become both ends of the equation one, are required to maintain Equal both sides to ensure the sustainability of life and continuity.
United Nations Environment Programme has confirmed the existence of an essential need to revive growth after reportedly received from several countries describe environmental conditions and living conditions in which to deteriorate, and came as a result of neglect of the environment and the indifference to it, causing a negative impact in the decline in the economies of those countries and degradation, Iraq is Among those countries that suffer from environmental degradation significantly as a result of war and neglect, despite the attributes of a variety of system sings ecotourism such as mountains, valleys, forests and green plains and desert addition to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, lakes and marshes, and many other places, and to address it must take advantage of the oil resources massive investment in tourism, especially tourism and environmental education.
Elements of the ecosystem:
1. Natural Environment: include the following elements:
■ land and climate: The soil topographic and climatic conditions.
■ plants: include wildlife and natural areas.
■ aquatic systems: include rivers, seas and oceans and groundwater.
2. artificial environment: a human achievements which created within the natural environment include agricultural environment systems - civilized societies - dams and reservoirs and systems of transport and communications.
3. The social environment: include political, economic, social, administrative and cultural systems. In the sixties of the last century scientific and practical concern for the environment began, where he held in 1972 in Stockholm, capital of Sweden, the United Nations conference was the recognition of the importance of identifying and addressing environmental problems in their early stages and the need to maintain various resources especially rare ones as one of the positive factors that should work to employ them and not exposed to risk.
4. industrial environment: Most cities suffer in third world countries, especially the tourist ones from scattering industrial laboratories in most of the internal parts thereof, and the lack of control over the waste of those laboratories and in particular food plants, reflecting the negative impact when the tourist to those cities.
Importance of the relationship between the environment and tourism:
Importance of the relationship between the environment and tourism show through:
■ environment is the basis on which the tourist activity.
■ clean environment is the warranty for the new tourism, and is considered one of the most important tourist attractions.
■ tourism and the environment go together, and the development of environmental resources leads to the continued growth of tourism activity.
■ clean environment is detrimental to the reputation of the tourist destination.
■ Environment is one of the most important factors affecting the tourism investment in the future.
■ importance of the relationship between the environment and tourism, was signed by the United Nations Environment Programme of the Organization of the United Nations with the World Tourism Organization (WTO) joint declaration of compatibility between tourism and the environment in 1982, and formed a standing committee (Committee on Tourism and Environment) objective of its formation is to spread environmental awareness among the peoples of countries of the world and the World Tourism Organization held a conference in October 1997 in the Turkish city of Istanbul under the slogan «a leading tourism sector in the atheist and the twentieth century to create jobs and protect the environment.»
■ In September 2000, world celebrated World Tourism Day under the slogan «technology and nature are two challenges for tourism at the beginning of atheist and the twentieth century», in the context of recognition of the importance of technology in tourism activity, as well as the importance of nature conservation and the environment, as the basis for the continuation of the tourism communication, can not be achieved (tourism development Sustainable) only through maintaining environmental components.
And recognition of the world tourism environment and its importance, the summit was held (ecotourism) Canadian in Quebec in May 2002. As well as the world celebrated World Tourism Day in the month of September 2002 under the slogan «eco-tourism key to sustainable development», sustainable tourism through the future.
Tourism experts were interested in the natural environment of the countries tourism and various interactions that occur between them and the various tourist activities in these countries and the effects that occur as a result of this interaction appeared that these effects take two directions:
■ · positive aspects of tourism on the environment:
Of the positive qualities that generated by tourism as a result of many environmental impacts where brought great development in various environmental elements (air, water, soil) as well as the cultural heritage as a result of interest in the protection and preservation against environmental pollution in all its forms, so as to achieve a growing tourist growth, because the environment suitable occasion is one of the important factors influencing and helping to achieve the renaissance tourist promising.
■ · positive effects of tourism activity on the environment:
Improvement and development of tourist attractions, maintenance and restoration Kalmracd, mosques, shrines and other and displayed within the tourism product of the tourist destination.
Find new communities as a result of the expansion of tourism and investment and re-distribution of the population better.
Choose the best tourist patterns that suit the nature of the community, as well as appropriate and which reflect the culture of the community and its originality architectural designs.
Preserve the traditions and customs inherited communities which lead to an increase in demand of tourists to these communities to identify the traditions and customs.
The negative aspects of tourism on the environment:
As it turns out that the positive aspects of tourism on the environment, there are negative implications, The establishment of tourism projects in certain areas may be in itself a major cause of environmental degradation of some elements in these areas.
Related to dealing with the current environmental conditions of the facilities polluting activity and urban populations, especially the indiscriminate random in many cities and blatant infringement on the elements of the environment.
The promotion of tourism investment by the state in green areas, leading to the loss of vast green spaces lead to a change of the natural environment and the loss of part of its components.
Increasing tourist traffic on certain tourist areas by tourists lead to negative environmental effects of another kind as a result of their use of the components of the natural environment, such as mountains, rivers and seas, orchards and farms, leading to environmental degradation and increasing pollution in which leads to a decrease in tourist traffic.
The close relationship between tourism activities of different types and the environment in the broad sense, environment provides a real foundation for tourist activities, while tourism is an important factor to preserve the environment and the development and improvement. Must permission from the optimization of the tourist sites while preserving the environment.
Choice of tourist sites in the most beautiful places may lead to the deterioration of these sites environment and the loss of attractiveness and beauty of it because of the increasing pressure and without taking into account the respect for the basic rules for dealing with them.
■ · the negative impacts of tourism activity is also on the environment:
Increase the flow of tourists to the cultural, historical and archaeological sites lead to cracks in the buildings as a result of increased humidity and change the atmosphere surrounding these sites.
The overcrowding on the beaches and tourist resorts and green areas, environmental damage directly affect the quality of life happens, and the increased traffic on the roads leading to the unity of environmental pollution.
Intense competition that occurs between tourism and other sectors such as agriculture as a result of the use of tourist development and large tracts of land and the use of a large proportion of local labor.
■ · to achieve alignment between tourism and the environment comes through:
Issuance of laws and regulations that provide for the protection of the environment in the administration of its components various tourism projects.
Preparation of studies and research and programs relating to the protection of the environment and take advantage of the results in the activation of preventive and curative measures to pollute the environment, and encourage the population to individual and collective participation to protect the environment.
Providing tourist services and facilities in the areas and tourist sites and parks to preserve the environment such as networks of sewage and potable water and waste treatment and disposal.
The importance of the availability of information and data on the environmental impacts of the proposed tourist projects and take this into account by planners responsible for the development of tourism in the state before the start-up of these projects to determine the extent of environmental damage is expected to occur.
Creating and preparing cadres efficient specialized in the field of environmental protection and control of environmental pollution.
Work to develop and improve the performance of environmental departments and the creation of environmental protection requirements in order to maintain the ecological balance and overall development and to avoid the causes of degradation and pollution mainly.
Multiple follow proper scientific planning aspects of the rules and integrated to achieve sustainable development.
The establishment of nature reserves of all kinds, especially the expansion of the cultivation of green belts around cities adjacent to the deserts in order to improve environmental conditions and urban tree planting and care of public gardens.
Continuous assessment of environmental conditions in important tourist areas and the size of the study environmental changes that occur in these areas as a result of the tourism activities and work to reduce the size of their implications in order to preserve the environment.
Promote environmental tourism promoted, becoming the essential process of sustainable development and installation of the local population in their areas of factors that part.
Environmental awareness in the community and among guides investors.
The need to develop the environmental dimension in all appropriate curriculum various stages of education, especially in the areas of tourism institutes concerned.
A social studies for local residents to study the social impact as a result of dealing with tourists of various nationalities, religions and customs.
Diversification of tourism programs and distribute them to various tourist areas (archaeological and recreational throughout the year) as much as possible to avoid pressure on the occurrence of certain sites without the other.
Encourage and motivate guides investors to adopt modern trends in caring for the environment, and the application of an integrated environmental system down for Sustainable Tourism, which aims to achieve compliance with the local environment and reduce operating expenses through the optimal use of natural resources laws. And improve the image of tourist facilities to tourists.
Hotels compatible with the environment
The hotels in any tourist area, the main form of accommodation, but in most cases it is considered an important factor of tourist attractions.
The term «Environmental hotel» brand name for a product of the tourism industry products used to identify the type of approved tourist facilities on the nature element, which will respond to the principles of ecotourism.
Location is one of the important characteristics of the hotel project, or any other project of accommodation projects, and notes that the more complementary services, the activity of accommodation available for tourists, this leads to the creation of the potential success of the project hotel.
Design hotels a way that serves the local environment with the use of local building materials in their construction, any adoption of design solutions from the natural environment surrounding the place.
Spend part of the profits of these hotels on the efforts of environmental protection, in order to find a relationship between the tourist and the environment without causing environmental damage.
Participation of local people in tourism projects and take their views of the proposed designs.
The hotel project environmental lead to the lifting of economic value of natural resources and cultural experiences.
Environmental hotel qualitatively small service projects that are compatible with the surrounding space and is used by visitors local environmental experience derived from the nature around them belongs.
Many countries have begun to establish furnished apartments and rented out to tourists for short periods, especially for families and for their comfort and excellent and affordable prices. Many first-class hotels has set up a private extension of the buildings are compatible with the local environment comprising furnished apartments after demand increased.
Treatment of waste tourist hotels of solid waste and heavy water and recycled, which contributes effectively to create a clean environment around the perimeter of those hotels.
The environmental impacts of transportation
The transport of all kinds have environmental impacts are clear, they all need energy, mostly from organic sources cause burned many environmental problems, including air pollution and raise the temperature of the air in addition to the oil industry on which it depends transport prone to accidents that affect the environment, and that includes oil tanker accidents stations loaded.

The new roadways and airport construction and the construction of runways, they lead to the destruction of vast tracts of green and increase the atmospheric air pollution and significant damage caused to human health and well-being, especially what is happening in populated areas and near airports, highways and industrial parks. Therefore the need for adoption of air pollution control measures according to the principles of scientific and practical means of which Created originally for the purpose of follow-up and monitoring of local air pollution problems and control to prevent its spread.