ECOTOURISM IN SOUTHERN PORTUGAL. CASE STUDY: CASTRO VERDE BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Abstract

Ecotourism, understood in the strict sense, is an activity that aims to harmonize the interaction of people with well-preserved ecosystems that present great value of naturalness, providing direct financial benefits for the conservation of indigenous biodiversity and promoting the well-being of the visited community. Minimizing negative environmental impacts, planning and management actions must necessarily be geared towards nature conservation and, at the same time, to provide benefits to the local population, such as job creation, the recovery of historical heritage and the enhancement of intangible cultural heritage.