ecotourism and community health for slideshare

Healthy Parks …

Vibrant Communities

Steve McCool

WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas

Specialist Group

University of Montana, USA

Ecotourism and the health of communities and ecosystems

Ecotourism and the health of communities and ecosystems

Understand the context

Ecotourism and the health of communities and ecosystems

Understand the context

Build resilient communities

Ecotourism and the health of communities and ecosystems

Understand the context

Build resilient communities

Tourism as an intervention

Understand the Context:

Global Forces Lead to Uncertainty and Anxiety

People hold an inherent desire to live within communities with

Food and physical securitySafe water, clean airEconomic advancementAccess to education and healthShared values and interestsConnected to heritage

Population Dynamics

Technology

GovernancePublic Values

Decision Making

Economic Restructuring

ClimateChange

Population Dynamics

Technology

GovernancePublic Values

Decision Making

Economic Restructuring

Increasing Conflict

ClimateChange

Population Dynamics

Technology

GovernancePublic Values

Decision Making

Economic Restructuring

Accelerating Complexity

ClimateChange

Population Dynamics

Technology

GovernancePublic Values

Decision Making

Economic Restructuring

ClimateChange

Changing Relationships

Population Dynamics

Technology

GovernancePublic Values

Decision Making

Economic Restructuring

New Challenges and Opportunities

ClimateChange

Communities Unprepared for Change are Stressed

Growing and Diversifying Expectations for Protected Areas

Heritage Protection

Heritage Protection

Governance

Heritage Protection

Economic Development

Governance

Heritage Protection

Economic Development

Climate Change

Governance

Heritage Protection

Economic Development

Climate Change

Governance

Cauldrons of Evolution

Heritage Protection

Economic Development

Climate Change

Governance

Cauldrons of Evolution

Buffers from Development

Expectations Partly Overlapping and Partly

Competing

Resilient and Vibrant Communities:

Invest in Nature and People

Resilience: “the sustained ability of a

community to utilize available resources

to respond to, withstand, and recover

from adverse situations”

Rand Corporation

Resilience

Natural Capital

Social Capital

Technical Capacity

Connections

Protected Area

CommunityProtected

Area

CommunityProtected

Area

Utilitarian

CommunityProtected

Area

Utilitarian

Political

CommunityProtected

Area

Utilitarian

Political

Economic

CommunityProtected

Area

Utilitarian

Cultural/Spiritual

Political

Economic

Tourism as Intervention

Think of it as a transformational tool

Tourism …

Enhances management

Tourism …

Transforms communities

Tourism …

Transforms protected areas

Tourism …

Transforms Connections

Barriers

Barriers

Capital

Managerial Capacity

Vision/Leadership

Mental Models

Social Financial

Barriers

Capital

Managerial Capacity

Vision/Leadership

Mental Models

Social Financial

Barriers

Capital

Managerial Capacity

Vision/Leadership

Mental Models

Social Financial

Barriers

Capital

Managerial Capacity

Vision/Leadership

Mental Models

Social Financial

•Framing the question•Who benefits from eco-tourism?•Role of science?

Some Concluding Observations

What should tourism sustain?

Quality of life?Heritage?Economic opportunity?

What should tourism sustain?

Quality of life?Heritage?Economic opportunity?

What are the appropriate or acceptable conditions?

Who Gets to Make the Decisions?

• Healthy Parks … Vibrant Communities leads to a redistribution of power

• Who represents the future?

• How to maintain options when preferences are unknown?

•Create new visitor opportunity products

•Create new visitor opportunity products

•Build a community of practice

•Create new visitor opportunity products

•Build a community of practice

•Maintain connections

•Create new visitor opportunity products

•Build a community of practice

•Maintain connections

•Monitor outcomes

•Create new visitor opportunity products

•Build a community of practice

•Maintain connections

•Monitor outcomes

•Adapt strategies, policies and management

Thank You

Fresh Perspectives on

Protected Area Stewardship @

Pasqueflowerparadigms.blogspot.com