Ecotourism ProjectEcotourism Project Project plan: Project plan: November 4November 4

What do you intend to do?What do you intend to do? How do you intend to do it?How do you intend to do it?

Field visits completed:Field visits completed: December 2December 2 Where have you gone?Where have you gone? What have you seen?What have you seen? What questions did you intend to answer?What questions did you intend to answer? What questions remain?What questions remain?

Draft due:Draft due: December 18December 18 Written Project due: Written Project due: January 13January 13 Oral Presentation:Oral Presentation: January 13January 13

More on protected More on protected areasareas

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Ecotourism intersections Ecotourism intersections with conservationwith conservation

WWFWWF Protected area managementProtected area management Sustainable development in buffer zone Sustainable development in buffer zone

areasareas Environmental education for consumersEnvironmental education for consumers Influencing policy decisionsInfluencing policy decisions

Most urgent point Most urgent point protected area protected area managementmanagement

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Questions for planning…Questions for planning…

How does a protected area plan for How does a protected area plan for ecotourism?ecotourism?

Where are the examples?Where are the examples? Where are the models?Where are the models? Where are the guidelines?Where are the guidelines?

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Ecotourism Diagnostic Ecotourism Diagnostic and Planning Guidelinesand Planning Guidelines

Why develop a strategy/plan?Why develop a strategy/plan? To guide the development and management of To guide the development and management of

ecotourismecotourism Why?Why?

To ensure the protected area is not overrun by touristsTo ensure the protected area is not overrun by tourists To establish mechanisms to generate employment and To establish mechanisms to generate employment and

revenue for the protected area and surrounding communitiesrevenue for the protected area and surrounding communities To create opportunities for environmental education for To create opportunities for environmental education for

visitorsvisitors To allow protected area managers to either encourage or To allow protected area managers to either encourage or

discourage ecotourism as appropriate – both in # and activitydiscourage ecotourism as appropriate – both in # and activity

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Ecotourism Diagnostic Ecotourism Diagnostic and Planning Guidelinesand Planning Guidelines

3 phases for this strategy3 phases for this strategy

1.1. Assess the current tourism situation Assess the current tourism situation and potentialand potential

2.2. Determine a desirable tourism situation Determine a desirable tourism situation and identify steps to reach this situationand identify steps to reach this situation

3.3. Write an ecotourism strategy documentWrite an ecotourism strategy document

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Phase 1: Assess the Phase 1: Assess the current situationcurrent situation

Features inside park boundariesFeatures inside park boundaries Issue areas are natural resources, park Issue areas are natural resources, park

infrastructure, visitation, and park personnelinfrastructure, visitation, and park personnel

Bridges outside park boundariesBridges outside park boundaries Issue areas not in the park managers’ Issue areas not in the park managers’

immediate jurisdiction that also directly or immediate jurisdiction that also directly or indirectly impact tourism within the parkindirectly impact tourism within the park

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Phase 1: Assess the Phase 1: Assess the current situationcurrent situation

Features inside the park boundariesFeatures inside the park boundaries? the park’s natural resourcesthe park’s natural resources? the visitation info and levelsthe visitation info and levels? the park infrastructurethe park infrastructure? the park personnelthe park personnel

Bridges outside park boundariesBridges outside park boundaries? Interaction between the park and local communitiesInteraction between the park and local communities? Infrastructure within the country (this park & others)Infrastructure within the country (this park & others)? National perspective (legal, policy, budgetary)National perspective (legal, policy, budgetary)? Private sector involvementPrivate sector involvement

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Phase 2: Determine desirable Phase 2: Determine desirable tourism level and create a plantourism level and create a plan

Workshop or set of workshopsWorkshop or set of workshops 11stst: evaluate obj. of tourism to the park: evaluate obj. of tourism to the park 22ndnd: reach a consensus on # & activities: reach a consensus on # & activities 33rdrd: create an ecotourism strategy (action : create an ecotourism strategy (action

plan outlining necessary steps)plan outlining necessary steps) 44thth: establish a monitoring system: establish a monitoring system

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Phase 2: Determine desirable Phase 2: Determine desirable tourism level and create a plantourism level and create a plan Who is invited to the workshops?Who is invited to the workshops?

Reps from the park, community, tourism industry, MoE, Reps from the park, community, tourism industry, MoE, MoT, and environmentalistsMoT, and environmentalists

Features inside park boundariesFeatures inside park boundaries Monitor the ecological impacts of tourism; conduct Monitor the ecological impacts of tourism; conduct

inventories for sites/ecosystems/or speciesinventories for sites/ecosystems/or species Create a system to record visitor stats; plan series of Create a system to record visitor stats; plan series of

visitor surveysvisitor surveys Create a master plan of current and future Create a master plan of current and future

infrastructure in the park; list priority activities (use local infrastructure in the park; list priority activities (use local products and services)products and services)

Decide on skills for park personnel; decide on level of Decide on skills for park personnel; decide on level of training in tourism managementtraining in tourism management

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Phase 2: Determine desirable Phase 2: Determine desirable tourism level and create a plantourism level and create a plan

Bridges outside the park boundariesBridges outside the park boundaries Continue interaction with communities; reps in tourism Continue interaction with communities; reps in tourism

development plansdevelopment plans Provide assistance / support to communitiesProvide assistance / support to communities Be sure communities are benefitingBe sure communities are benefiting

Decide what regional dvlpmts to be builtDecide what regional dvlpmts to be built Lobby appropriate groupsLobby appropriate groups Decide on potential coordination with other Decide on potential coordination with other

tourism attractionstourism attractions

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Phase 2: Determine desirable Phase 2: Determine desirable tourism level and create a plantourism level and create a plan

Bridges outside park boundariesBridges outside park boundaries Name the party that is officially in charge of tourism Name the party that is officially in charge of tourism

management in the parkmanagement in the park Determine tourism zones for the parkDetermine tourism zones for the park Determine entrance fee for the parkDetermine entrance fee for the park Examine the national budgeting system for the parksExamine the national budgeting system for the parks Determine budget allocations within the park itselfDetermine budget allocations within the park itself Decide which tour operators to work withDecide which tour operators to work with Decide what info the park wants or needs about tourism demandDecide what info the park wants or needs about tourism demand Provide assistance and support to communities that want more info Provide assistance and support to communities that want more info Decide how to promote and market the parkDecide how to promote and market the park

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Phase 3: Write an ecoutourism Phase 3: Write an ecoutourism strategy documentstrategy document

Record the info, publish it, and distribute itRecord the info, publish it, and distribute it This will become the official ecotourism This will become the official ecotourism

plan for the area.plan for the area.

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For the ExamFor the Exam if you were to change the current definition of if you were to change the current definition of ecotourism and specifically to incorporate the ecotourism and specifically to incorporate the perspectives of a biocentric environmental perspectives of a biocentric environmental scientist, how would you do it? What would be scientist, how would you do it? What would be your new definition? (karim)your new definition? (karim)

each of you, looking back to your own region each of you, looking back to your own region (however you define ‘region’), how would you (however you define ‘region’), how would you devise an ecotourism strategy? devise an ecotourism strategy?

Name the major reserves in Lebanon; Propose the Name the major reserves in Lebanon; Propose the creation of a new reservescreation of a new reserves

Look into transformation of industrial area into an Look into transformation of industrial area into an ecotourism / conservation / - impeding ecotourism / conservation / - impeding environmental health …environmental health …

Environmental, Environmental, economic and socio-economic and socio-cultural impacts of cultural impacts of ecotourismecotourism

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Misrepresentation of Misrepresentation of ecotourismecotourism

Accidental misrepresentationAccidental misrepresentation Deliberate misrepresentation –greenwashingDeliberate misrepresentation –greenwashing

Lack of effective accreditation schemesLack of effective accreditation schemes Public’s lack of familiarityPublic’s lack of familiarity Absence of restrictions on the use of the termAbsence of restrictions on the use of the term

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Question to classQuestion to class

How would you identify when the travel How would you identify when the travel industry is greenwashing and when it is industry is greenwashing and when it is really Green?really Green? [note: engage in active listening.][note: engage in active listening.]

Then: what to do?Then: what to do? Interested in doing a survey of Lebanese Interested in doing a survey of Lebanese

hotels?hotels? Time: 15-20 minutesTime: 15-20 minutes

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Direct Benefits of Direct Benefits of EcoTourismEcoTourism

Role as an incentive for promoting and Role as an incentive for promoting and rehabilitating natural environmentsrehabilitating natural environments

Potential for funding that it provides to manage Potential for funding that it provides to manage and enhance protected areas and other and enhance protected areas and other ecotourism settingsecotourism settings

Assistance provided by ecotourism to manage Assistance provided by ecotourism to manage and improve ecotourism venues and to act as and improve ecotourism venues and to act as ‘environmental watchdogs’‘environmental watchdogs’

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Indirect benefits of Indirect benefits of EcoTourismEcoTourism Increased support for environmentalism Increased support for environmentalism

and protected areasand protected areas Environmental benefits derived from Environmental benefits derived from

protected areas established/kept for protected areas established/kept for ecotourismecotourism

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BorneoBorneo One of the world’s most biodiverse areasOne of the world’s most biodiverse areas w/ a decrease demand for local products, tourism emerged w/ a decrease demand for local products, tourism emerged

as new market for biodiversityas new market for biodiversity Partnership between ecotourism Partnership between ecotourism

agency and local communityagency and local community

1996: 26 families - $82,0001996: 26 families - $82,000