Community-based Ecotourism

Ecotourism is one of the fastest expanding tourism markets receiving much attention in developing countries and economically impoverished regions around the world. Ecotourism accounts for a large share of some countries’ Gross Domestic Product, and so contributes to livelihoods of many people. This study assessed the contribution of ecotourism to the community development of the host community and her environs.
Data was collected using three methods, viz.: administration of a total of one hundred and twenty six copies of structured questionnaires to staffs (six), tourists (fifty), community residents (Erin Ijesha (thirty); Erin Oke (twenty)) and local business owners (twenty); oral interview was conducted to get information from the villagers, business owners and the staffs and; direct observation of the communities and the tourist centre. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage tables).
The survey of the facilities / infrastructures available in the communities revealed that the roads are untarred but motorable. It was also observed that electricity, public health centre and communication services are available. 60% and 33.33% of respondents in Erin Oke and Erin Ijesha believed that the development of facilities / infrastructure is due to ecotourism of Olumirin waterfall while 40% and 63.33% respectively indicated otherwise. Over half of the respondents (55%) accepted that tourist influx has a ‘good’ influence on trade and business in Erin Oke. Erin Ijesha survey revealed 36.67% rating as good. The employment opportunities generated were mostly as business owners and staffs in the tourist site.
It was discovered that contributions to the communities are minimal; majorly in forms of small scale establishments within and outside the ecotourist destination and the few members of the community employed as staffs. Revenue from the sales of tickets goes to the State Government; no share is given to the community. All forms of tourism no matter how environmentally sensitive it is, is associated with some negativity; the extent which varies. Improved development of the communities such as good road network and recreational facilities construction will increase tourist influx as well as the economic and social welfare benefits to the residents. Revenue sharing policies can also be incorporated into the management policies.
Key words: Ecotourism, Community Development, Olumirin Waterfalls, Erin-Ijesha

ABSTRACT
Kenyan rangelands are characterized by low income, food insecurity, poverty, low and unreliable rainfall and conflicts. Pastoral communities in these areas have developed land use diversification and livelihoods mechanisms to help them cope with these challenges. Ecotourism is one of the strategies these communities engage in with the aim of conserving the environment as well as provide income for them. However it is anticipated that local communities benefit little in terms of profit sharing and are rarely involved in decision making concerning tourism matters in the region. This study was conducted in Laikipia County which is a well-known tourism destination with facilities owned by the community and private developers. The main objective of the study was to assess the attitude and perception of local community towards ecotourism. The study used a sociological survey research design with 232 community members. The research relied on primary and secondary data for information from which the analysis was conducted and conclusion generated. Primary data was collected through one-on-one interviews within households using structured questioners and conducting focus group discussions using checklists. Quantitative data from questionnaires was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Ms Excel and MINITAB, after which it was presented using frequency tables, graphs and bar chats to illustrate the findings. Findings suggested that there is positive attitude among pastoral communities towards ecotourism in Laikipia as supported by 73.7% of the respondents, while 79.3% of them perceive it as beneficial. Overall, community attitude and perception on ecotourism was affected by community and motivational factors. The findings of this study contribute to the knowledge of community perception towards ecotourism, and will help in understanding the roles of the different stakeholders in the industry.

Key words: Ecotourism, Perception and attitudes, Laikipia, pastoralism

An ecotourism assessment was conducted in Sambor Prei Kuk site, Kampong Thom Province to evaluate the potential for community-based ecotourism in the SPK site. The assessment aimed at developing a baseline understanding of major attractions, market demand, and community and institutional capacity in order to identify potential ecotourism development opportunities that offer direct benefits to conservation of the SPK site, and empower local communities to manage their own resources in a sustainable way. The assessment comprised of five different thematic areas. These included an attractions/product inventory, stakeholder attitude assessment, market demand analysis, potential impacts assessment and strategy identification.

Women participation in tourism activities has a significant impact on their socioeconomic empowerment and this factor could motivate them to be engaged with more enthusiasm. In Malaysia, women participation in ecotourism activities is a growing phenomenon, yet studies in this area are still in their infancy. Consequently, this paper seeks to identify women participation in ecotourism activities that empower them to be involved actively. Guided by Scheyvens's Empowerment Framework (SEF), this study has identified several factors that contributed positively towards their participation in ecotourism activities as well as empower them at four levels such as psychological, social, political and economic. This study was carried out in Abai Village, Lower Kinabatangan, Sabah,from September to November 2014. Primary data were collected through face-to-face in-depth interviews with the women whowere engaged in ecotourism activities in Abai Village. In addition, field observations and secondary resources were also utilised to strengthen the research findings. The findings revealed that, women in Abai Village are seriously and actively involved in ecotourism activities and then this involvement has directly or indirectly empowered them aforementioned empowerment's levels. This study has significant contributions to the tourism industry in Malaysia, where women participation in development projects such as ecotourism activities in rural areas of Malaysia enhances their lifestyle politically, economically, psychologically and socially.

Globally, human activities are under pressure to strive towards sustainability. This movement towards greater sustainability is influencing all aspects of our lives on a daily basis including our holiday and travel decisions. This paper presents a portion of the results and findings of a larger study which applied a series of sustainability indicators to a number of community-based tourism ventures across southern Africa. An evaluation framework was constructed making use of a number of sustainability issues and their associated indicators to measure the sustainability of six community-based ecotourism ventures across southern Africa. The evaluation framework was tested for its applicability to investigate the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the six case studies. The utility
of the constructed evaluation framework was subsequently commented on and changes recommended. A number of important lessons were leant during the application of the sustainability indicators to the investigated case studies. These lessons provide valuable insights and benefits for the subsequent
application of the evaluation framework to future case studies. Besides providing valuable lessons for the application of sustainability indicators to rural base tourism ventures a number of importantbaselines for future benchmarking of sustainability performance also result from this study.

This handbook shares step-by-step recommendations for working with local communities which have developed their own community based tourism (CBT) programs. The handbook will assist tour operators and other partners to work as a team with local community members, to offer fun, safe, inspiring, responsible experiences to the many different types of tourists who are searching for an authentic  insight into local life.

The first section, ‘Recommendations for Tour Operators,’ presents simple, concrete actions which tour operators can take during the cycle of:

i) Surveying and fine-tuning CBT products to meet your needs;
ii) Training key tour operator staff (tour guides and sales staff);
iii) Marketing CBT effectively, responsibly and with added value;
iv) Back-stopping CBT operations with effective teamwork;
v) Monitoring and improving CBT for guests and community members.

The second section introduces the ‘Thai CBT Standard,’ developed by Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute (CBT-I) between 2005 and 2014, with input from several hundred Thai tourism stakeholders, including 40 tour operators, 60 local Thai communities, tourism associations, government, NGO’s and academics.

The standard is a useful resource for creating shared understanding, when working with communities. Criteria are related to service, safety and sustainability. Tour operators and communities can use the standard to identify strengths and weaknesses in CBT sites, and agree together on priorities for improvement.

The third section presents four case studies of successful CBT-tour operator partnerships, by Intrepid Travel and Peak Adventure Travel Group, Exotissimo Travel and Thailand Autrement. Each case highlights specific lessons learned.

The final section, ‘Working with the Thailand CBT Network Coordination Center (CBT-N CC) defines the commonly agreed roles and responsibilities of members (communities) and partners (tour operators) of the Thailand CBT Network. Roles and responsibilities of the CBT Network Coordination Center are also defined.

The Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute (CBT-I) team hope that this is a useful resource. More info: www.cbt-i.org

Note: The handbook was written for Thai tour operators, working with Thailand CBT Network Coordination Center. However, much of the content will be useful for other stakeholders and other countries which have an emerging CBT sector.

Arannayk Foundation, SHED and Bangladesh Forest Department supports the community of Madarboniya Chakma para at Cox’s Bazar to develop Ecotourism in their surroundings as an alternative livelihood to reduce their forest dependency. The objective of the study is to assess present status (problem & prospects) and future potentiality of ecotourism development in the area. In the British ruling period, some indigenous communities migrated in Inani reserve forest under the Cox’s Bazar district from the adjacent Bandarban & Rangamati Hill Tracts in search of better livelihood. Hill forest based shifting cultivation was their prime source of livelihood. But slash and burn nature of this traditional system was blamed for forest biodiversity loss. It was identified one of the major drivers of forest encroachment and land use change. To search suitable solution, 01 reconnaissance, 03 exploratory assessment, 01 socioeconomic household and 01 external visitor surveys has been conducted. 02 FGD and 01 coordination meeting has been arranged to draw the outline. The study explored only 12% population are literate where 5 persons crossed the secondary level and 2 were graduate. It revealed 59% tourists expects traditional amenities, 28% desire modern facilities with traditional style and 12% demand modern luxurious facilities. About 63% visitors wish to enjoy customary Chakma festival. The exploration discovered the community culture, religious festival, traditional food, housing and lifestyle will be the capital component of Eco-tourism. The study recommends the commodification of traditional heritage, indigenous culture with some Eco-lodge and public infrastructure construction shall make the effort fruitful. If they get revenue, then they will conserve forests and biodiversity as integrated component of ecotourism and gradually abandon shifting cultivation, wild life hunting. Hence, ecotourism surely reduce the anthropogenic pressure on nearby forest for resources which will contribute the restoration and conservation.

Considering the increasing importance of the tourist mobilities worldwide, the questioning on the interrelationships between tourism and natural resources is more current more than ever. Tourism is a powerful vehicle of territory transformations which must be comprehended though flows, practices, consumptions. It means taking of the complexity of tourist system and of identifiyng the economic, social and environmental stakes linked to the use and the exploitation of the biodiversity by this activity.

Eğer eko-turizm yerel eko-sistemlerin ve insanların
faydasına kullanılırsa, toplum-tabanlı koruma için
iyi bir araç olabilir. Kuş gözlemciler, en büyük ekoturist
grubunu oluşturmaktadır ve ortalamaya
bakıldığında kuş gözlemciler iyi eğitimli, iyi gelirli
ve bu işe gönülden bağlı insanlardır. Bu yüzden,
kuş gözlemciler toplum-tabanlı koruma için ideal
turistlerdir. Bunun için, koruma biyolojisi açısından
kuş gözlemciliğin kapsamlı bir incelemeye ihtiyacı
vardır. Burada ana amaçlar: (1) toplum-tabanlı
koruma için turizm amaçlı kuş gözlemciliğin
ekonomik potansiyelinin incelenmesi; (2) bu
aktivite ile bağlantılı olan potansiyel fayda ve
sorunların altının çizilmesi; ve (3) kuş gözlemciliğin
koruma değerinin geliştirilmesi için öneriler
sunmaktır. Kuş gözlem turizmi, yerel halkın
ekonomi ve çevresel durumunun iyileştirilmesinde,
biyoçeşitliliğin değeri konusunda yerel halkın
eğitiminde ve başarılı koruma ve doğal alanların
muhafazası için yerel ve ulusal teşvikin
yaratılmasında yüksek potansiyele sahiptir. Her ne
kadar bu hobinin ekonomik ve çevresel etkileri
üzerinde daha çok araştırma yapılmasına ihtiyaç
olsa da, kuş gözlemcilerin doğaya verdiği
rahatsızlık azaltılmalı ve kuş gözlemciliğin yerel
halka olan ekonomik katkısının arttırılması için
daha fazla girişimlerde bulunulmalıdır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: kuş dağılımları, kuş gözlemcilik,
toplum-tabanlı koruma, eko-turizm, kâr kaybı,
korunan alanlar, sürdürülebilir kullanım

Tulisan ini mengungkap keterkaitan antara pemberdayaan masyarakat, pengembangan ekowisata, dan fenomena pseudo-ekowisata di Bali. Beberapa metode yang dipakai dalam penelitian dan penulisan paper ini ada adalah: studi kepustakaan, observasi lapangan, dan wawancara. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan beberapa poin, antara lain: Keterkaitan antara industri pariwisata dengan pemberdayaan masyarakat dapat dilihat, salah-satunya melalui pengembangan ekowisata; pengembangan ekowisata harus selalu memenuhi prinsip-prinsip dasar yang ada dalam ekowisata, strategi pemberdayaan masyarakat dalam rangka pengembangan ekowisata, meliputi: pelatihan, workshop, pemetaan partisipatif, dan pelatihan teknis; dan  apabila aspek pelibatan masyarakat diabaikan dalam pengembangan ekowisata akan memunculkan fenomena pseudo-ekowisata.
Kata Kunci : pemberdayaan,ekowisata, pseudo-ekowisata.

Nos municípios de Caravelas e Nova Viçosa, extremo sul da Bahia, existe o complexo estuarino Cassurubá que, por sua importância social, cultural e ambiental, está inserido na área da recém criada Reserva Extrativista Cassurubá. Nesta unidade de conservação de uso sustentável está sendo proposto um projeto de ecoturismo de base comunitária que envolve 15 famílias ribeirinhas e 13 instituições atuantes na localidade. A finalidade do projeto é iniciar a implantação deste tipo de
turismo proporcionando uma ferramenta para o protagonismo comunitário. Com objetivo de analisar os limites e oportunidades para construção participativa do ecoturismo de base comunitária nesta área, foi realizada uma pesquisa descritiva com abordagem interpretativa utilizando métodos qualitativos para coleta e análise dos dados. A coleta dos dados ocorreu através de estudos bibliográficos e documentais, observação participante e entrevistas semi-estruturadas e
estruturadas. A análise qualitativa dos dados coletados resultou na identificação da organização social das famílias ribeirinhas e suas opiniões sobre esta unidade de conservação e o projeto, e dos interesses dos envolvidos sobre a implantação do
ecoturismo de base comunitária na área. Com a melhor compreensão dos modos de vida e das opiniões das famílias e de suas relações de interesses com as instituições pesquisadas, foi possível contextualizar os conflitos e consensos dos
envolvidos durante a execução da proposta e identificar os níveis de participação que estes tiveram nas ações do projeto. Estas identificações possibilitaram indicar e explanar sobre os limites e oportunidades para construção participativa do
ecoturismo de base comunitária na unidade de conservação. Foram sugeridas ações para diálogos e parcerias institucionais e familiares em prol da sustentabilidade da UC e diretrizes para recriação, renovação e diferenciação das atividades socioeconômicas na área protegida.
Palavras-chave: RESEX Cassurubá, ecoturismo comunitário, comunidades
ribeirinhas, participação.

Ecotourism, an important form of sustainable tourism, contributes to sustainable development. Governments and conservationists increasingly use ecotourism as a strategy to support sustainable development and conservation in and around protected areas. Ecotourism is a growing niche market within the larger travel industry, with the potential of being an important sustainable development tool. With billions of dollars in annual sales, it is a real industry that seeks to take advantage of market trends. At the same time, it frequently operates quite differently than other segments of the tourism industry, because ecotourism is defined by its sustainable development results: conserving natural areas, educating visitors about sustainability, and benefiting local people. Ecovillages have been becoming the centre of ecotourism, since they began spreading all over the world, both to developing their own local economy and to share precious information about sustainability. One way of living the ecovillage experience and learning from it is to opt for ecovillage tourism. The GEN-Europe " Ecovillage Experience " project is a response to the demand for " intelligent holidays " which bring visitors closer to nature and create an understanding for more sustainable ways of life. Insofar as global ecological crises hike, ecovillages will be the castle of educating people through ecotourism.

Tourism/ecotourism has the greatest pro-poor impact on rural communities because the customer comes to the facility/product creating room for direct sell thus fostering the creation of the economic multiplier effect. As a result of overuse of farmlands over the years, yields from agriculture have been dwindling culminating in the phenomenon of "trying livelihoods"in Sirigu. Alternatively,some residentsare now taking control of their own destiny by embracing tourism development as a means to enhancing their livelihood. A sample size of 440 respondents was obtained from the community making use of both simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Results analyzed revealed that stakeholders were serious minded aboutissues regarding the tourismdevelopment nexus. Many women were engaged in tourism related income generation activities and revenue accruing to the community wasquite impressive. The study recommended that a map of the village be availed to visitors to foster private/guided village tours and domestic tourism be encouraged to further boost receipts.

homes on the Telica volcano, as well as attending administrative meetings at multiple sites with a variety of stakeholders. I attended meetings held in the community of Telica, as well as at the offices of NE and the municipal government. Attendees included COTUR members, municipal government officials, EU representatives, and NE staff.

In the northern end of Peninsular Malaysia bordering Thailand, there is a relatively unknown expanse of lush rainforest almost twice the size of Singapore, and accessible mainly by boat. Upon entering this ancient forest, the visitor enjoys a feeling of seclusion rarely felt elsewhere in this increasingly crowded planet.

In the rainforest of Ulu Muda there are rivers, lakes, caves and scattered saltlicks, including one that spews steamy hot sulphuric water that provides much-needed minerals for wild animals.

This book gives a glimpse of what Ulu Muda has to offer as a key site for wildlife conservation and nature tourism. Its geology, hydrology, flora and fauna are briefly introduced with a generous dose of colourful photos and maps, and useful nuggets of information for the would-be visitors.

Ulu Muda has so far escaped the attention of even well-travelled nature enthusiasts but for those who make the extra effort, they are usually rewarded with soothing green vistas, a free performance by the “jungle orchestra”, and for the very lucky, a glimpse of the wild inhabitants of the forest.

This is a contextual paper, examining the involvement of external development agencies in an emerging post-Soviet economy. The paper provides an outline of some of the main political and economic challenges facing the case example area – Kyrgyzstan. The implications of external development agency intervention in Kyrgyzstan’s tourism development are
considered with respect to the creation of a struggle for local control amongst the Kyrgyz tour operators, an emphasis on the cultural value of the ethnic Kyrgyz population and a focus on poverty alleviation amongst these people rather than other
Kyrgyz citizens.

The most important single factor in ecotourism is the environment as it involves travel to natural areas. It is unavoidable that ecotourism activity is associated with environmental impacts since ecotourists have to travel the place of production; with the

Tourism to indigenous populations is criticised as a form of modern colonialism, because the dominating tourist culture might overwhelm the so called fragile indigenous culture. This ethical research tries to evaluate this assertion on the example of tourism to the Tuareg-nomads in the region of Agadez, Republic of Niger, West Africa, Central Sahara. Therefore, interviews haven been done with a large number of local tour operators, tourists and the concerned Tuareg population of the Tuareg village of Timia in the central Aïr Mountains. The reconstructed structures and dynamics of the regional tourism development have been evaluated by an ethical model which is based on the principles of cybernetics and of sustainable development.
The ethical evaluation can proof, that tourism to Agadez in its present form doesn't destabilize the regional structures, even if there is a strong and sometimes even hostile concurrence between the Tuareg tour operators. Nevertheless tourism is an important economical factor of integration as the region suffers from unemployment, poverty and drought. By the population of Timia, tourism is seen as a tool to find contact to Europeans, who love to support this "idyllic but starving" village.
Obviously, the Tuareg from Timia have learnt to take advantage of those who are looking for an exotic, but endangered world to save.
Finally, most of the so found indicators don't support the assertion that tourisms to Tuareg nomads in the Agadez region could be a significant factor of its destabilization or something worse.

Reisen zu indigenen Kulturen sind umstritten, weil diese im Vergleich zur Tourismuskultur als fragil und somit als gefährdet gelten.
Die Richtigkeit dieser Hypothese wird am Beispiel von Tourismus zu Tuareg-Nomaden in der Region Agadez, Zentralsahara, überprüft. Dazu wurden die historischen, politischen, ökonomischen und kulturellen Rahmenbedingungen und Entwicklungsprozesse der Region als auch der Bevölkerung des Bergdorfes Timia untersucht. Im Zentrum der empirischen Untersuchungen standen die Strukturen der regionalen Tourismusentwicklung, wozu regionale Agenturbetreiber und Sahara-Touristen befragt wurden. Als Methode dienten Befragungen und Kataloganalysen. Als Evaluationsmaßstab wurde das System einer kybernetischen Ethik entwickelt, die sich an die Prinzipien der "nachhaltigen Entwicklung" anlehnt. Besonderes Augenmerk galt auch der ideologiekritischen Analyse des Tuareg-Mythos.
"Tuareg-Tourismus" wird überwiegend von urbanisierten Tuareg-Nomaden und einstigen Tuareg-Rebellen betrieben. Charakteristika der Tourismusstruktur sind ein weitgehend ungelenktes Tourismuswachstum, intensives Konkurrenzverhalten und geringe interkulturelle Qualifikation des Personals. Die Region leidet unter Arbeitslosigkeit und Dürren, weshalb die ökonomische Rolle des Tourismus signifikant ist, doch diese Einkommenschance trägt auch zu inneren Konflikten bei. Insofern weist Tourismus sowohl stabilisierende als auch destabilisierende Tendenzen auf.
Die Evaluation einer Rundreise konnte keine wesentlichen soziokulturellen und ökologischen Belastungen nachweisen. Die Belastungen des gesamten Tourismusaufkommens, maximal 4.000 Personen pro Jahr, halten sich aufgrund des großen Reisegebiets in Grenzen.
Die Befragung der Bewohner der Bergoase Timia ergab, dass Tourismus als willkommene Einkommensalternative sowie als Mittel betrachtet wird, um Entwicklungsprojekte zu requirieren. Dieser Haltung der Bevölkerung wird
vor dem Hinterrund der Transzendentalpragmatik und des Kulturalismus auf deren Legitimationskraft analysiert. Im Ergebnis kann die spezifische Form des Tuareg-Tourismus als vertretbar nachgewiesen werden, weil in seiner gegenwärtigen Form die stabilisierenden Effekte dominieren. Die Kritik am Tuareg-Tourismus wird zum Teil als Ausdruck exotisierender Projektionen entlarvt.

Tourism has been proposed by many as the panacea for many of the problems of the developing world and has been seen as a potential solution to ensure the long-term protection of natural resources and as a means of satisfying the needs of the poor communities in close proximity to protected areas. Community-based ecotourism (CBE), a very specific form of tourism, focuses on initiatives that are not only environmentally sensitive, but which aim to ensure that community members have a high degree of control over the activities taking place, and a significant proportion of the benefits accrue to them. CBE initiatives have several advantages. Among other things, they promise employment and income to local communities. The aim of this study was to investigate the nature and characteristics CBE ventures in Southern Africa.

Purpose of the study: The majority of Ethiopian are engaged in agricultural activities that contributed to natural resource degradations. Ecotourism is an alternative option while achieving the conservation goals of protected areas. This study was conducted with the objective of identifying ecotourism development opportunities as a tool for future environmental conservation and its implication to community livelihoods in Sheka Biosphere Reserve. Methodology: using survey questionnaires, document analysis, and field observation. To that end, information was collected and analyzed from 120 household heads living around the Biosphere reserve using a structured questionnaire. In addition, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used. Field observations were held for recording ecotourism potentials using digital camera and GPS. The data collected by the above methods were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Main Findings: The findings revealed that Sheka Biosphere reserve is endowed with attractive landscape scenery, fauna and flora and indigenous culture of the local community, which are the existing potentials for ecotourism development in the area, whereas, the current status of ecotourism development is at the lower stage as compared to its potentials. Soil fertility reduction, market problems, and the absence of ecotourism activities were the major socioeconomic problems of the local community. Social Implications/Applications: Ecotourism development as a tool for sustainable environmental conservation and its implication can be useful for community livelihood. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study has shown that introducing ecotourism and development of infrastructures are central strategic directions for sustainable management of the Biosphere Reserve.

An introduction to glamping (glamour+camping). Some glamping versions (off grid, sustainable glamping) and the associated technologies (grey water treatment for irrigation) are presented. General instructions and info on the “how to’ construct a glamping unit in Greece.

RESUMO Este trabalho se constitui em uma síntese do diagnóstico ecoturístico do complexo estuarino do Cassurubá, localizado no Extremo Sul do estado da Bahia. O objetivo do diagnóstico foi levantar o potencial turístico e indicar ações para implantação do ecoturismo de base comunitária no estuário. O trabalho abrangeu várias etapas como (a) pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, (b) observação de campo e aplicação de questionários, (c) identificação e caracterização dos atrativos naturais e culturais, (d) identificação das demandas de infra-estruturas e capacitações comunitárias, e (e) levantamento do perfil dos visitantes do Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos localizado no entorno do complexo a fim de verificar se este público já existente na região é uma clientela futura para os atrativos diagnosticados. A partir da obtenção e análise destes dados, foram elaboradas diretrizes para o desenvolvimento da atividade na área. Palavras chaves: diagnóstico ecoturístico, ecoturismo comunitário, complexo Cassurubá. ABSTRACT Diagnostic for comunity-based ecotouristic development in the Cassuruba Estuarine Complex (Bahia-Brazil) This paper is a summary of the ecotourism diagnosis of the swamp and estuarine areas of the Cassurubá river, known as " complexo estuarino do Cassuruba " located in the southernmost part of Bahia state, in the Northeast region of Brazil. The objective of the diagnosis was to assess tourism potential and indicate actions to implement the community-based ecotourism in the estuarine area. To accomplish this work the following steps were carried out: (a) literature search and documentation, (b) fieldwork observations and application of questionnaires, (c) identification and characterization of natural and cultural manifestations, (d) demands for infrastructure and local community capacity building, (e) determination of touristic profile and typology of people visiting the Abrolhos National Marine Park, located in the surroundings of the study area, in order to evaluate if this group of tourists visiting the region could be interested in the ecotourism activities identified in the diagnosis. According to an analysis of this data, a pilot plan for the ecotouristic development and exploitation of the mangrove swamp region was developed for the local community.

Adequate knowledge on the occurrence and spatial distribution of the tourism products in an ecosystem is very important toward promoting its sustainable use through ecotourism and its effective marketing for maximal patronage. This research aimed to create an attribute database of ecotourism resources and produce an ecotourism resource map of T.A. Afolayan Wildlife Park, Ondo State, Nigeria. Information on the ecotourism resources of the study area were obtained through secondary data collection method and field survey. Spatial data on ecotourism resources were collected using a hand-held Global Positioning System and uploaded into QuantumGIS software environment. Thirty woody species belonging to twenty four families and twenty species of birds belonging to twelve families were identified. Eighteen fauna species belonging to twelve families were managed under insitu and exsitu management strategies. Fauna species with conservation status of vulnerable (Cercocebus torquatus, Psittacus erithacus and Geochelone sulcata) and endangered (Balearica regulorum) were observed. Also, ten human-made ecotourism facilities and three nature trails with a total length (386.84m) were identified and pictorially represented. However, it will be highly imperative for more flagship and endangered fauna species to be stocked, and the picnic sites to be situated far away from the pens in order to mitigate the negative impacts of tourists' visitations on the animals.

ABSTRAK Ekowisata Mangrove Wonorejo sebagai wilayah yang alami dikelola berdasar kaidah alam, melalui konservasi, restorasi, dan rehabilitasi lingkungan. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui potensi dan permasalahan yang ada pada Ekowisata Mangrove Wonorejo. Selanjutnya mengetahui strategi pengelolaan berkelanjutan terhadap Kawasan pesisir Ekowisata Mangrove Wonorejo. Metode dalam penelitian ini adalah kualitatif.Teknik pengelolaan data dilakukan dengan studi Pustaka dan data sekunder. Analisis data dijelaskan secara deskriptif. Kondisi lingkungan internal dan eksternal Ekowisata Mangrove Wonorejo Surabaya saat ini terdiri dari kekuatan, yakni berfungsi sebagai penunjang konservasi mangrove, ekologi tempat/kesesuaian tempat, ketersediaan vegetasi flora dan fauna, dukungan modal dari pemerintah dan promosi; kelemahan, yakni sering terjadi perangkapan kerja, pendidikan dan pengalaman pengelola masih kurang, keramahan pengelola masih kurang, kurang pengawasan dari pengelola, dan kebersihan yang kurang terjaga; peluang, yakni sebagai alternatif pariwisata baru, dukungan kebijakan pemerintah, kebutuhan rekreasi masyarakat Surabaya dan sekitarnya, sarana dan prasarana wisata, dukungan dan partisipasi warga Wonorejo; ancaman, yakni pesaing sejenis, penebangan hutan mangrove secara liar, abrasi/kerusakan pantai, sampah dan kerusakan yang di lakukan oleh pengunjung (wisatawan). Strategi yang harus dilakukan oleh Ekowisata Mangrove Wonorejo Surabaya adalah strategi agresif, yaitu strategi yang menggunakan kekuatan untuk memanfaatkan peluang yang ada.

Tandooreh National Park (TNP) is one of the important tourism areas in Iran which is included in the natural heritages of the Northeast of Iran. Present paper explores the possibility of sustainable ecotourism development in Tandooreh National Park with reference to judicious utilization of resource and local resident community. To plan and implement this, different management and decision making tools were used including interviews of local residents, visitors and the staff of the park, with the help of survey questionnaire (primary data) and secondary data acquired from Department of Environment (Iran Government), conference proceedings, books and journals. Based upon these data the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) were analyzed in order to identify the required management strategies to improve the sustainable tourism in the park. SWOT analysis has shown that the well established tourism destination with a variety of natural attractions and unique culture of local people having ancient culture are the strengths of Tandooreh National Park while lack of infrastructures and fundamental facilities are the major weaknesses. Proper ecotourism package development involving local people in decision making are found to be few of the main opportunities whereas tensions, restlessness and insecurity in neighbouring countries are the main threats. In order to maximize the internal strengths and external opportunities and to minimize internal weaknesses and external threats on the TNP several strategies have been suggested for the sustainable ecotourism development and management. However there is a scope for the improvement of the SWOT analysis in identifying more options for strategic management of sustainable ecotourism.

Protected areas have become popular tourism destinations; yet these areas are often plagued by poor governance systems, particularly in developing countries. Adaptive co-management (ACM) has been advocated as one approach to improve the governance of protected areas, yet empirical evidence from developing countries is lacking. This study investigates the application of the ACM approach in two protected areas in Bangladesh which are also important nature-based tourism destinations. Using Lawachara National Park and Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary as cases, this qualitative study explored the extent to which an ACM approach was able to support the achievement of key govern-ance principles such as participation, accountability, transparency, power, rule of law, and social learning. It was found that the approach was successful in facilitating the increased participation of a broader range of stakeholder groups, and the collaboration between them. Importantly though, it was the adaptive element of ACM which was found to have made the greatest contribution to improved governance with the approach providing new opportunities for stakeholders to engage in iterative learning. This aspect was found to be of particular importance for the sustainability of the protected areas with stakehold-ers reporting changes attitudes and behaviour towards protected area conservation. ARTICLE HISTORY

Manta ray watching tourism has become a popular tourist attraction over the past two decades, with a number of destinations offering different encounter experiences for tourists. This type of attraction has drawn worldwide attention because it can offer significant contributions to the local economy through snorkelling and diving services. Since its early development, a number of scientists have conducted research on the impacts of manta ray watching tourism, and have reported different findings regarding its sustainability. Based on published scientific articles, this study provides a literature review of manta ray watching tourism and examines the sustainability of its operation. This paper also highlights manta ray tourism hotspots in Indonesia including Nusa Penida, Komodo, and Raja Ampat as the study locations. Interviews with ten key persons including government officials, tourism operators, community, and non-governmental organization were conducted to collect and identify their perceptions. This study demonstrates different impacts of economy, ecology, and social-cultural aspects. Furthermore, different study areas apply different management approach in managing their tourist in terms of manta ray watching tourism operation. In conclusion, good governance, regulations/law enforcement, and collaborative management are significant factors to achieve sustainable manta ray watching tourism.

Altitude plays key roles in determining plant distribution and biodiversity patterns. The importance of vegetation should not be undermined because it is one of the primary factors that determine the eligibility of ecotourism sites. This study was undertaken at Arinta Waterfall, Ekiti State, Nigeria with an aim to determine the woody species composition, structure and the influence of altitude (<440m, 440m – 480m, >480m) on the floristic character of the study area. The Point Centered Quadrant method was employed. A total number of thirty-six (36) different woody species belonging to twenty seven (27) families of woody trees were recorded. Number of species, number of families, mean height and mean diameter at breast height were significantly different among the three selected altitudes (P≤0.05). Richness, Shannon Wiener diversity index, Simpson evenness index and mean tree canopy were not significantly different (P≥0.05). The vegetation of Arinta waterfall still possesses some potential for conservation purposes. Logging activities and agricultural activities are the major human threats at the site. Therefore, there is a need of reorientation program for the host communities in order to change their value system into imbibing biodiversity conservation and ecotourism development. The supervising ministry on tourism and forestry in Ekiti State, Nigeria in charge of this site should take immediate step to halt further degradation of the habitat cover.

Although there is an increasing recognition of the impacts of climate change on communities, residents often resist changing their lifestyle to reduce the effects of the problem. By using a landscape architectural design medium, this paper argues that public space, when designed as an ecological system, has the capacity to create social and environmental change and to increase the quality of the human environment. At the same time, this ecological system can engage residents, enrich the local economy, and increase the social network.
Through methods of design, research and case study analysis, an alternative master plan is proposed for a sustainable tourism development in Alacati, Turkey. Our master plan uses local geographical, economic and social information within a sustainable landscape architectural design scheme that addresses the key issues of ecology, employment, public space and community cohesion. A preliminary community empowerment model (CEM) is proposed to manage the designs. The designs address: the coexistence of local agricultural and sustainable energy generation; state of the art water management; and the functional and sustainable social and economic interrelationship of inhabitants, NGOs, and local government.

Central Kalimantan has considerable tourism potential supported by extensive natural resources in regencies and municipalities. Nature has a very high essence value in its relation in the life of Dayak people in Central Kalimantan. The old religion (Helu) known as Kaharingan has a very strong relationship between man and nature and God Almighty until the early 1990s the area contained in Central Kalimantan was still in the form of dense forests and land cultivation or known as the field for the local community with a number of areas that are still quite extensive including the area of tourism potential. However, along with the rapid economic growth and development of plantations and mining resulted in impacts to surrounding communities including reduced areas and customary forests. In this study focuses on one local cultural value of Dayak tribe people in Central Kalimantan known as Pahewan. In Dayak culture Pahewan known as forbidden forest (forbidden forest) that can not be entered indiscriminately or perform certain activities in it because this region is considered as a sacred place because therein there is gana (spirit). 4 pahewan located in Central Kalimantan is one of them located in the area of New Mungku Village, Rakumpit Sub-district, Palangkaraya City, known as Pahewan Tabalien, located at Km 28 in the logging company area and known as the customary conservation area. Pahewan Tabalien has the potential as an ecotourism destination for the community because it is in a natural region with the main vegetation characteristics of ulin trees with a large diameter. Qualitative methods are used in this study. Data were obtained through observation and interviews during August 2017.

Ensaio sobre os 25 anos da morte de Chico Mendes e o Seringal Cachoeira, abordando trechos de sua vida e seu legado, e contando a experiência que participantes do IX Congresso Nacional de Ecoturismo tiveram em novembro de 2013 no Acre, relacionando potencialidades turísticas e ecoturísticas, unindo natureza e cultura.