Local Stakeholders’ Perception as a Contribution to the Identification of Negative Impacts on Protected Areas: A Case Study of Torres del Paine National Park

Abstract

Tourism in protected areas has experienced an important growth in the last decade generating positive impacts but has also increased pressures on biodiversity conservation. Managing impacts generated by tourism is a permanent challenge for protected areas’ managers and involved stakeholders. Therefore, it is important to implement participatory approaches that recognize local knowledge as an input to define negative impacts caused by tourism. This chapter studies the local stakeholders’ perception about tourism impacts generated over mountain hiking circuits of Torres del Paine National Park, Chilean Patagonia. The problems identified are related to environmental and ecological issues, public use infrastructure, and management aspects which coincided with scientific, technical, and governmental views. In conclusion, the participatory approach is highlighted as a tool that provides relevant information and views from stakeholders involved in the management and decision-making process of a protected area.