EECOTOURISM ACTION PLAN – ABOUT ECOACT PROJECT
Integrating Innovative Practices and Best Applications in European Union with regard to
European Qualification Framework (ECOACT) Project
Project Executing Organization: General Directorate of Forestry (Coordinator)
Project Duration: 24 month (2016 – 2018)
Project Type: AB Erasmus + Strategic Partnerships for School Education
Strategic Partners
1. Turkey-GDF Dep. of Foreign Relations, Training and Research- Coordinator
2. Spain-CTFC- Forest Science and Technology Center of Catalonia
3. Czech Republic -ECO-ORLOV
4. Germany- ECOTRANS
5. Slovenia-KTRC Radece- Cultural, Tourism and Recreational Center
6. Turkey -OGEMVAK
7. Turkey -TERCİH Counselling and Software Co
ECOACT Project has been conducted successfully in the years 2017-2018 at the helm of the
General Directorate of Forestry. The European Ecotourism Network (EEN) came into effect in
2003 and brought together many institutions and organizations of ecotourism. The Network
aims to ensure that ecotourism services contribute to nature conservation and sustainable
tourism, and carries out its activities in line with the European Ecotourism Labeling Standards
(EETLS).
Nature-based tourism growth has emphasized the need for conservation of a pristine and
sensitive natural environment and, in some cases, local communities. On the other hand,
ecotourism has become a more demanding area with a search for a continuous relation with
nature and high-quality services.
The introduction of documentation for work ethics, quality assurance, labeling, and service
standards has sought to meet these requirements. However, the abundance and diversity of
such initiatives, which are not often directly related to the ecotourism, point out the necessity
of universal standards for ecotourism services and tourist behavior. This need has become
extremely important due to the lack of consistency among existing labels and the wide variety
of quality standards of ecotourism services offered.
The European Ecotourism Labeling Standards have been determined in this booklet together
with the General Directorate of Forestry and the other project partners, ensuring compliance
with the conditions of our country. Hotel, pension and business managers and tour operators,
who are active in ecotourism, have been involved in the European Ecotourism Network and
will provide comparable service standards to ecotourism customers across Europe (and
possibly worldwide) on some of the core quality standards.