Research
Role of tourism in conservation ("tools")
There are several possible mechanisms by which the ecotourism sector could potentially be significant for sustainability at a global scale. The simplest is as a model for reducing per capita impacts of the large-scale tourism industry. Potentially much more significant, however, ecotourism could make a net positive contribution to global conservation if its direct and indirect effects in conserving threatened species and their habitats outweigh its negative environmental impacts. Contributions to conservation can arise through direct funding, through changed land tenure or land management arrangements, or by persuading clients to modify their lifestyle, purchasing decisions or political preferences. This research identifies, audits and quantifies case studies of such contributions.
Recent, current and forthcoming projects under this theme include:
- commissioned book on contributions of tourism to conservation
- pilot project on triple-bottom-line reporting for a limited number of leading ecotourism operators, to provide a framework for assessing their net global contributions to conservation
- review of mechanisms and policy advice on conservation stewardship on private landholdings, including the role of ecotourism
Recreation ecology, impact assessment and management indicators ("threats")
Tourism and recreation produce a range of environmental impacts in protected areas and other relatively pristine environments. In addition, most protected areas experience ongoing environmental stresses from a wide range of sources, of which tourists and other visitors are only one. Protected area management agencies therefore need environmental quality indicators which differentiate the environmental effects of visitors in the park from other impacts such as weeds, feral animals or water pollution spreading into the park from outside.
Recent, current and forthcoming projects under this theme include:
- establishment of international Recreation Ecology Research Network
- environmental monitoring for visitor impact management in protected areas
- database of published literature on the impacts of tourism in fragile environments, since 1993
- edited volume on Environmental Impacts of Ecotourism, CAB International, 2004
- several books on protected area management practices: Nature-Based Tourism, Environment and Land Management (CAB International, 2003); Tourism in Parks: Australian Initiatives (Griffith University, 2004); Protected Area Management (Earthscan, 2006); Marine Ecotourism (CAB International, 2007).
Adventure tourism and amenity migration (“trends”)
Ecotourism is part of the broader tourism sector, and equally affected by large-scale social trends. Particularly relevant at present are the growth in adventure tourism and in amenity migration.
Recent, current and forthcoming projects under this theme include:
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global book on Adventure Tourism (CAB International, 2006). A worldwide review of around 150 real retail-level adventure tourism products in approximately 20 activity sectors, considering product design and marketing, social and environmental issues, icon sites and destinations, global patterns and trends
- contributed chapter on inland amenity migration for The Amenity Migrants, international review volume (CAB International)
- Green Guides for Adventure Tourism. The Green Guides are short, simple, practical minimal-impact guidelines for various adventure tourism and outdoor recreation activities, comparable to the Leave-No-Trace® series in North America. They incorporate expertise from tour operators, guides, recreational associations and land managers, and reflect current best practice amongst existing commercially-viable operators. Originally intended simply as tools to raise environmental management performance across the entire sector to the standard of industry leaders, the Green Guides have also been endorsed by recreational associations and adopted by protected area management agencies for individual visitors, and possibly also as a basis for tour operator licensing. Guides for whitewater rafting and kayaking, whalewatching, small boat tours, SCUBA diving, and 4WD tours have been completed and distributed. Guides for hiking and camping, climbing, mountain biking, horse riding and helitours are currently in preparation.
Tourism destination responses to climate change
Climate change is affecting the tourism sector in many ways. The main research focus worldwide has been on mitigation and offsets. ICER, however, is focussing on adaptation and responses. In particular, we have new research projects on:
- tourism destination responses to climate change, including extreme weather events
- effects of climate change on nature-based tourism attractions
- role of tourism in supporting connectivity conservation as one response to climate change