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Science plays a crucial role in the management of ecotourism sites and informs best practice for sustainability and site conservation. Using case studies, explore how scientific research is being integrated into management strategies for nature based and/or geotourism sites in Australia or overseas....

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Marci King — a1718030 Ecotourism II 2500 12 October 2020

Major Essay Science plays a crucial role in the management of ecotourism sites and informs best practice for sustainability and site conservation. Using case studies, explore how scientific research is being integrated into management strategies for nature based and/or geotourism sites in Australia or overseas.

Introduction: Ecotourism, as defined by The International Ecotourism Society in 2015, is the “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the wellbeing of the local people, and involves interpretation and education.” Ecotourism is a niche in the tourism industry with ambitious aims to preserve the integrity of destinations, conserve environmental and historical heritage components, support culture and also encourage people to look after natural resources through education. Ecotourism arose in the late 1970s and has since gained substantial traction following widespread concerns of the impacts of mass tourism combined with the untapped economic potential from ecotourism. But in order for ecotourism to meet its idealistic principles, it must be carefully managed. Scientific research plays a fundamental role in ensuring ecotourism practices are sustainable, appropriately managed and most importantly, do not defy the core principles. This essay will critically analyse how scientific research contributes to site impact assessment and the management strategies used to protect areas while still allowing ecotourism to be economically viable. The key aspects of scientific research in ecotourism will be referred to in this essay through the use of case studies on three ecotourism destinations: Costa Rica and Belize in Central America (Farrell & Marion 2001), the Atlantic Islands (Hoyt 2005), and the Surat Thani Province in Thailand (Bunruamkaew & Murayama 2011).

Costa Rica and Belize case study Farrell & Marion (2001) provided an analysis of protected area visitation impact on natural resources in Costa Rica and Belize — ecotourism destinations that actively promote their pristine natural resources as attractions. The study identified areas of management that were lacking considerably through impact assessments, such as: trail proliferation, erosion and widening, vegetation cover loss, tree damage on recreational sites, impacts on wildlife, water, other resources and attractive features. This study was particularly critical to ecotourism management as these protected areas in Central and South America equal a substantial amount of their total area and a popular tourist choice due to their undisturbed and perfect quality and thus without qualitative management procedures the areas would no longer be a ecotourism drawcard. The study found that visitor impacts caused significant localised changes that in turn affected facilities’ functionality, increased safety concerns, reduced aesthetic enjoyment, and overall led to increased management costs. Specific impacts found by the scientific study included erosion of Altun Ha’s stone ruin structures, soil erosion around benches at Volcan Poas volcanic crater, coral damage at Hol Chan, wildlife disturbance, water pollution and vandalism. The study conducted by Farrell & Marion was successful in that it identified that most of the impacts recorded were similar to those in other protected areas in America, and also noted where the other studied sites were successful; for example, the eight sites in Costa Rica and Belize were absent of campsites and therefore avoided the associated impacts of campsites. However, the study lacked in that it did not provide extensive impact assessments on the entire protected areas due to lack of resources, and only focussed on the most popular traits and attractions. These sites appear to lack substantially in management procedures, and have been labelled as ‘paper parks’ which essentially means there is little management beyond legal designation of the areas. This case study of ecotourism in Central America is a prominent example of how critical scientific research is making informed and sustainable decisions regarding policy and management of protected areas.

Atlantic Islands case study Hoyt (2005) presents a case study on ecotourism on the Atlantic Islands, specifically in relation to whale watching, marine protected areas (MPAs) and cetaceans. In the Atlantic Islands, roughly 1.7 million visitors go whale watching and thus it is easy to understand it is an important attraction within the ecotourism industry. However, Hoyt’s case study quickly recognised that the management plan and procedures for the Atlantic Islands is far from adequate. To put the marine species’ importance into perspective, of the 84 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises worldwide, 62 of them are found in the Atlantic Islands area; this highlights the critical need for scientifically backed management in this region. This case study recognises the lack of in-depth research into the sustainability of ecotourism in the Atlantic Islands region and ultimately the lagging management strategies to protect the area, its wildlife and natural resources. Hoyt makes a valuable statement within the study about the history of whale watching being the detriment of its future. Essentially, since whale watching began decades ago there was little consideration into the impacts it would have in the future. Only now are these impacts are being seen and efforts are being made to fix and improve Atlantic Islands ecotourism industry. Hoyt mentions these sustainable considerations are far easier to establish from the very beginning, rather than fixing after the damage has already begun to occur. Hoyt’s case study was a critical insight into where whale watching can improve, specifically by completing a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and thereafter implementing a comprehensive framework for management, as well as establishing marine protected areas (MPAs). There are numerous elements of sustainable ecotourism absent from the activities on the Atlantic Islands which could be implemented following intensive scientific research in order for adequate management strategies to be put in place. Surat Thani Province case study In contrast to the Costa Rica & Belize and Atlantic Islands case studies, the Surat Thani Province case study by Bunruamkaew & Murayama (2011) is an extensive study into Thailand’s potential ecotourism attractions. It critically analyses sites that are potential

attractions and the process of implementing sustainable management practices from the outset, rather than mitigating the impacts after the fact. Bunruamkaew & Murayama provide valuable insight into the process involved in ecotourism sustainability, which they summarise in six steps: preliminary study, data collection, spatial database construction, data analysis, synthesis and recommendation. Using the intensive scientific methods of studying potential sites for ecotourism, the case study provides suitable sites divided into classes of highly suitable, marginally suitable, and not suitable. The areas highlighted in the study were of interest due to the low impact tourist activities such as camping, hiking, sight seeing and bird watching. However, as these areas would be newly established as ecotourism sites, there are facilities that would need to be established — such as green hotels, restaurants and public convenience facilities. If efforts are made to ensure these facilities are ecologically sustainable in the potential areas, ecotourism could be well-managed. The study by Bunruamkaew & Murayama is an excellent example of the knowledge required for decision-making in sustainable ecotourism development and the benefits of including scientific methodology in ecotourism management. Discussion The three case studies discussed in this essay cover a broad range of issues in sustainable ecotourism and its management. The studies analysed in this essay underline areas of management that are lacking scientific research and the intensive process of using scientific research to manage a potential ecotourism site. Science evidently has a critical role in ecotourism management strategies by providing knowledge for conservation as well as preservation requirements of the environment. However, management strategies for ecotourism sites is like a ‘balancing act’ where none of the three stakeholders — resources, community and tourists — should be neglected. A paper published by Das & Chatterjee in 2015 highlights the importance of managing the dynamics of the stakeholders in ecotourism wherein no stakeholder will be successful at the detriment of another. There is a systematic failure in ecotourism to address the key principles of biodiversity conservation; this is emphasised in the studies discussed within this essay. Das and Chatterjee’s paper offers clarity in how social and

cultural incentives must be implemented alongside proper management in order for ecotourism sites to better conservation efforts. Unfortunately, despite well-intentioned efforts globally, the paper by Das & Chatterjee revealed evidence that a high proportion of ecotourism sites were failing the key principles. It summarised that improvements in monitoring, evaluating and managing ecotourism sites is vital to long term conservation. A paper written by Gray (2003) also had a similar viewpoint on the problematic concepts of ecotourism; it noted that while there is good intentions for an outcome that essentially intercepts conservation and local development, it often falls short. The paper focused on the Gales Point Manatee in Belize, and the impacts on the villagers that were no assessed prior to ecotourism development and therefore left the villagers disadvantaged. It highlighted that in-depth and thorough assessments are required to ensure ecotourism sites functions well and cohesively with the national environment and community. Blangy & Mehta (2006) suggested that perhaps the fast pace of tourism development is also the cause of detrimental damage to ecological systems, a number of which are endangered. The paper recognised insufficient planning was the cause of environmental impacts and that better dialogue between conservation science and ecotourism can support ecological restoration. This outlook mirrors the paper written by Das & Chatterjee (2015). Despite the failures that have occurred within ecotourism management, there is increasingly greater awareness of impacts and better planning for ecotourism sites. Much like the Surat Thani Province case study mentioned, a study by Kumari et al. (2010) thoroughly assessed potential ecotourism sites in the west district of Sikkim. The study used indicator indices, such as the wildlife distribution index (WDI), ecological value index (EVI), ecotourism attractivity index (EAI), environmental resiliency index (ERI), and the ecotourism diversity index (EDI) to identify potential ecotourism sites. The study integrated a vast amount of scientific methods of data collection and analysis like the Surat Thani Province study prior to any development occurring. Studies like this are vital to the future of a relationship between ecotourism and environmental conservation.

Conclusion: Unfortunately, when an ecotourism site becomes recognised for its honest management strategies in protecting and preserving, its attraction increases among potential visitors and therefore management is faced with an ultimatum — continue to protect the site and refuse to expand tourism opportunities, or expand tourism opportunities at the detriment of the site and its resources and inhabitants. In order to create successful ecotourism management strategies, systematic reviews of management need to be implemented. Visitor volume, species conservation needs, public education and the environment of ecotourism sites all change and shift through time. Thus, management solutions that worked effectively five years ago may not work effectively now. For systematic reviews to be maximally beneficial, there also needs to be appropriate monitoring of the site. Data accumulated from monitoring can thereafter be used in the systematic reviews to assess changes in the site that require improvement.

In conclusion, scientific research is integrated into ecotourism management strategies. However, there is definitely room for improvement. The Costa Rica and Belize study by Farrell & Marion and Atlantic Islands study by Hoyt both established the gaps of knowledge in ecotourism management. Idealist management of ecotourism sites was highlighted in the Surat Thani Province study by Bunruamkaew & Murayama. This case study showed the comprehensive methods of scientific research prior to establishing an ecotourism site and the extent to which such science can be proven useful. Word count: 1,872 References: Blangy S & Mehta H, 2006, ‘Ecotourism and ecological restoration’, Journal for Nature Conservation, 14(3-4), pp. 233-236. Bunruamkaew K & Murayama Y, 2011, ‘Site suitability for ecotourism using GIS and AHP: a case study of Surat Thani Province, Thailand’, Procedia Social and Behavioural

Sciences. International Conference: Spatial Thinking and Geographic Information Sciences 2011, vol 21, pp. 269-278. Crockett D & Stow D, 2001, ‘ecotourism, marine science and the environment’, Marine Science, vol 12, special issue, pp. 13-23. Das M, Chatterjee B, 2015, ‘ecotourism: a panacea or a predicament?’ Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 14, pp. 3-16. Farrell T & Marion J, 2001, ‘Identifying and assessing ecotourism visitor impacts at eight protected areas in Costa Rica and Belize’, Environmental Conservation, 28(3), pp. 215225. Gray N, 2003, ‘Unpacking the baggage of ecotourism: nature, science, and local participation’, The Great Lake Geographer, 9(2), pp. 113-123. Hoyt E, 2005, ‘Sustainable ecotourism on Atlantic Islands, with special reference to whale watching, marine protected areas and sanctuaries for cetaceans’, Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 105B(3), pp. 141-154. Kumari S, Behera M.D & Tewari H.R, 2010, ‘identification of potential ecotourism sites in West District, Sikkim using geospatial tools’, Tropical Ecology, 51(1), pp. 75-85 Waylen K, Fischer A, McGowan P, Thirgood S, Milner-Gulland E.J, 2010, ‘effect of local cultural context on the success of community-based conservation interventions’, Conservation Biology, 24(4)....