Evaluating the conservation contributions of ecotourism

Abstract

Global biodiversity is under threat, and there is widespread agreement that the planet is currently facing a global extinction crisis (Becker, Agreda, Astudillo, Costantino, and Torres, 2005; Bradshaw, Sodhi and Brook, 2009; Kingsford et al., 2009; Pimm et al., 2014). Conservation efforts are coming under increasing pressure worldwide through reductions in funding for public protected area agencies; continued clearance and degradation of land outside protected areas; climate change; growth of human populations; and an increase in both subsistence and industrial primary production. Ecotourism is promoted for its potential to act as a conservation mechanism by addressing these problems (Brightsmith, Stronza and Holle, 2008; Buckley, 2010; Stronza and Durham, 2008). To date, however, there has been no global review and evaluation of the overall conservation contributions of the ecotourism industry. We therefore developed a framework to evaluate the conservation achievements of individual ecotourism sites, businesses and programs. We constructed a comprehensive list of actions that ecotourism enterprises can undertake to achieve conservation goals, and the outcomes these actions can have. While the ecotourism industry also creates a range of negative impacts (Ansong and Pickering, 2013; M. Ballantyne and Pickering, 2011; Batta, 2006; Steven, Pickering and Castley, 2011), our framework focuses on the potential to make positive contributions to conservation. We tested the framework by applying it to 86 Australian tourism enterprises with advanced level eco-certification through Ecotourism Australia.