Course Title: ecotourismCourse Code:TM371

LECTURE 5

Lecture Title

Managing Visitor Use of Ecotourism Sites

Learning Objectives

• The student will be able to know the tools for managing visitor use of ecotourism site and Ecotourism Education.

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Contents:

• Tools for managing visitor use of ecotourism site.

• Ecotourism Education.

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Tools for managing visitor use of ecotourism site

1- Restricting the amount of use:• Impacts can be limited with relative ease by reducing

use. In order for this to be applied successfully, it is not necessary either to have an understanding of the real cause of the problems or to get involved in more direct and active management problems.

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1- Restricting the amount of use: (continued)

various tactics can be adopted to limit the amount of use:

• Restrict entry to all area but allow visitors free choice to move about and change their routes and activities

• issue a restricted number of permits for specific camp sites, zones or itineraries within the area.

• require reservation: this is the most frequently used tactics in protected areas and can be done by mail, telephone or in person.

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Restricting the amount of use: (continued)

• Restrict the size of groups: this tactic can be especially effective to avoid social conflicts, Large groups can dominate recreational facilities and may contribute to crowding problems.

• Restrict duration of stay by limiting the amount of time visitors may spend in any area.

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2-Dispersal of use:

Ecological impact caused by human activity is often the result of high levels of use concentration in popular places. The answer may be to disperse use at such sites and can be achieved by:

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2- Dispersal of use (continued)

• dispersing visitors on the same site with more distance between them

• dispersing visitors in time (increasing off-season use) with or without changing spatial distribution

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2- Dispersal of use: (continued)

These techniques can be achieved through:• education• self itineraries• access control through the use of a quota system.• requiring that visitors be accompanied by guides.

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3- Concentration of use:

Management concentration of use is a technique frequently used in camp sites and other intensive use areas

Concentration of use in time is the main principle of managing developed recreational areas as a way of limiting impacts on resources.

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3- Concentration of use (continued)

• Without changing the number of sites, the distance between patties can be changed

• Instead of using undisturbed areas, a few designated developed areas are used to concentrate campers, swimmers, boaters and so forth. Tent pads are usually used in camp sites to identify spaces for camper to erect their tents.

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4- Seasonal limitations on use:

• Recreation should be prohibited or limited in seasons when wildlife is vulnerable and soil is water-saturated and prone to disturbance. It is therefore common for recreation to be prohibited or restricted during such periods.

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5- zoning:

• Zoning may also be employed to control different uses and separate various types of density of use, allowing for lower density in areas where more resource protection is desired or prohibiting particularly destructive users from using parts of the area.

• However, zoning is not commonly used in ecotourism, as ecotourism involves low-impact travel which requires few facilities and minimal disturbance to the environment and other wilderness users.

Example of zoning:

• One of the main tools we use for planning eco-tourism operations is the zoning plan. Each protected area has a zoning plan that identifies which areas can be opened for visitors and available for the construction of facilities. The boundaries of these areas are decided from detailed ecological surveys that indicate the relative ecological value and sensitivity of different parts of the protected area. Usually, three types of zones are delineated: ‘wilderness’ or ‘core’ zones, where no public access or construction is allowed; ‘semi-intensive use’ zones, where limited access and small scale facilities are allowed; and ‘intensive-use zones’, where more access

and construction is allowed (but still tightly controlled)15

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6-Trail system design:

• yet another indirect management action is trail system design which may be effective not only in the redistribution of use, but may also improve the quality of the visitor experience and stimulate modes of behavior which enhance the environmental quality of the site.

• For ecotourists, the trail provides an experience in itself and it is not regarded merely as a route to the attraction.

• visitor actions and not only visitors numbers, can contribute to negative impacts on the environment

Trail design decisions

should be based on the following goals:

• Provide a safe and functional• for pedestrians,

bicyclists, and other nonmotorized

modes of travel• Establish a consistent trail design

For the City both in appearance

and in long-term maintenance

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• Enhance the image of the adjacent

neighborhoods and roadway• Preserve the existing features,

such as existing plant material and

rock outcroppings, to reflect the

inherent natural environment

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• Identify and protect environmentally

sensitive areas for the future• Use simple, classical furnishings

made of durable materials to

insure a long lifetime of use.

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Ecotourism Education:

• It is important to realize that impact management will remain recreational in nature without educated and caring users.

• illegal, careless, unskilled and uninformed actions can be addressed by education.

• There are various ways of educating public, such as use of signs, written material and use of resource and cultural interpretation.

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Qualifying requirements:

• This measure will benefit those visitors who are willing to invest the time and effort in order to demonstrate possession of a certain amount of skill/knowledge before

they can obtain a permit

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Visitor fees and charges:

• Visitor fees: including park admission fees and trekking fees are levied on users of an area or facility.

• Concessions: the permission to operate within a location to provide certain services to visitors are usually levied on groups and individual visitors.- food, accommodation and retails stores for example

• Sales and royalties: these fees are levied on a percentage of earnings that have been derived from activities or products at the site- examples are crafts, photographs or postcards and so forth-.

• Taxation: this is an extra cost imposed on goods and services that are used by tourists.

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Information and interpretive services:

The following information collated in a package could go

along way to addressing this problem:• reasons for the existence of the protected area • behavior in protected areas • what there is to see • where to see what you want • what visitors are looking at• what prompts visitors to came back again

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Ecotourism educational programs

Two main types of environmental education within the protected and non protected areas:

• First, education in terms of species and genetic diversity which takes the form of simple observation and in-depth learning.

it includes a form of onsite educational experience, all reflecting the needs of the consumers.

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Ecotourism educational programs (continued)

• Second, education in terms of ecosystems' diversity and how to minimize the conflict of environmental functions derived from tourism activities.

This type of educational experience can be seen as including both general information about the ecology as well as certain codes of conduct

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Ecotourism educational programs (continued)

• In particular, or ecotourism purposes a situation- specific model appeared to take place in three phases:

• pre-contact.• contact

• post- contact

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Ecotourism educational programs (continued)

• The focus of the pre-contact interaction tended to be skill-oriented programs focusing on the anticipation and

apprehension of the participant.

• During the contact interaction, the provision of specific scientific information about the species, genetic and ecosystems diversity was provided in such a manner that facilitated the participant's ability to observe the different relationships between organisms, rather than having these identified by the guide

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Ecotourism educational programs (continued)

• During the post-contact phase, the emphasis was placed on the enhancement of the participants' ecologically sensitive behavior patterns, by providing a number of programs to further ecotourists environmental goals (membership of certain groups, volunteer programs, signing a petition, etc.)

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Ecotourism educational programs (continued)

• Although this model represents one of the first attempts in ecotourism settings, not all ecotourism programs can be designed in these three stages. These techniques should then be offered as a ‘menu’ from which certain strategies can be implemented.

• However, certain issues concerning the effectiveness of the planning process, by suggesting that there is a need

to integrate an external needs assessment identifying content needs of specific visitors groups or as a tool to

formalize decision-making procedures

Strategies to Achieve the Principles of Ecotourism:

1. Keep the enterprise to a manageable scale. Small-scale grass-roots development that incorporates the desires and opinions of local people tends to be the best policy. Sustainable development does not imply absolute limits on the number of visitors, but limits based on present technology and organization and on the capacity of the (environment) to absorb present forms of damage.2. Ensure that construction and maintenance of ecolodges follow environmental protocols to avoid degrading the very areas that tourists value for their pristine qualities. 3. Demonstrate an upfront commitment to environmental objectives, provide quality leadership, and exploit small market niches where personalized service and unique experiences are favored over large-scale operations.

Strategies to Achieve the Principles of Ecotourism:

4. Education for host communities and for the tourists who plan to visit them is key to providing both with a good experience. 5. Prioritize conservation over short-term profit. 6. Gain local enthusiasm by doing as much as possible to ensure that benefits are shared fairly and that no one shoulders a disproportionate share of the cost.7. Develop an economy that does not rely on tourism as the sole source of income for the community.

Strategies to Achieve the Principles of Ecotourism:

8. Follow principles of common sense. 9. Gain necessary government support to provide financial backing for rural and indigenous people who lack the resources to acquire education or start up business initiatives, to provide organization and coordination of ecotourism efforts, to give small communities access to knowledge about sustainable development, and to prevent abuses. But do not allow government control to overshadow local interests.

10. Strive for local ownership and 80% local staffing.

What YOU (as a Responsible Ecotourist) Can Do!

Choose locally-owned and operated lodges, hotels, tour guides. Take advantage of local taxis, buses and car rental agencies. Support local and international tour companies and accommodations that employ local people and purchase locally-grown foodstuffs. Eat in local restaurants and shop in local markets. Purchase souvenirs from local shops and artisans. When paying locals for goods or services, make every effort to offer a fair price. Pay access fees to protected sites, even when voluntary. Your money supports local efforts to conserve those areas. Frequent local cultural events. Your money helps local artists and performers and encourages preservation of cultural heritage.” -TIES (2003)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA):

• In an attempt to eliminate environmental costs, many countries have included in their legislation Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for all projects, including tourism. The aim is to predict the environmental consequences of a proposed development activity, and to ensure that potential risks are foreseen and necessary measures to avoid, mitigate or compensate for environmental damage are identified

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• EIA usually examines the following :

 • Environment auditing procedures;• Limitations for natural resources;�• Environmental problems and conflicts that may affect project viability; and�• Possible detrimental effects on people, flora and fauna, soil, water, air, �

peace and quiet, landscapes, and cultural sites.• A variety of other indicators can be used, often included in EIA procedure, to

measure environmental impacts, such as climate change, urban environmental quality, natural resources, eutrophication, acidification, toxic contamination, waste, energy and transport indicators

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