Local Ecotourism Research Articles

Ecotourism and Institutional Structures: The Case of North Rupununi, Guyana

This study examines the impact of ecotourism ventures in the Amerind communities of Guyana. It compares the impact on livelihoods, conservation and governance of the different institutional frameworks through which ecotourism services are delivered. The central focus is directed to the region in which the world famous Iwokrama Rainforest project was established with widespread institutional support. The outcomes for ecotourism developed by this project are compared with the operations of a private company and a local community-based ecotourism enterprise. The North Rupununi area is inhabited by Amerindians who have always utilised rainforest resources for their livelihoods but are gradually being absorbed into the global economy. They remain by far the poorest communities in Guyana but there are powerful claims that ecotourism can materially assist in improving their livelihoods. At the same time there are strong pressures through agencies such as the Iwokrama Reserve to maintain pristine rainforest ecologies and therefore the agencies argue that an ecotourism approach can be used to satisfy both conservation and livelihood demands.

Las Islas de los Changos (the Monkey Islands): the economic impact of ecotourism in the region of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico

This study evaluates the popularity and economic impact of Las Islas de los Changos (the Monkey Islands) as an ecotourism site on Lake Catemaco in the Los Tuxtlas region of Veracruz, Mexico. Two small island colonies of exotic primates, stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides), have proved to be highly beneficial for the local economy as the main attraction for tourists in this region. From July 1991 to June 1992, data were collected on the number of tourists who took boat trips to visit the primates, and the amount of money spent on tours to the islands. The data suggest that at least 28,470 passengers visit these primate troops annually and spend approximately 88,970 U.S. dollars (USD). Follow-up questionnaires during July 1997 to June 2000 to hotelkeepers and tourist boat operators identified the Monkey Islands as the primary destination for tourists to this region. A comparison of the net income obtained by local ecotourism operators with wages earned through other types of employment in the Los Tuxtlas region, such as working in natural reserves, agriculture, or renting grazing land for cattle, show the relative importance of Las Islas de Los Changos in sustaining the local economy.

Conservation of the horseshoe crab at Kinmen, Taiwan: strategies and practices

In order to conserve the horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus, a famous ‘living fossil’ in Kinmen and Taiwan, several investigations related to its basic biology were conducted, and public education/participation programs were implemented. Biological investigations included artificially inducing spawning in the laboratory and field, rearing of juveniles, monitoring of habitat characteristics, and establishing a protected area. The grain size of the sediment of the spawning ground was 0.4–1.8 mm in diameter and that of the juvenile nursing ground was 0.11–0.19 mm. The most suitable water temperature for incubating eggs and rearing juveniles ranged from 28 to 31 °C. A total of 800 ha of the coastal zone on Kinmen was designated a protected area for the horseshoe crab, based on the Fishery Law, in December 1999. Fishing is prohibited for the 5-year period from 2000 to 2004. Public education programs were conducted to help local people learn about the basic biology of the horseshoe crab, to become aware of its importance and the necessity for conservation, and to empower them to actively participate in the conservation of this species. In addition, a horseshoe crab conservation program has also been incorporated as an element of the local ecotourism industry. Biotechnology business opportunities that may be created as a result of viable horseshoe crab populations will also be promoted.