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Ecotourism and the development of indigenous communities: The good, the bad, and the ugly

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Listed author(s):
  • Coria, Jessica
  • Calfucura, Enrique

Abstract

A large part of the literature analyzing the links between biodiversity conservation and community development assumes that nature-based tourism managed by indigenous communities will result not only in conservation of natural resources but also in increased development. In practice, ecotourism has often failed to deliver the expected benefits to indigenous communities due to a combination of factors, including shortages in the endowments of human, financial and social capital within the community, lack of mechanisms for a fair distribution of the economic benefits of ecotourism, and land insecurity. Based on a review of experiences, we analyze the complex interaction among the factors shaping the success and failure of ecotourism experiences in indigenous communities, and we stress the need for a better approach to enhance the indigenous communities' livelihood possibilities coming from ecotourism, as well as to promote land tenure and communities' empowerment.

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Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Ecological Economics.

Volume (Year): 73 (2012)
Issue (Month): C ()
Pages: 47-55

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Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:73:y:2012:i:c:p:47-55
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.10.024
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolecon

Keywords: Ecotourism; Biodiversity; ICDP; Indigenous communities;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

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  1. Blackman, Allen & Woodward, Richard T., 2010. "User financing in a national payments for environmental services program: Costa Rican hydropower," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1626-1638, June.
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  3. Dustin Becker, Constance, 2003. "Grassroots to Grassroots: Why Forest Preservation was Rapid at Loma Alta, Ecuador," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 163-176, January.
  4. Frost, Peter G.H. & Bond, Ivan, 2008. "The CAMPFIRE programme in Zimbabwe: Payments for wildlife services," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(4), pages 776-787, May.
  5. Caitlin Mary Lepper & Jessica Schroenn Goebel, 2010. "Community-based natural resource management, poverty alleviation and livelihood diversification: A case study from northern Botswana," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(5), pages 725-739.
  6. Robert Hearne & C. Santos, 2005. "Tourists‘ and Locals‘ Preferences Toward Ecotourism Development in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 303-318, 09.
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  8. Renaud Lapeyre, 2010. "Community-based tourism as a sustainable solution to maximise impacts locally? The Tsiseb Conservancy case, Namibia," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(5), pages 757-772.
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  13. Clements, Tom & John, Ashish & Nielsen, Karen & An, Dara & Tan, Setha & Milner-Gulland, E.J., 2010. "Payments for biodiversity conservation in the context of weak institutions: Comparison of three programs from Cambodia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 1283-1291, April.
  14. Leopoldo Dimas & Susan Kandel & Deborah Barry & Herman Rosa, 2004. "Compensation for Environmental Services and Rural Communities: Lessons from the Americas," Working Papers wp96, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
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Cited by:

  1. Vallino, Elena & Aldahsev,Gani, 2013. "NGOs and participatory conservation in developing countries: why are there inefficiencies?," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201318, University of Turin.
  2. Wood, Apanie L. & Butler, James R.A. & Sheaves, Marcus & Wani, Jacob, 2013. "Sport fisheries: Opportunities and challenges for diversifying coastal livelihoods in the Pacific," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 305-314.
  3. Ren-Fang Chao, 2015. "Development of Slow Tourism Challenge and Operation Architecture: A Case Study on Green Island, Taiwan," Acta Oeconomica, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 65(supplemen), pages 351-367, December.
  4. Enrique Calfucura & Eugenio Figueroa, 2016. "Using benefits and costs estimations to manage conservation: Chile’s protected areas," Working Papers wp418, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
  5. Gianluca Felicetti, 2015. "The perception of Stakeholder’ s from protected areas on ecotourism development," Manager Journal, Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, vol. 22(1), pages 32-43, December.
  6. Gianna Moscardo & Laurie Murphy, 2014. "There Is No Such Thing as Sustainable Tourism: Re-Conceptualizing Tourism as a Tool for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 6(5), pages 1-24, April.
  7. Tomas Gorner & Klara Najmanova & Martin Cihar, 2012. "Changes in Local People’s Perceptions of the Sumava National Park in the Czech Republic over a Ten Year Period (1998–2008)," Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 4(6), pages 1-17, June.
  8. Kathleen Segerson, 2013. "Voluntary Approaches to Environmental Protection and Resource Management," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 5(1), pages 161-180, June.
  9. Coria, Jessica & Robinson, Elizabeth & Smith, Henrik G. & Sterner, Thomas, 2012. "Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services Provision: Tale of Confused Objectives, Multiple Market Failures and Policy Challenges," Working Papers in Economics 546, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
  10. Knight, David W. & Cottrell, Stuart P., 2016. "Evaluating tourism-linked empowerment in Cuzco, Peru," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 32-47.

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