1.Front section - IUCN

Building support for protected areas through tourism 11
Trail erosion, Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria.
quality of life are essential if these people are to be
given hope, and if they and their governments are to
be expected to support both tourism and conservation
(Putney, this volume).
The relevance of tourism to the role of IUCN and to
the concept of ‘benefits beyond boundaries’ is in
working together with key stakeholders to build
support for conservation and ensure tourism policy
and practice results in:
a) the protection of nature conservation areas from
being loved to death by visitors or exploited by
industry, as feared by many conservationists;
b) the potential of tourism being harnessed to help
finance conservation;
c) support for local communities through nature
based tourism; and
d) visitor services and interpretation strategies that
foster a greater level of understanding of the
many values of protected areas and wider support
for conservation.
These objectives are best achieved through high
level negotiation between key conservation and
tourism bodies, together with on-the-ground
partnerships between natural resource managers, local
communities and tourism operators.
© Paul F.J. Eagles
being of these local people. Biodiversity and human
welfare are inextricably linked, not just for the people
living in these biodiversity hotspots, but globally.
WSSD identified biodiversity conservation as one
of the five priority areas. As tourism is one of the
fastest growing sectors of the global economy, it is
imperative it be strategically aligned with
conservation. A number of highly ethical tourism
operations lead the way and demonstrate that it is
possible that tourism in partnership with conservation
can work to benefit the health and well-being of local
people at the same time as achieving conservation
objectives and economic growth. The benefits are not
confined to wealth creation alone. The protection and
conservation of non-material values important to
The interest between tourism
and protected areas
One of the world’s fastest growing and largest
industries, tourism is the epitome of the globalized
world. As such the world’s tourism and recreation
industries can potentially be highly influential on
investors, on the travelling public and on nations who
look to tourism for economic growth. It can also
provide significant benefits to conservation and
society. These can include: economic benefits;
opportunities for communities to acquire land for
community conserved areas; greater appreciation of
cultural and natural heritage; greater knowledge of the
interplay between humans and their environment; and
increased interest, understanding and commitment
from the general public to the conservation of places
of significant natural and cultural value. Well planned
and executed tourism can contribute to increased
tolerance and respect for diversity of all sorts –
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