Ecotourism Project Project plan November 4 What do

Ecotourism Project § Project plan: November 4 § What do you intend to do? § How do you intend to do it? § Field visits completed: § § December 2 Where have you gone? What have you seen? What questions did you intend to answer? What questions remain? § Draft due: § Written Project due: § Oral Presentation: December 18 January 13

More on protected areas

Ecotourism intersections with conservation § WWF § Protected area management § Sustainable development in buffer zone areas § Environmental education for consumers § Influencing policy decisions § Most urgent point protected area management 10/21/2021 3

Questions for planning… § How does a protected area plan for ecotourism? § Where are the examples? § Where are the models? § Where are the guidelines? 10/21/2021 4

Ecotourism Diagnostic and Planning Guidelines § Why develop a strategy/plan? § To guide the development and management of ecotourism § Why? § To ensure the protected area is not overrun by tourists § To establish mechanisms to generate employment and revenue for the protected area and surrounding communities § To create opportunities for environmental education for visitors § To allow protected area managers to either encourage or discourage ecotourism as appropriate – both in # and activity 10/21/2021 5

Ecotourism Diagnostic and Planning Guidelines 3 phases for this strategy 1. Assess the current tourism situation and potential 2. Determine a desirable tourism situation and identify steps to reach this situation 3. Write an ecotourism strategy document 10/21/2021 6

Phase 1: Assess the current situation § Features inside park boundaries § Issue areas are natural resources, park infrastructure, visitation, and park personnel § Bridges outside park boundaries § Issue areas not in the park managers’ immediate jurisdiction that also directly or indirectly impact tourism within the park 10/21/2021 7

Phase 1: Assess the current situation § Features inside the park boundaries ? ? the park’s natural resources the visitation info and levels the park infrastructure the park personnel § Bridges outside park boundaries ? ? Interaction between the park and local communities Infrastructure within the country (this park & others) National perspective (legal, policy, budgetary) Private sector involvement 10/21/2021 8

Phase 2: Determine desirable tourism level and create a plan § § Workshop or set of workshops 1 st: evaluate obj. of tourism to the park 2 nd: reach a consensus on # & activities 3 rd: create an ecotourism strategy (action plan outlining necessary steps) § 4 th: establish a monitoring system 10/21/2021 9

Phase 2: Determine desirable tourism level and create a plan § Who is invited to the workshops? § Reps from the park, community, tourism industry, Mo. E, Mo. T, and environmentalists § Features inside park boundaries § Monitor the ecological impacts of tourism; conduct inventories for sites/ecosystems/or species § Create a system to record visitor stats; plan series of visitor surveys § Create a master plan of current and future infrastructure in the park; list priority activities (use local products and services) § Decide on skills for park personnel; decide on level of training in tourism management 10/21/2021 10

Phase 2: Determine desirable tourism level and create a plan § Bridges outside the park boundaries § Continue interaction with communities; reps in tourism development plans § Provide assistance / support to communities § Be sure communities are benefiting § § § Decide what regional dvlpmts to be built Lobby appropriate groups Decide on potential coordination with other tourism attractions 10/21/2021 11

Phase 2: Determine desirable tourism level and create a plan § Bridges outside park boundaries § Name the party that is officially in charge of tourism management in the park § Determine tourism zones for the park § Determine entrance fee for the park § Examine the national budgeting system for the parks § Determine budget allocations within the park itself § Decide which tour operators to work with § Decide what info the park wants or needs about tourism demand § Provide assistance and support to communities that want more info § Decide how to promote and market the park 10/21/2021 12

Phase 3: Write an ecoutourism strategy document § Record the info, publish it, and distribute it § This will become the official ecotourism plan for the area. 10/21/2021 13

For the Exam § if you were to change the current definition of ecotourism and specifically to incorporate the perspectives of a biocentric environmental scientist, how would you do it? What would be your new definition? (karim) § each of you, looking back to your own region (however you define ‘region’), how would you devise an ecotourism strategy? § Name the major reserves in Lebanon; Propose the creation of a new reserves § Look into transformation of industrial area into an ecotourism / conservation / - impeding environmental health … 10/21/2021 14

Environmental, economic and sociocultural impacts of ecotourism

Misrepresentation of ecotourism § Accidental misrepresentation § Deliberate misrepresentation –greenwashing § § § Lack of effective accreditation schemes Public’s lack of familiarity Absence of restrictions on the use of the term 10/21/2021 16

Question to class § How would you identify when the travel industry is greenwashing and when it is really Green? § [note: engage in active listening. ] § Then: what to do? § Interested in doing a survey of Lebanese hotels? § Time: 15 -20 minutes 10/21/2021 17

Direct Benefits of Eco. Tourism § Role as an incentive for promoting and rehabilitating natural environments § Potential for funding that it provides to manage and enhance protected areas and other ecotourism settings § Assistance provided by ecotourism to manage and improve ecotourism venues and to act as ‘environmental watchdogs’ 10/21/2021 18

Indirect benefits of Eco. Tourism § Increased support for environmentalism and protected areas § Environmental benefits derived from protected areas established/kept for ecotourism 10/21/2021 19

Borneo § One of the world’s most biodiverse areas § w/ a decrease demand for local products, tourism emerged as new market for biodiversity § Partnership between ecotourism agency and local community § 1996: 26 families - $82, 000 10/21/2021 20