Ecotourism and economic incentives: an empirical approach.

By Sven Wunder. 2000

463 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Within the new array of ‘green’ products and services, ecotourism claims to combine environmental responsibility with the generation of local economic benefits that will have both a development impact and serve as conservation incentives. Economic incentives are imperative for nature conservation, particularly in remote and ill-monitored regions where a weak presence of the state hinders the use of alternative tools of environmental regulation. In the following, the link between tourism, local benefits and conservation is conceptualised and analysed empirically, using data from the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon region, near the border of Colombia and Peru. Three Cuyabeno indigenous groups have developed different modes of tourism participation, ranging from autonomous operations to pure salary employment. A quantification of local cash flows from tourism allows for a comparative analysis of income structure, spending, and the impacts on local development and on conservation attitudes. It is concluded that in the whole study area, tourism has actually provided significant additional income. Counter to common belief, the mode of participation is less decisive for local income generation than the tourist attraction of the natural site, the degree of tourism specialisation and the level of local organisation. However, as a conservation incentive, the effectiveness of tourism income depends on the incentive structure inherent in the mode of participation, and on the substitution versus complementarity of other productive activities: only if tourism changes labour and land allocation decisions, will it have a local conservation impact. It is discussed under which circumstances the conjectured link between tourism, local incomes and conservation is likely to be effective. This leads to some general lessons for government policies, for the design of integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs), and to a number of site-specific recommendations for improving incentive structures.

Subfields: Economics and Econometrics, Global and Planetary Change, Sociology and Political Science

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Citations in the corpus

Biological effects, conservation potential, and research priorities of shark diving tourism. (2015, background): “In some cases, foreign investment can be a crucial and welcome component of development strategies based on wildlife tourism (e.g., Wunder, 2000), while in others tourism income may be largely directed away from local people, whose participation is often limited to menial, poorly paid ‘‘service’’…”
Livelihoods, forests, and conservation in developing countries: an overview (2005, background): “…small cash transfers can significantly raise incomes for local people in marginal areas with few alternative sources of monetary income (Gurung & Coursey, 1994; The Zimbabwe Trust, The Department of National Parks & Wildlife Management, & and The Campfire Association, 1994; Wunder, 2000, 2003b).”
The Economic Promise of Ecotourism for Conservation (2007, background): “Ecotourism more than other kinds of tourism can cause large changes in the household economy because it usually occurs in relatively isolated areas of the world where people are distant from markets and have little income (Whelan, 1991; Wunder, 1999, 2000).”
A new approach to sustainable tourism development: moving beyond environmental protection. (2003, background): “See Wunder (2000). 22 This is the official United Nations threshold for defining people living in extreme poverty.”
Can ecotourism deliver real economic, social, and environmental benefits? A study of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica (2015, background): “Other ecotourism destinations in Central and South America have shown similar positive results (Hunt & Stronza, 2011; Stronza, 2010; Wunder, 2000).”
Place attachment as a mediator of the relationship between nature-based recreation benefits and future visit intentions (2012, background): “(Shrestha, Stein, & Clark, 2007; Wunder, 2000) found that repeat visitation behavior in natural areas significantly contributed to the economic benefits supporting surrounding communities and public land management agencies.”
Tourist preferences for ecotourism in rural communities adjacent to Kruger National Park: A choice experiment approach (2012, unknown): “Controversy exists, however, over the meaning of the concept, its operationalisation (Weaver and Lawton, 2007; Fennell, 2001) and its potential to yield socio-economic benefits for rural communities (Isaacs, 2000; Wunder, 2000).”
Fresh tracks in the forest: assessing incipient payments for environmental services initiatives in Bolivia (2005, background): “They would argue that, to be true PES cases, there should be direct payments to local people exclusively for an environmental service, for instance as when tourism operators in Zancudo (Cuyabeno, Ecuador) paid the local community in-kind benefits in order to stop hunting in a tourist-visitation zone”
Capturing the Value of Forest Carbon for Local Livelihoods (2003, background): “such as allocation of concessions in favorable locations to private sector operators who promote local development; appropriate tenure arrangements; and strong and cohesive community groups with well- developed benefit sharing mechanisms (DFID, 2002; Wunder, 2000).”
How 'Eco' is Ecotourism? A Comparative Case Study of Ecotourism in Costa Rica (2003, background): “Ecotourism can also substantially contribute to the local economy, especially when local residents are involved in its management and operations (Lindberg et al., 1996; Wunder, 2000).”
The role of social capital in encouraging residents' pro-environmental behaviors in community-based ecotourism (2014, background): “Compared with mass tourism, CBET has been promoted to residents as a community activities because of its economic benefits; these could, in turn, serve as a powerful support for their pro-environmental behaviors (Bovarnick & Gupta, 2003; Lindberg, Enriquez, & Sproule, 1996; Ross & Wall, 1999; Wunder”