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E c o t o u r i s m D e v e l o p m e n tA Manua l f o r Conse r va t ion P lanne r s and Manager s

Volume l

An Introduction to Ecotourism Planning

Volume l

Andy Drumm and Alan Moore

ALEX C. WALKEREDUCATIONAL & CHARITABLEFOUNDATION

Ecotourism Development A Manual for Conservation Planners and Managers

Volume 1

Copyright 2002 by The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia, USA.

All rights reserved.

Editing: Alex Singer

Design/Layout: Jonathan Kerr

Cover Photography: Ecotourists at Yaxchilan Mayan site, Chiapas, Mexico Andy Drumm; Jaragua National

Park, Dominican Republic Andy Drumm; owl-eye monkeys, Panama Marie Read

Production: Publications for Capacity Building, The Nature Conservancy, Worldwide Office, 4245 North

Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203, USA. Fax: 703-841-4880; email: [email protected].

This publication was made possible, in part, through support provided by the Office LAC/RSD/, Bureau for Latin

America and the Caribbean, U.S. Agency for International Development, under terms of Grant No. LAG-0782-A-

00-5026-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the

U.S. Agency for International Development. This publication was also made possible, in part, thanks to the vision,

trust, and support of the Alex C. Walker Charitable and Educational Trust.

For further information on Ecotourism projects or to provide feedback, please contact:

Andy Drumm

Director, Ecotourism

The Nature Conservancy

Worldwide Office

4245 North Fairfax Drive

Arlington, VA 22203 USA

Phone: 703-841-8177

Fax: 703-841-4880

Email: [email protected]

printed on recycled paper

3Volume One: An Introduction to Ecotourism Planning

Ecotourism has become an important economicactivity in natural areas around the world. It pro-vides opportunities for visitors to experience powerfulmanifestations of nature and culture and to learn aboutthe importance of biodiversity conservation and localcultures. At the same time, ecotourism generatesincome for conservation and economic benefits forcommunities living in rural and remote areas.

The attributes of ecotourism make it a valuable toolfor conservation. Its implementation can:

give economic value to ecosystem services that pro-tected areas provide;

generate direct income for the conservation of pro-tected areas;

generate direct and indirect income for local stake-holders, creating incentives for conservation in localcommunities;

build constituencies for conservation, locally, nation-ally and internationally;

promote sustainable use of natural resources; and

reduce threats to biodiversity.

Some areas have greater potential for realizing thebenefits of ecotourism than others. In areas with lowvisitation, the potential is not usually clear. In others,tourism may already be an important factor. In bothcases, the ecotourism planning process is critical toachieving ecotourisms potential as a powerful conser-vation strategy.

Of course, not all tourism to natural areas is eco-tourism. Nature tourism, as opposed to ecotourism,may lack mechanisms for mitigating impacts on theenvironment and fail to demonstrate respect for localculture. Economically, nature tourism is also booming.Consequently, we are witnessing an onslaught of visita-

tion to natural areas which, in many cases, is under-mining the values that make these areas attractive.

Because of their ecological value, protected areas,especially those found in the tropics and in less-devel-oped countries, contain many of the worlds greatestecotourism attractions. These attractions may consist ofone or a combination of rare or endemic species of floraor fauna, abundant wildlife, high indices of speciesdiversity, unusual or spectacular geomorphological for-mations, or unique historic or contemporary culturalmanifestations in a natural context.

Protected area managers, then, are faced with the chal-lenge of controlling and limiting the impacts of unfetterednature tourism while at the same time deciding whereand how to plan adequately for the development of eco-tourism as a compatible economic development option.

By integrating ecotourism development into a sys-tematic approach to conservation using The NatureConservancys Conservation By Design1 framework wecan ensure that ecotourism is only initiated when it is themost effective strategy to achieve tangible, lasting resultsat scale. These distinct but intimately interrelated aspectsof ecotourism conservation management and businessdevelopment must be fully understood by ecotourismplanners and protected area managers before movingahead with plans to implement ecotourism activities.Conservationists have typically approached ecotourismwith a limited understanding of business issues and anincomplete understanding of the management mecha-nisms that are available and necessary to ensure the sus-tainability of tourism in protected areas. Typically, startingpoints for an ecotourism initiative have been guide train-ing programs or lodge construction. This approach isalmost guaranteed to end in failure. It has led to:

the creation of high expectations in communitieswhich are seldom fulfilled;

Preface to the Ecotourism Development Manual

1 Conservation by Design: A Framework for Mission Success. 2001. Arlington, Virginia: The Nature Conservancy.

Ecotourism Development: A Manual for Conservation Planners and Managers4

ecotourism activities becoming a drain on scarceNGO and protected area resources as projects struggleto reach break-even point;

NGOs and protected areas being pulled away fromtheir central conservation mission; and

tourism destroying the natural attractions thatoriginally drew visitors.

On the other hand, nature tourism operators havetypically carried out their initiatives with an incompleteunderstanding of conservation issues and consequentlyoperate in an unsustainable fashion.

We now recognize that in order for ecotourism tobe successful, conservationists need a greater under-standing of business considerations; likewise, developersneed a greater awareness of the management mechanismsthat are necessary to ensure the sustainability of theactivity. Combining both perspectives is essential for asuccessful ecotourism program.

Protected areas may be state, private or communityowned or administered, or any combination thereof.Funds for protected area management of all types areusually scarce in developing countries. As a result,these areas often lack the capacity to ensure thattourism generates the full range of benefits it should.Hence, in many areas opportunities for income genera-tion for site conservation and local communities areunder exploited and tourism may in fact pose a threatto conservation.

For ecotourism to fulfill its potential and generatesustainable benefits, protected areas must implement aplanning framework to guide and manage the activity.

This manual focuses primarily on providing a set ofcriteria to ecotourism planners and managers at conserva-tion NGOs to facilitate decisions with respect to eco-tourism management and development. However, itshould also be helpful to protected area specialists andmanagers of state-owned and community-owned reserves,as well as to other actors in ecotourism including touroperators and hotel developers who seek greater orienta-tion in understanding the conservation implications ofproposed activities. Additionally, it will be of use toinvestors considering ecotourism development proposals.

The manual consists of two distinct but related stand-alone volumes. Conservationists who are intrigued byecotourism and want a greater understanding of it, orwho are considering ecotourism as a conservation strat-egy for a protected area, may elect to consult Volume I:

An Introduction to Ecotourism Planning, Part I initiallyfor a brief overview.

For those who seek fuller understanding of the eco-tourism management planning process or decided thatecotourism may be right for their site, Volume I, Part IIshould be consulted. Part II: Ecotourism Planning andManagement explains the process for ecotourism develop-ment and management planning from Site ConservationPlanning and Preliminary Site Evaluation to Full SiteDiagnostic, participatory ecotourism management plan-ning and implementation of a plan.

Volume II, The Business of Ecotourism Developmentand Management provides orientation and guidence onboth key conservation management and key businessdevelopment strategies. Part I: Key Strategies ofEcotourism Management, is an introduction to thecritical elements of ecotourism management planningincluding zoning, visitor impact monitoring, visitor sitedesign and management, income generation mechanisms,infrastructure and visitor guide-lines, and naturalistguide systems. This volume may be usefully consultedto review options for mitigating tourism threats thatmay already exist at a site.

Volume II, Part II: Business Planning for ConservationManagers, outlines the business planning process. Itwill allow conservation managers and planners to devel-op an understanding of business planning and be ableto promote viable business partnerships with communi-ties or private tourism operators, and to contribute tothe preparation of business plans.

Most chapters end with a References and Resourcessection that includes publications, organizations, insti-tutions and useful web sites for investigating thesethemes further.

AcknowledgementsThe authors are extremely gratefull for the enourmouslyvaluable input provided by collegues on earlier manu-scripts. Jim Rieger and Connie Campbells contributionswere notable. Jeffrey Parrish provided excellent feed-back, especially in the chapters on Site ConservationPlanning. Special thanks to Liz Boo who provided anoriginal manuscript the authors drew from. Great appre-ciation also to: Marie Uehling, Bill Ulfelder, AndrewSoles, Eva Vilarrubi, Brad Northrup, Jill Bernier, JohnFinisdore, Patricia Len, Benson Venegas, Bruce Boggs,Jonathan Kerr, Michelle Libby. Any errors are of courseexclusively the responsibility of the authors.


Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Part I: An Introduction to EcotourismIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Chapter 1: What is Ecotourism? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Ecotourism Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Evolution of Ecotourism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Related Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Working with Ecotourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Chapter 2: Ecotourism Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Core Decision Makers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Supporting Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Chapter 3: Ecotourism and Protected Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29The Role of Ecotourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Opportunities and Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Potential Opportunities of Ecotourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Potential Tourism Threats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Chapter 4: Ecotourism and Local Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Definition of Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39The Role of the Community in Ecotourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Protected Areas and Ecotourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Potential Positive Impacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Potential Negative Impacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Key Considerations for Ecotourism Development at the Community Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Chapter 5: Ecotourism and NGOs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47The Role of NGOs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Chapter 6: Ecotourism and the Tourism Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51The Links in the Tourism Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Including Private Tour Operators in the Planning Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53The Demand for Nature Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Contents

6 Ecotourism Development: A Manual for Conservation Planners and Managers

Part II: Ecotourism Planning and Management Chapter 1 Ecotourism Management Planning: An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Ecotourism Planning and Protected Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57What is an Ecotourism Management Plan? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Prerequisites for an Ecotourism Management Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Financing the Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Who Prepares an Ecotourism Management Plan? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61What Comes Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Chapter 2 Step 1: Site Conservation Planning and Preliminary Site Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Site Conservation Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Evaluating Potential Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67Preliminary Site Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Chapter 3 Step 2: Full Site Diagnostic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69An Overview of the Contents of an Ecotourism Management Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Full Site Diagnostic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

What You Need to Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Question to Guide the Diagnostic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70How to Obtain the Diagnostic Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Organizing the Diagnostic Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Formalizing the Content of the Diagnostic Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Chapter 4 Step 3: Data Analysis and Preparing the Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Data Analysis Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Preparing the Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80EMP Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81EMP Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81Publicizing and Distributing the Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Chapter 5 Step 4: Implementation of the Management Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87Personnel-related Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87Programmatic Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87Site Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Stakeholder Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Adaptive Management Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89Chapter 6 Step 5: Measures of Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91Completion of Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Limits of Acceptable Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93The Process of Measuring Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95


Lists of Tables, Figures and Boxes

Table 1.1 Top Tourism Destinations in the Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Table 4.1 Potential Impacts of Tourism in Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Table 6.1 Most popular destinations in Latin America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Figure 2.1 Ecotourism Partnerships Needed for Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Figure 3.1 Ecotourism as an Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Figure 3.2 Potential Tourism Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Figure 4.1 Essential Elements for Ecotourism in a Community Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Figure 6.1 Tourism Industry Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Box 2.1 The Community of Capirona in the Amazon Region of Ecuador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Box 2.2 Who is an Ecotourist? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Box 3.1 Lessons from the Galapagos National Park, Ecuador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Box 3.2 The Point-A-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust in Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Box 3.3 National Plan for Ecotourism Development in Guyana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Box 3.4 Environmental Impacts of Tourism in Kibale Forest Reserve, Uganda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Box 3.5 Ecotourisms Instability Central Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Box 4.1 The Case of the Toledo Ecotourism Association, Belize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Box 5.1 Tourism Planning and Development with Programme for Belize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Box 5.2 Asociacin ANAI, the Talamanca Biological Corridor, Costa Rica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Part 1


Part 11

Table 2.1 Exemplary Ecotourism Strategies for Dealing with Hypothetical Stresses and Sources to the

Lowland Pine Savanna Conservation Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Figure 1.1 Planning Context for Protected Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Figure 1.2 Who Participates in the Planning Process? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Figure 1.3 Planning Process Phases for an Ecotourism Management Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Figure 1.4 Major Factors Involved in the Decision to Prepare a Management Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Figure 1.5 Sources for Support for Funding an EMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Figure 1.6 An Overview of the Ecotourism Management and Development Planning Process . . . . . . . . . .62

Figure 3.1 An Overview of the Management and Development Planning Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Figure 4.1 The Structure of an Ecotourism Management Plan (EMP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Figure 5.1 EMP Implementation Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Box 2.1 Site Conservation Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Box 2.2 Preliminary Site Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Box 3.1 Visitor Survey: Sierra del Lacandn National Park, Guatemala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Box 3.2 Full Site Diagnostic at Sierra del Lacandn National Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Box 3.3 Stakeholder Consultation at Sierra del Lacandn National Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Box 3.4 Ecotourism Justification and Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Box 4.1 Vision for Ecotourism in Sierra del Lacandn National Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Box 4.2 Goals of Sierra del Lacandn National Park EMP, Guatemala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Box 4.3 Ecotourism Management Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Box 4.4 Structure of Subprograms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Box 4.5 Criteria for Defining Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Box 4.6 Criteria for Activity Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Box 4.7 Checklist for Strategic Planning and Recommendations Section of the EMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Part l

An Introduction to Ecotourism


The first volume of this manual series introducesthe concept of ecotourism, presents the key play-ers and gives an overview of their roles in ecotourismplanning and development. Most chapters containillustrative examples in shaded boxes. These describehow the concepts discussed in the chapter are mani-fested in real cases.

Chapter 1 provides a brief description of how andwhy ecotourism has evolved and what it means. Thebroadly accepted definition of ecotourism is presentedalong with definitions of other terms related to eco-

tourism. Chapter 2 is a description of the various playersinvolved in ecotourism management and development.

Chapter 3 describes the roles of protected areas andtheir managers in ecotourism management and devel-opment. An overview of the role that communities playin ecotourism management and development is foundin Chapter 4, while Chapter 5 describes the role thatNGOs play in ecotourism management and develop-ment related to protected areas. Chapter 6 is a briefintroduction to the tourism industry, its structure andits role in ecotourism development.

Introduction

Ecotourists exploring the Amazon Andy Drumm


Ecotourism DefinedEcotourism is a relatively new concept, and it is stilloften misunderstood or misused. Some people haveabused the term to attract conservation conscioustravelers to what, in reality, are simply nature tourismprograms which may cause negative environmentaland social impacts. While the term was first heard inthe 1980s, the first broadly accepted definition, andone which continues to be a valid nutshell definitionwas established by The (International) EcotourismSociety in 1990:

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves thewell-being of local people.

As awareness and experience of the activity has grown,so has our need for a more comprehensive and detaileddefinition. Most recently (1999), Martha Honey hasproposed an excellent, more detailed version:

Ecotourism is travel to fragile, pristine andusually protected areas that strives to be lowimpact and (usually) small scale. It helpseducate the traveler; provides funds for conservation; directly benefits the economicdevelopment and political empowerment oflocal communities; and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights.

However, consensus exists among organizationsinvolved with ecotourism (including The NatureConservancy) around the definition adopted in 1996by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) whichdescribes ecotourism as:

Environmentally responsible travel and visitation tonatural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciatenature (and any accompanying cultural features,both past and present) that promote conserva-tion, have a low visitor impact and provide forbeneficially active socio-economic involvement oflocal peoples.

The Nature Conservancy has adopted the concept ofecotourism as the type of tourism that it recommendsits partners use in most protected area management,especially for national parks and other areas with fairlystrict conservation objectives. For The NatureConservancy, ecotourism represents an excellent meansfor benefiting both local people and the protected areain question. It is an ideal component of a sustainabledevelopment strategy where natural resources can beutilized as tourism attractions without causing harm tothe natural area. An important tool for protected areamanagement and development, ecotourism must beimplemented in a flexible manner. However, the follow-ing elements are crucial to the ultimate success of anecotourism initiative. Ecotourism must:

have a low impact upon a protected areas naturalresources;

involve stakeholders (individuals, communities, eco-tourists, tour operators and government institutions) inthe planning, development, implementation and moni-toring phases;

respect local cultures and traditions;

generate sustainable and equitable income for localcommunities and for as many other stakeholders aspossible, including private tour operators;

generate income for protected area conservation; and

educate all stakeholders about their role in conservation.

Evolution of EcotourismEcotourism is a concept that evolved over the last 20years as the conservation community, people living inand around protected areas, and the travel industrywitnessed a boom in nature tourism and realized theirmutual interests in directing its growth. Ecotourismhas brought the promise of achieving conservationgoals, improving the well-being of local communitiesand generating new business promising a rare win-win-win situation.

Chapter 1

What is Ecotourism?


Relations among conservationists, communities andtourism practitioners have not always been smooth andcollaborative. However, the concept and practice of eco-tourism brings these different actors together. Ecotourismhas emerged as a platform to establish partnerships andto jointly guide the path of tourists seeking to experi-ence and learn about natural areas and diverse cultures.

Conservationists and EcotourismSpecific circumstances on all sides motivated this newinterest in ecotourism. On the conservation side, pro-tected area managers were in the midst of redefiningconservation strategies. For practical reasons, they werelearning to combine conservation activities with eco-nomic development as it became obvious that tradition-al conservation approaches of strict protectionism wereno longer adequate and new ways of accomplishinggoals were needed (Brandon et al., 1998).

For years, conservationists established and managedprotected areas1 through minimal collaboration with thepeople living in or near these areas. Circumstances inmany countries, particularly in developing regions, havechanged dramatically in recent years and have affectedapproaches to conservation.

Local Stakeholders and Ecotourism Over the past two decades, many developing countrieshave experienced large population increases withdeclining or stagnant economic conditions. Thesecountries have frequently been pressured into exploit-ing their natural resource base in an unsustainablefashion in order to meet immediate economic needsand to pay interest on foreign debt. This combinationleads more people to compete for fewer naturalresources. Outside protected areas, the naturalresources that many people have depended upon forsustenance and many businesses have relied upon forprofit making have disappeared.

For most countries, protected areas have becomethe last significant pieces of land that still retainimportant reserves of plant and animal diversity,water, clean air and other ecological services.Meanwhile, protected areas have become increasinglyattractive to farmers, miners, loggers and others tryingto make a living. The economic development pres-sures on these areas have intensified on local, nationaland global scales. Thus, ecotourism has become very

important for potentially reconciling conservation andeconomic considerations.

Because of this competition for resources, conser-vationists realized that local people and economic cir-cumstances must be incorporated into conservationstrategies (Redford and Mansour, 1996). In mostcases, local people need financial incentives to useand manage natural resources sustainably. Existingeconomic and political conditions often limit theiroptions and increase their reliance on natural areas.Conservation work often means creating alternativesto current economic practices so that multiple-usezones around protected areas can be maintained andthreats to protected areas minimized.

In looking for alternative economic activities, conser-vationists have become more creative and are exploringmany options. Ecotourism is one such alternative. Therationale behind ecotourism is that local tourism busi-nesses would not destroy natural resources but wouldinstead support their protection. Ecotourism wouldoffer a viable strategy to simultaneously make moneyand conserve resources. Ecotourism could be consid-ered a sustainable activity, one that does not diminishnatural resources being used while at the same timegenerating income.

Travel Industry and EcotourismThe explosion in nature tourism has lead to the need toaddress the impacts of the industry. The growing

Table 1.1 Top Tourism Destinations in the Americas

Country Arrivals in 2000 % change

1. United States 52,690,000 +8.7

2. Canada 20,423,000 +4.9

3. Mexico 20,000,000 +5.0

4. Brazil 5,190,000 +1.6

5. Puerto Rico 3,094,000 +2.3

6. Dominican Republic 2,977,000 +12.4

7. Chile 1,719,000 +6.0

8. Cuba 1,700,000 +8.9source: World Tourism Organization, 2001

1 In this document, the terms protected area and site or ecotourism site are used interchangeably. However, a protected area usually refersto a fairly large, legally protected expanse of territory, usually administered by a government entity or whose management has been delegatedto the private sector or a coalition of government and private interests. Site and ecotourism site are more generic terms applied to any expanseof land or water where ecotourism occurs and is being managed by either the private or public sector. The term visitor site refers to a rela-tively small location where intensive use and management occurs within a larger ecotourism/conservation context.


demand for nature-based tourism sparked interestamong protected area managers to place tourism withina conservation context. Travelers have been the drivingforces in the evolution of ecotourism. What broughtabout this nature tourism boom? First, let us examinethe status of the tourism industry in general.

According to the World Tourism Organization(2001), world tourism grew by an estimated 7.4 percent in 2000 its highest growth rate in nearly adecade and almost double the increase of 1999. Over698 million people traveled to a foreign country in2000 spending more than US$476 billion, an increaseof 4.5 per cent over the previous year.

The travel and tourism industry supports 200 mil-lion jobs worldwide 1 in every 12.4 jobs. By 2010,this is estimated to grow to 250 million, or 1 in every11 jobs (WTTC and WEFA, 2000).

The fastest developing area is East Asia and thePacific with a growth rate of 14.5%. In the Americas thefastest growth is in Central America (+8.8%).

There is currently no global initiative for the gather-ing of ecotourism data. However, certain indicatorsshow us how the larger nature tourism market, of whichecotourism is a segment, is growing at a rate faster thanthat for tourism as a whole, particularly in the tropics.

Ceballos-Lascurin (1993) reports a WTO estimatethat nature tourism generates 7% of all internationaltravel expenditure. The World Resources Institutefound that while tourism overall has been growing at anannual rate of 4%, nature travel is increasing at anannual rate of between 10% and 30% (Reingold, 1993).Data which supports this growth rate is found in Lewssurvey of tour operators in the Asia-Pacific region whohave experienced annual growth rates of 10% to 25%in recent years (Lew, 1997). Some other indicators ofthis growth are:

Visitation to Hol Chan Marine Reserve in Belizeincreased by two-thirds over a five year period, from33,669 tourists in 1991 to 50,411 in 1996 (BelizeTourism Board, 1997).

More than two-thirds of tourists in Costa Rica visitprotected areas and reserves.

A survey of U.S.-based outbound ecotourism opera-tors shows that the number of operators grew by

820% between 1970 and 1994, or an average of 34%a year (Higgins, 1996).

The global destinations of U.S.-based outbound eco-tourism operators clients were: Central America39%, South America 25%, North America 18%,Mexico and the Caribbean 5% and other regions 13%(Higgins, 1996).

Ecotourism is growing at a rate of 10-15% annually,as estimated by the World Travel and TourismCouncil.2

Many countries whose primary attractions are naturalareas are experiencing dramatic increases in touristarrivals. For example, arrivals in Costa Rica morethan quadrupled from 246,737 in 1986 to 1,031,585in 1999 (ICT, 2001). Belize has seen more than a600% visitor increase, from 51,740 in 1986 to334,699 ten years later (WTO, 1997).

In Honduras, experts estimate that the number ofnature-loving visitors grew nearly 15% (for a total of200,000 tourists) in 1995; a 13-15% increase in visi-tors was anticipated for 1996 (Dempsey, 1996).

Why are people so attracted to nature destinations?Most likely this trend has followed the global increasein interest in the environment. As people hear about thefragility of the environment, they become more awareof conservation issues around the world. At home, theyare willing to pay more for green products and servic-es and are taking specific conservation actions such asrecycling. For their own pleasure, they want to learnfirst hand about endangered species and threatenedhabitats. They want to understand the complex chal-lenges of rainforest conservation and want to experiencethem first hand.

Travelers are seeking more remote destinations. Theywant to go off the beaten path, go to the heart of thejungle. Many travelers are becoming activists. As theyexperience a threatened wilderness area and learn aboutits plight, they want to help. On the demand side, wehave seen a burst of nature tourists seeking new oppor-tunities. International and national travelers are lookingfor environmental education, are willing to pay entrancefees and are eager to buy local products and servicesthat strengthen the local economy. In sum, they are anideal audience for addressing the conservation chal-lenges of these areas.

2 The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the Global Business Leaders Forum for Travel & Tourism. Its members are chief executivesfrom all sectors of the travel and tourism industry, including accommodation, catering, cruises, entertainment, recreation, transportation andtravel-related services. Its central role is to lobby governments on the industrys behalf.


As their interests have changed, consumers haveplaced new demands on the tourism industry; this, inturn, has encouraged the greening of the tourism indus-try in addition to encouraging ecotourism. Consumersare requesting new destinations, new ways of doingbusiness and, for some, the opportunity to contributeto natural resource management. Many travel compa-nies are responding to these changing market condi-tions. Some companies are offering fewer beach vaca-tions and more wilderness treks. New companies devot-ed solely to nature travel are emerging.

This demand-side trend was destined to coincidewith the conservation trend toward effective integrationwith economic development. When they intersected,people from conservation areas, local communities andthe travel sector started talking about ecotourism as ameans to meet their common interests. Ecotourism con-nects travelers seeking to help protected areas with pro-tected areas needing help.

But while the match between conservationists andthe tourism industry initially seemed ideal, establishingpartnerships has been rocky. Each side continues in thelong process of understanding how the other functionsand all are learning to incorporate new activities intotheir work. Ecotravellers conscious and sensitivenature tourists constitute a growing segment of thenature tourism market that seeks sensitive interactionwith host communities in a way that contributes to sus-tainable local development. Local communities mean-while increasingly expect to play a role in the manage-ment of tourism.

Related TermsAs a popular word, ecotourism has been used loosely. Butif implemented fully, it is a critically important conserva-tion strategy for achieving sustainable development.3

There are a variety of related terms that are frequentlylinked, and sometimes confused with ecotourism, includ-ing the following:

Nature tourism is simply tourism based on visitationto natural areas. Nature tourism is closely related toecotourism but does not necessarily involve conserva-tion or sustainability. This is the type of tourism thatcurrently exists in most natural areas before a plan isestablished and conservation measures are in place. Asdifferent elements of ecotourism are integrated into anature tourism program, its effect on the environmentmay change.

Sustainable nature tourism is very close to eco-tourism but does not meet all the criteria of true eco-tourism. For example, a cable car carrying visitorsthrough the rainforest canopy may generate benefits forconservation and educate visitors, but because it repre-sents a high degree of mechanization and consequentlycreates a barrier between the visitor and the naturalenvironment, it would be inappropriate to describe asan ecotourism initiative. In altered and heavily-visitedareas, sustainable nature tourism may be an appropri-ate activity. For example, larger eco resort develop-ment would not be considered low impact if itrequired significant clearing of native vegetation butmay contribute to conservation financially and provideconservation education.

The line between sustainable nature tourism andecotourism is subtle but very important. A project mustmeet all of the necessary criteria listed above before itcan accurately be defined as ecotourism. Projects thatfall short on any of the criteria do not truly benefit con-servation or the people involved over the long term.

Scientific or research tourism is tourism with partic-ular investigative objectives. These types of projects arecommon in natural areas and often contribute to conserv-ing them. An example of scientific or research tourismwould be the trips coordinated by the EarthwatchInstitute. Some of these trips might qualify as ecotourismbecause they provide information about the ecology of thearea while meeting all the other criteria of ecotourism.

Cultural, ethno or cultural heritage tourismconcentrates on local traditions and people as the mainattractions. This kind of tourism can be divided intotwo types: The first and conventional type is wheretourists experience culture through museums and for-malized presentations of music and dance in theatres,hotels or occasionally in communities themselves. Inmany instances, this has lead to the commodificationof culture as it becomes adapted for tourist consump-tion, often resulting in degradation of the hosts culturaltraditions. The second type is more anthropological andcontains a strong visitor motivation for learning fromindigenous culture rather than simply viewing an isolat-ed manifestation of it. For example, there is growinginterest in learning how indigenous people use naturalresources. The Cofan of Ecuador have specialized inteaching visitors about their traditional uses of medici-nal plants (Borman, 1995). This type of tourism is oftena companion to, or an element of, ecotourism.

3 Sustainable development is defined in the Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, as development that meets the needs of the presentwithout compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (WCED, 1987, p. 43).

It is important that cultural tourism be managed onterms defined by host communities and that indicatorsof the cultural impact of tourism be monitored toensure visitation does not erode the cultural resource.

Green/Sustainable tourism refers to travel opera-tions that use natural resources judiciously. Green orsustainable tourism can be considered the greening ofthe tourism industry. Examples include the airlineindustry becoming more energy efficient, the cruise lineindustry recycling its waste or large hotel chains adopt-ing environmental regulations. Large hotels have dis-covered that by advising guests to reduce water con-sumption or recommending that they not expect theirtowels to be washed every day, the hotels not only gaina greener image (which is increasingly important toconsumers), but they also reduce operating costs. Thus,green tourism is clearly an attractive proposition to theconventional tourism industry.

In reality, reducing the hotels water consumption by15%, although desirable and relatively easy to achieve atmost large hotels, is not enough to convert the hotel intoa sustainable operation. Sweeting et al. (1999) reviewthis issue comprehensively and make recommendationsfor reducing conventional tourisms impact on the envi-ronment. While greening the existing conventional masstourism industry will produce some benefits, new devel-opments in natural areas, including beaches, need toaddress energy consumption, waste management andenvironmental interpretation in the design phase andnot as an afterthought if they are to be truly sustainable.Large hotels washing towels only every other day maynot be enough to protect the water table in an arid area.Not building the hotel in the first place in an area wherewater resources are scarce may be the best option.

Developing a sustainable or green tourism industryin all its dimensions is as worthy a cause as working tomaintain protected areas through tourism. In fact, somewould argue that promoting sustainability of the broad-er tourism would be a better conservation mission thanfocusing on protected areas alone. However, for thepresent purposes the focus will be on ecotourism devel-opment, and the greening of conventional tourism willbe addressed in future publications and by others.

It may be easiest to think of ecotourism (whichworks to protect natural areas through tourism) andsustainable tourism (which works to make the wholetourism industry more environmentally friendly) as twovaluable, but distinct, missions.

Working with EcotourismA comprehensive view of conservation is implicit in thedefinition of ecotourism. It incorporates elements ofcommunity participation and economic developmentincluding the many activities and participants that fulfillthis mission.

There are many possible ways that ecotourism con-tributes to conservation. First, ecotourism can generatefunds for protected areas. Second, it can create employ-ment for surrounding communities, thus providing eco-nomic incentives to support protected areas. Third, itcan advance environmental education for visitors.Fourth, it can provide justification for declaring areas asprotected or increasing support for these areas. Finally,ecotourism programs aim to limit the negative impactsof nature tourists.

These are the criteria for ecotourism. They provideuseful guidelines for judging at what point naturetourism becomes ecotourism. But this judgement is notsimple. Nor is it an academic or semantic exercise. Onlyin striving to implement ecotourism and meet all of itscriteria in appropriate places will conservation plannersand managers meet their long-term goals. We face manychallenges in applying these criteria to practical situa-tions in the field.

Actually, implementing ecotourism guidelines is adifficult and complex task. The rewards for a job welldone, however, are tremendous. Judgements about eco-tourism for a particular site must be done within thecontext of the areas conservation objectives. As man-agers and planners investigate actual and potentialtourism impacts, both positive and negative, they needto remember the protected areas goals and functions. Insome cases, negative impacts from tourism need to beaccepted in order to gain conservation benefits. Forexample, tourism may result in trampled vegetationalong trails but also allows for more protected areaguards to be hired. Hiring additional protected areaguards may be more important to the overall conserva-tion of the protected area than intact vegetation neartrails. Whatever the mix of costs and benefits, the keyquestion should be, Is tourism advancing the long-term conservation agenda of the area? If so, it is likelyecotourism.

As a final note on the definition of ecotourism, wetypically discuss it in the context of protected areas.Protected areas, private reserves and international bios-phere reserves are already slated as conservation unitsand offer the best arenas for pursuing ecotourism.


Although sometimes weak, the legal and managementstructures of these areas facilitate their ability to capturethe benefits and minimize the costs of ecotourism. Butecotourism can take place in areas with less formal con-servation status as well. In fact, there may be caseswhere ecotourism helps establish the protective statusof areas currently not formally protected.

The rest of this volume and accompanying volumesof this manual are designed to help protected area plan-ners and managers acquire the expertise to navigatesuccessfully among what may appear to be conflictinggoals of ecotourism.

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The Nature Conservancy. 2000. The five-S framework for site con-servation: A practitioners handbook for site conservation plan-ning and measuring conservation success. Available at www.con-serveonline.org.

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Planeta.com EcoTravels in Latin Americawww2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/ecotravel.htmlPlaneta.com is a clearinghouse for practical ecotourism. It pro-vides more than 10,000 pages of practical features and in-depth scholarly reports and hosts a variety of online forums andconferences.

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Tourism Works for America Council 1100 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 450 Washington, D.C. 20005-3934 USA Tel: 202-408-8422 Fax: 202-408-1255

U.S. Travel Data Center at the Travel Industry Association of America1100 New York Avenue NW #450 West Washington D.C. 20005-3934 USA Tel: 202-408-1832 Fax: 202-293-3155

World Tourism Organization (WTO)Capitn Haya, 42 28020 Madrid, SPAIN Tel: 34-1-567-8100 Fax: 34-1-571-3733 www.world-tourism.org

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)1-2 Queen Victoria TerraceSovereign CourtLondon E1W 3HA UKTel: 44-870-727-9882 Fax: [email protected]



Ahuge range of players with varying interests andgoals participates in ecotourism. Some play moreprominent roles than others, but almost all are repre-sented in the development and management of eco-tourism sites. A key to the success of ecotourism is theformation of strong partnerships so that the multiplegoals of conservation and equitable development can bemet (see Figure 2.1). Partnerships may be difficultbecause of the number of players involved and their dif-ferent needs, but forging relationships is essential. Thekey players can be classified as: protected area person-nel, community organizations and individuals, privatesector tourism industry members and a variety of gov-ernment officials and nongovernmental organizations.Their effective interaction creates effective ecotourism.

Core Decision MakersProtected area managers. Ecotourism involvingprotected areas places those in charge of the areas in achallenging position. Protected area personnel areoften biologists, botanists or wildlife specialists whosejob is to protect significant marine and terrestrial sites.Their key duties usually involve conducting invento-ries, managing wildlife populations and maintainingvisitor facilities. Effective ecotourism, however,requires that protected area personnel be able to workclosely and knowledgeably with local people and com-munity leaders as well as with a wide variety oftourism industry representatives including tourismoperators, travel agents, tour guides, governmenttourism agencies and others. Protected area personnelmust be able to guide the sometimes conflicting inter-

Chapter 2

Ecotourism Participants

Figure 2.1 Ecotourism Partnerships Needed for Success

Protected Area/Site Managersplay a facilitation role in:

Successful Ecotourism

Local Communities

Tourism Industry

NGOs

GovernmentAgencies

Other Supporting

PlayersFunders

Education Sector

Ecotourists


ests of all of the ecotourism participants so that theycome together for the benefit of the protected area andits conservation goals. This task is a difficult one butcannot be left to anyone else. In some cases, however,it may be useful for NGOs to assume this role, usuallyat the request of the protected area administration.

Protected area managers and staff play crucial rolesin ecotourism. As the main authorities on their pro-tected areas plants and animals, they provide valuableinput to create environmental education programs andimpact monitoring systems. On the frontlines of man-agement, protected area personnel are the first to

notice natural resource changes such as environmentaldamage from tourism.

Local communities. People who live in or near pro-tected areas are not a homogeneous group. Indeed,even within one small community there will be a diver-sity of people with a range of views and experiences.But we can make a few generalizations about local resi-dents and their relationship to ecotourism. First, somerural communities that once featured quiet living arefinding themselves in the middle of an internationaltrend. Nature tourists are invading their homelands, but

This program was established in 1990 to discourage the intru-sion of oil development. Since then, the ecotourism operationhas expanded into not only a more effective means of ensuringthe autonomy of indigenous territory but also a template forother ecotourism initiatives. Known around the world as one ofthe first community-based ecotourism programs anywhere(Colvin, 1994; Wesche, 1993, 1995), Capirona offers simplelodgings set in secondary tropical rainforest mixed with oppor-tunities for intercultural exchange. Capironas territory covers2,000 hectares of land, three-quarters of which is intact pri-mary forest and the remainder reserved by the communitys 70families for agricultural purposes.

There are three sleeping cabaas in the central area of thecommunity. The cabaas have a mix of dormitory-style anddouble rooms with a total of 30 beds. Guests share two batter-ies of showers and flush toilets. The main tourism complex alsoincludes a store (where soft drinks and handicrafts can be pur-chased), a kitchen/dining cabaa, a theater, a volleyball court,a beach, a two-way radio, a well, latrines, two large motorcanoes, two dugout paddle canoes and several well-main-tained walking trails. Those who wish to experience a moreadventurous night in the jungle can use a much more rusticcabaa located 45 minutes away by foot. The community plansto renovate this building into a fully-equipped cabaa in thenear future.

Every stay in the Capirona community includes a culturalpresentation of song, dance and the making of Quichua handi-crafts performed in a theater built solely for that purpose. In thisintercultural exchange visitors are also asked to present theirown culture in song, dance or story. The ecotourism programincludes easy jungle walks to giant ceibo and colorful capironatrees, a birders lookout spot and a salt lick cavern for viewingnocturnal creatures. Intermixed with these activities are hours of

free time during which tourists can swim in the river, play vol-leyball, tan on the beach, explore the surrounding paths or readup on Quichua history. Guests are often encouraged to partici-pate in a community work project. Every visit to Capironaincludes a tour of the community including the schoolhouses, thechapel and the soccer field. Samples of chicha, a traditionalstaple in the Quichua diet, can be tasted here too. These pro-gram components take place over a three to six night stay.

Capirona is a community-owned ecotourism program thatrotates the projects workers and administrators on a regularbasis. The four trained guides manage visitor activities, interac-tions with the community and special requests. Capirona willcontinue to invest in its human resources by arranging for addi-tional guiding courses and supplementary training for thosealready involved in ecotourism.

The local conservation NGO Fundacin Jatun Sacha, whichhas a field station nearby, works with the community to helptrain guides and also sends Ecuadorian and foreign students tolearn about the Capirona example and appreciate how tourismcan be used to protect nature and indigenous culture.

The community receives around 1,000 visitors per year andhas generated significant revenues that have boosted individualand family subsistence incomes and created a community fundfor health and education. In order to offset potential negativeimpacts and to share the benefits of tourism with the broaderQuichua community in the region of the Upper Napo, commu-nity leaders created a network of communities called RICANCIE(Red Indgena Comunitaria del Alto Napo de ConvivenciaIntercultural y Ecoturismo) based on the Capirona model. Thisnetwork now receives clients through a centralized office in theprovincial capital of Tena.

adapted from Wesche and Drumm, 1999

Box 2.1 The Community of Capirona in the Amazon Region of Ecuador


they are generally just passing through the neighbor-hood, not coming to meet residents.

Residents have mixed reactions to this intrusion.Some want nothing to do with tourists; they want pri-vacy and do not welcome the changes that tourismbrings. Others are intrigued by tourism and are takingsteps to develop it. Tourism may be particularly alluringif other employment options are limited or if residentsfeel tourism may help protect their precious resources.

Many communities in developing countries are hostingvisitors and creating ecotourism programs. Sometimestheir motivation is to protect their surrounding naturalresources. For others, they may see ecotourism in a moreeconomic perspective, as a means to gain income. Manycommunities have organized their own ecotourism pro-grams. Box 2.1 describes one such community.

Whatever their initial reaction to tourism, local resi-dents are often unprepared for its demands. Those whodo not want tourism have no means to stop it. They oftencannot compete with the powerful tourism industry orthe fiercely independent travelers who want to discovernew areas. Those who are interested in pursuing tourismmay not be familiar with its costs and benefits. Many havelittle experience in tourism business enterprises and arenot connected to international tourism markets.

The interests and concerns of local residents regard-ing tourism development need special attention.Tourism touches all the other groups involved profes-

sionally, in a mostly economic sense. For members ofcommunities, it also touches their personal lives byaffecting their lifestyles, traditions and cultures, as wellas their livelihood and their long standing ways oforganizing themselves socially and politically. In addi-tion, most of the other players enter into tourism vol-untarily, whereas in many cases communities must dealwith tourism impacts whether or not they choose to.

Local residents play an important role in ecotourismfor two main reasons. First, it is their homelands and

workplaces that are attractingnature travelers. Equity and prac-ticality require that they be activedecision-makers in ecotourismplanning and management.Second, local residents are keyplayers in conserving naturalresources both within and outsideof neighboring protected areas.Their relationship to and uses ofnatural resources will determinethe success of conservation strate-gies for protected areas. In addi-tion, local or traditional knowl-edge is often a key component ofvisitors experience and educa-tion.

Tourism industry. The tourismindustry is massive. It involves ahuge variety of people including:tour operators and travel agents

who assemble trips; airline and cruise ship employees;minivan drivers; staff of big hotels and small familylodges; handicraft makers; restaurant owners; tourguides; and all the other people who independently offergoods and services to tourists. The complexity of thissector indicates how challenging it can be for protectedarea staff and local communities to learn about and formpartnerships with the tourism industry.

Consumers are in contact with many members of thetourism industry throughout their journeys. For an inter-national trip, the traveler often first contacts a travel agent,tour operator or airline. The agent will generally contactan outbound tour operator based in the tourists countryof origin, who in turn will contact an inbound tour opera-tor based in the destination country. The inbound touroperator is best placed to make local travel arrangementssuch as transportation, accommodations, and guide serv-ices. Once the traveler is at the destination, many localentrepreneurs will also become part of this scenario.

Indigenous Cofan guides explain traditional medicinal plant use toEuropean ecotourists Andy Drumm

One element that binds all businesses within thetourism industry is the pursuit of financial profit. Theremay be additional motivations for some businesses, par-ticularly those involved in ecotourism, but tourismcompanies exist only when they are profitable.

Members of the tourism industry are valuable to eco-tourism for many reasons. First, they understand traveltrends. They know how consumers act and what theywant. Second, the tourism industry can influence trav-elers by encouraging good behavior and limiting nega-tive impacts in protected areas. Third, the tourismindustry plays a key role in promoting ecotourism. Itsmembers know how to reach travelers through publica-tions, the Internet, the media and other means of pro-motion, thus providing a link between ecotourism des-tinations and consumers. See Eagles and Higgins (1998)for a more detailed analysis of the structure of the eco-tourism industry.

Government officials. Officials from many govern-ment departments participate in ecotourism planning,development and management. These departmentsinclude tourism, natural resources, wildlife and protect-ed areas, education, community development, financesand transportation. Ecotourism involves officials prima-rily from the national level, although regional and locallevels also contribute to the process.

Government officials have several significant func-tions in ecotourism. They provide leadership. Theycoordinate and articulate national goals for ecotourism.As part of their overall tourism plans, they providevision for this industry. They may even propose anational ecotourism plan; in Australia, the governmentcreated a National Ecotourism Strategy and then com-mitted AUS$10 million for its development and imple-mentation (Preece et al., 1995).

Government officials at the national level may alsoestablish specific policies for protected areas. For example,government officials decide about visitor use fee systemsat protected areas, and their policies outline what systemsare established and how revenues will be distributed.They may also delineate private sector practices, e.g., touroperators may be required to use local tour guides in cer-tain areas or developers property ownership rights maybe regulated. Government policies direct ecotourismactivities and may easily advance or hinder their growth.

Additionally, government officials are responsible formost basic infrastructure outside protected areas rang-ing from airline facilities in big cities to secondary roads

leading to remote sites. The government generally takesthe lead in all major transportation systems and issues.It may also provide other services important to eco-tourism such as health clinics in rural areas.

Finally, government officials promote ecotourism.Sometimes the promotion is part of a national tourismcampaign. At other times, advertisements for specificnature sites are created or perhaps a flagship species isidentified and promoted. National government partici-pation gives prominence to ecotourism destinations.

Nongovernmental organizations. Nongovernmentalorganizations are valuable players because they pro-vide a forum for discussion and influence regardingecotourism. They offer a means of communicationwith great numbers of interested individuals. Theseorganizations can serve as vehicles for bringingtogether all the elements of ecotourism. NGOs canplay many different roles in ecotourism implementa-tion: directly, as program managers or site administra-tors; and indirectly, as trainers, advisors, businesspartners with ecotourism companies or communitiesand, in exceptional circumstances, as providers ofecotourism services.

There are several different types of nongovernmentalorganizations. Among them are for-profit tourism asso-ciations consisting of private tour operators, airlinesand hoteliers; ecotourism associations such as those inBelize, Costa Rica, Ecuador, etc., that bring togethergroups from all the sectors involved; and other tradeorganizations that handle travel issues. These NGOsoften have members who meet regularly and communi-cate industry concerns through publications such asnewsletters. Members are often asked to subscribe tocertain principles or codes of ethics. These associa-tions and organizations are effective at keeping theindustry informed about current trends and events.

Another set of nongovernmental organizationsinvolved with ecotourism includes the private, nonprof-it groups that focus on conservation and developmentor may be dedicated specifically to ecotourism. Theirfocus may be local, national or international.Frequently, these organizations serve as facilitatorsbetween protected areas, communities and all the otherplayers in ecotourism, sometimes providing financialand technical assistance or directly managing eco-tourism sites. Some of these NGOs have constituenciesthat enjoy nature and would be interested in eco-tourism education and promotion.



Supporting PlayersFunders. Many different groups can fund the develop-ment of ecotourism through loans or grants: financialinstitutions, including investment corporations; bilateraland multilateral donor agencies such as the World Bankand the Interamerican Development Bank; privateinvestors; venture capital funds such as theEcoEnterprise Investment Fund; NGOs; and privatebanks. These contributions are often critical for protect-ed areas that pursue ecotourism. Typically there arestudies to carry out, facilities to build, infrastructure tocreate and people to train. With protected area budgetsso limited, outside funding is necessary.

Several international NGOs based in the UnitedStates and Europe provide funding and/or technicalassistance to ecotourism projects in developing coun-tries. Many of them use funding provided by govern-ment agencies such as USAID, GTZ and DFID, thegovernmental foreign aid departments of the UnitedStates, Germany and the United Kingdom, respectively.The Nature Conservancy, through its USAID-fundedParks in Peril program, has helped many local NGOs

develop ecotourism projects connected with protectedareas. The recently created EcoEnterprise Fund alsoprovides funding on favorable terms for sound eco-tourism project proposals (see Volume II, Part II).

Financial institutions do not generally participate inplanning for ecotourism or in decisions about what isappropriate for a particular protected area. In thisregard, they may be considered a second-tier player inecotourism, but they are important nonetheless. Foranyone that wants to develop ecotourism, access tofunds is often the biggest obstacle confronted (seeVolume II, Part II).

Academics. Academics at universities is another groupthat plays a secondary, though valuable, role in theplanning and daily functions of ecotourism. It is agroup that helps to frame the issues of ecotourism andraise questions to ensure that ecotourism meets its stat-ed goals. Researchers and academics facilitate learningby asking such questions as: Who exactly is benefitingfrom ecotourism? How do we measure benefits? Howdoes ecotourism contribute to our existing knowledge

Box 2.2 Who is an Ecotourist?

The International Ecotourism Society constructed the following ecotourist market profile in 1998 based on a survey of North American travelers.

Age: Ranged from 35-54 years old, although age varied with activity and other factors such as cost.

Gender: 50% were female and 50% male, although clear differences by activity were found.

Education: 82% were college graduates. A shift in interest in ecotourism was found from those who have high

levels of education to those with less education, indicating ecotourisms expansion into mainstream

markets.

Household composition: No major differences were found between general tourists and experienced ecotourists.**

Party composition: A majority (60%) of experienced ecotourism respondents stated they prefer to travel as a couple;

only 15% preferred to travel with their families and 13% preferred to travel alone.

Trip duration: The largest group of experienced ecotourists (50%) preferred trips lasting 8-14 days.

Expenditure: Experienced ecotourists were willing to spend more than general tourists; the largest group (26%)

was prepared to spend $1,001- $1,500 per trip.

Important elements of trip: Experienced ecotourists top three responses were: (1) wilderness setting, (2) wildlife viewing, and

(3) hiking/trekking. Experienced ecotourists top two motivations for taking their next trip were:

(1) enjoy scenery/nature and (2) new experiences/places.

** Experienced ecotourists = Tourists who had been on at least one ecotourism trip. Ecotourism was defined in this study asnature/adventure/culture oriented travel.

from Ecotourist Market Profile completed by HLA and ARA consulting firms; The International Ecotourism Society, 1998


about conservation? What are the links between eco-tourism and tourism? Academics can focus on the bigpicture and help us understand how ecotourism inter-acts with other concepts and global trends.

In addition to helping shape the hypotheses, aca-demics conduct research. In coordination with NGOs,governments and local communities, they may:

develop and execute surveys, e.g., of visitor prefer-ences, willingness to pay, etc.;

produce data about tourism patterns;

inventory flora and fauna;

document tourism impacts and share results to devel-op a good base of information;

provide material to guide us in our discussions andconclusions about ecotourism; and

facilitate the sharing of this information and concep-tual thinking through conferences, publications, theInternet, etc.

Travelers. Travelers have a unique position as playersin ecotourism. Box 2.2 provides a profile of ecotourists.They are the most vital participants in the industry andprovide motivation for everyone elses activities, but fewparticipate in formal meetings about ecotourism.Nevertheless, the choices they make when they select atourism destination, choose a tour operator or travelagent and, ultimately, the kind of tour in which theywish to participate, have a tremendous impact upon theeventual success or failure of ecotourism projects.

Ecotourism, then, is a multifaceted, multi-discipli-nary, multi-actor activity requiring communication andcollaboration among a diverse range of actors with dif-ferent needs and interests. Consequently, achieving eco-tourism is a challenging process though ultimatelyenormously rewarding for all involved.

ReferencesColvin, J. 1994. Capirona: A model of indigenous ecotourism.Second Global Conference: Building a Sustainable World throughTourism. Montreal, Canada.

Eagles, P. and B. Higgins. 1998. Ecotourism market and industrystructure. In Ecotourism: A guide for planners and managers,Volume 2, K. Lindberg, M. Epler Wood, and D. Engeldrum (eds.),11-43. N. Bennington, Vermont: The Ecotourism Society.

The International Ecotourism Society. 1998. Ecotourism statisti-cal fact sheet. N. Bennington, Vermont: The InternationalEcotourism Society.

Preece, N., P. van Oosterzee, and D. James. 1995. Two waytrack: Biodiversity conservation and ecotourism. Australia:Department of Environment, Sport and Territories.

Wesche, R. 1993. Ecotourism and indigenous peoples in theresource frontier of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Yearbook,Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers 19:35-45.

Wesche, R. 1995. The ecotourists guide to the EcuadorianAmazon: Napo Province. Quito: CEPEIGE.

Wesche, R. and A.F. Drumm. 1999. Defending our rainforest: Aguide to community-based ecotourism in the EcuadorianAmazon. Quito, Ecuador: Accin Amazonia.

ResourcesDFID. 1999. Changing the nature of tourism. Developing anagenda for action. London: DFID.

Honey, M. 1999. Ecotourism and sustainable development:Who owns paradise? Washington D.C.: Island Press.

Lindberg, K. 1991. Policies for maximizing nature tourismsecological and economic benefits. Washington D.C.: WorldResources Institute.

Lindberg, K. and J. Enriquez. 1994. An analysis of ecotourismseconomic contribution to conservation and development inBelize. Washington D.C.: World Wildlife Fund.

Lindberg, K., M. Epler Wood, and D. Engeldrum (eds.). 1998.Ecotourism: A guide for planners and managers, Volume 2.N. Bennington, Vermont: The Ecotourism Society.

Asociacin Ecuatoriana de Ecoturismo (ASEC)Calle Vctor Hugo E10-111 y Isla PinznCiudadela JipijapaQuito, ECUADORTel: 245-055 and 466-295 [email protected] www.planeta.com/ecotravel/south/ecuador/asec.htmlThe Ecuadorian Ecotourism Association brings together privatetourism companies with NGOs, universities and community-based organizations to promote ecotourism development.

Asociacin Mexicana de Turismo de Aventura y Ecoturismo(Mexican Association of Adventure Travel and Ecotourism-Amtave)Mexico City, MEXICO Tel: 52-5-663-5381 [email protected] www.amtave.comA group of about 50 travel providers with various interpreta-tions of ecotourism. The group was formed in 1994 to assistmembers in promoting alternative tourism services.

Conservation International - EcoTravel Centerwww.ecotour.org/ecotour.htmWashington DC-based environmental group which has devel-oped a number of ecotourism projects in Latin America andsponsors a global Ecotourism Excellence Award.

Department for International Development (DFID)DFID is the government department responsible for managingBritains program of development assistance and for ensuringthat government policies which affect developing countries,including the environment, trade, investment and agriculturalpolicies, take account of developing country issues.

Departamento de Recursos Naturales/ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Institute)San Jose, COSTA RICA Tel: 506-223-1733, ext. [email protected] www.turismo-sostenible.co.crA Costa Rican government office which is developing certifi-cation standards for green hotels.

The EcoEnterprises Fund www.ecoenterprisesfund.com www.fondoecoempresas.comThe fund a joint initiative of The Nature Conservancy andthe Inter-American Development Bank uses the tools andprinciples of venture capital to protect natural areas in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean. It is an adventure fund fornature, uniting business and conservation.

KiskeyaP.O. Box 109-ZZona ColonialSanto Domingo, REP. DOMINICANATel: 1-809-537 89 77 [email protected] www.kiskeya-alternative.org/cangonet/Enterprising organization focusing on ecotourism as well asindigenous dance. Works mostly in the Caribbean.

Organization of American States Tourism Unitwww.oas.org/tourismMultinational group charged with promoting both tourism anddevelopment in the region.

USAIDwww.usaid.gov/The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)is the US government agency responsible for foreign assistance.The Nature Conservancy, USAID and other partners in theCaribbean and Latin America have developed the Parks in Perilprogram an emergency effort to safeguard the most importantand imperiled natural areas in the tropical world, such as cloudforests, tropical forests and savannas. By bringing on-site man-agement to 37 critical areas since 1990, Parks in Peril has pro-tected more than 28 million acres in 15 countries.www.parksinperil.org



IntroductionBy definition, ecotourism is about traveling to and visit-ing natural areas, places where nature still exists in a rela-tively unaltered state. In a world where population pres-sure and increased resource consumption are placinghuge demands upon our natural resource base, naturalareas are increasingly hard to find. At the same time, ourglobal cultural heritage is under attack, making it increas-ingly difficult to learn from other cultures and to remainin touch with cultural roots throughout the world. Today,the remaining natural areas are mostly protected in someway. Ecotourism attractions, whether they are wildlifeviewing possibilities or dramatic natural landscapes, tendto be found in these protected natural areas.

Protected areas began evolving in the 19th centurylargely as a response to these pressures. By protectedarea we mean a piece of land (or body of water)which is characterized by the following:

1. The area has defined borders.

2. The area is managed and protected by an identifiableentity or individual, usually a government agency.Increasingly, though, governments are delegatingresponsibility for protected areas to other entities thatare private, public or a combination thereof.

3. The area has established conservation objectives thatits management pursues.

The rapid increase in the numbers and territorialcoverage of protected areas since the 1960s coincideswith more rapid increases in the aforementioned pres-sures. Traditionally, protected areas are set aside andmanaged by government authorities in order to protectendangered species or examples of outstanding scenicbeauty. In much of the southern hemisphere, financialpressures on government budgets, global trendstowards decentralization and a society which increas-ingly values the role of nongovernmental participationhave caused some profound changes in the way protect-ed areas are being administered and managed.

These changes are manifested in two major ways:

1. Protected areas are increasingly expected to generatesome portion of the funding necessary for their ownmanagement.

2. Many other organizations, both private and public, arebecoming involved in the management and conserva-tion of protected areas, either in partnership with thetraditional government agencies in charge of protectedareas or by managing their own protected areas.

An additional responsibility of park managers is tobring conservation to the people. Without a constituencyfor conservation, we will ultimately fail. This constituen-cy can be local, national and international. Ecotourism iscrucial for achieving this goal and not just as a source ofconservation finance. The link between ecotourism andprotected areas is therefore inevitable and profound.

The Role of EcotourismTourism and ecotourism are usually a part of the man-agement strategy for a protected area. The degree towhich tourism activities are pursued depends upon thepriority assigned to them by the area managers, who inturn should be guided by a planning document pre-pared for that purpose. The planning document (ormanagement plan) should be the result of a comprehen-sive evaluation of the areas natural and cultural resourcebase. It determines the stresses, their sources and thereal threats to the areas natural and cultural integrity, aswell as the strategies to reduce these threats. The planshould define the areas long-term management objec-tives a

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