Tourism can contribute greatly to biodiversity conservation. Cultural and natural heritage tourism is the fastest growing segment of the market, but conservationists and the tourism industry need to work together to ensure that World Heritage Sites and Protected Areas (PAs) benefit from this growth.

To help PA managers better understand the tourism sector and work effectively with it, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the USA-based conservation non-governmental organisation RARE have developed a manual based on information from tour operators about their relationships with heritage and conservation sites.

Tourism is a complex industry that includes accommodation, catering services, transport, activities and attractions and tour operators. Different elements are located in the tourists’ home countries and in destination countries. Many businesses cater to a specific market segment, from large-scale package tours to small group special interest tours, although there is an increasing tendency for mergers to create holding companies which cover a range of markets. PAs often feature in holidays of all types, although the nature of the visit will vary with tourist segment.

With good communications, partnerships and planning, the tourism industry can bring important benefits to PAs through:

• developing and marketing tours that include PAs
• providing information to increase tourists’ awareness about the site and encourage responsible behaviour while there
• collecting entrance fees on behalf of the PA, so reducing administration costs for the site
• encouraging tourists to donate money
• making corporate donations of money or in kind (such as technical advice or equipment)
• selling merchandise related to the site, with a proportion going to the PA
• leasing of concessions for accommodation, catering, guiding and other services. Concessionaires will have greater business expertise than PA staff, while the PA can award concessions according to criteria that suit their conservation aims.

Many tour operators have links with protected areas, either directly or through their local agents. There are opportunities for increasing these links, with many tour operators keen to have more information and involvement. Many are motivated to help conservation and are aware that better links will lead to new products and market advantage through an ethical image. PA managers need to be realistic about tour operators’ profit motive and capacity to donate, and to assist them with product development.

To be successful in developing a relationship with the tourism industry, PA managers should follow three steps:

• Plan their approach by identifying the type and amount of tourism that will suit the location, facilities and conservation aims of the PA as well as planning to manage tourist revenue and impacts on the site.
• Make contact with suitable tourism industry representatives, likely to be local agents but also some international operators. This involves preparing useful information for tourism companies that stresses the conservation aims of the site.
• Consolidating established links through regular communication. This is especially important where companies or their clients have donated to the PA.

Source(s):
‘Forging Links Between Protected Areas and the Tourism Sector. How tourism can benefit conservation’ United Nations Environment Programme Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Paris, France, by Richard Tapper and Janet Cochrane, 2005 Full document.

Funded by: The United Nations Foundation (UNF)

id21 Research Highlight: 6 March 2006

Further Information:
Leeds Tourism Group
Tourism, Hospitality & Events School
Leeds Metropolitan University
Civic Quarter
Leeds, LS1 3HE
UK

Tel: +44 (0)113 283 2600 ext 5609 or 5880
Fax: +44 (0)113 283 3111
Contact the contributor: j.cochrane@leedsmet.ac.uk

Leeds Tourism Group, UK

Richard Tapper

Tel: +44 (0)20 8549 1988
Contact the contributor: rtapper@dircon.co.uk

Other related links:
id21 insights #57 - People and Protected Areas

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

RARE - conservation organisation

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

'Paying its way: can tourism generate funds for protected areas?'

'Tourists, wildlife and the Maasai: is co-existence possible?'