Evaluation of collaborative strategies for ecotourism and recreational activities in natural parks of Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

In the city of Rio de Janeiro, the management agencies of environmental conservation units of the park type have been attempting to meet five primary objectives set by the National System for Conservation Units (NSCU), using participatory management guidelines for these units. Two of these objectives relate to the development of recreation activities that involve contact with nature and ecological tourism. This article presents the analyses and conclusions regarding the implementation of collaborative strategies with businesses to achieve such objectives; it is part of a series of research studies having a broader scope. Case studies were conducted in eight parks by means of dozens of interviews with managers and other interested social actors, as well as by documentary research and direct observation. The results suggest that the ecotourism objective is still far from being reached, and that the collaborative strategies used are not sufficient to compensate for the organizational, material and human limitations that encumber these agencies. It was also concluded for the sample that there lacks a strategic vision on the part of the three branches of government involved in the management of these parks in the sense of viewing ecotourism in the city's conservation units as a powerful means to foster local sustainable development.

Types of organizational culture and sustainability in ecotourism businesses in southern Mexico

“…Sustainability is measured from three dimensions: economic, environmental and social, according to the TBL approach. The contributions by Cohen and Ferreira (2010), Fryxell and Lo (2003) and Mercado and Garc ıa (2007) were considered to measure this variable, and the ecotourism business owners were asked about the decision-making frequency in terms of actions aimed at improving economic, social and environmental aspects of the business. The answers were generated using a Likert-type scale with 5 points: 1 5 never through 5 5 always.…”

Local residents' and foreign tourists' intention towards ecotourism: A research in the Antalya city

“…Regarding ecotourism, it is possible to find several academic studies. Some studies focus on ecotourism as a learning tool (Mondino, Beery, 2019), role of ecotourism in sustainable tourism development (Salman et al, 2020), ecotourism potential of destinations (Safarabadı, 2016;Güler, 2021), carrying capacity within ecotourism (Butarbutar, Soemarno, 2013;Zhao, Jiao, 2019)planningand design (Shang et al, 2020;Sisriany,Furuya, 2020;Aryal et al, 2019;Cohen, Silva, 2010), research topics benefiting from meta-analysis (Wondirad, 2019), tourists' intention to participate in ecotourism (Pham, Khanh, 2020;Ren et al, 2021;Lee et al, 2020;Handriana, Ambara, 2016), intentions of locals/residents toparticipate in ecotourism (Wu, Chen, 2018;Landra et al, 2018;Mogoria et al, 2018;Lim et al, 2017;Wanga et al, 2013;Menon, 2019;Adeleke, 2015;Zhang, Lei, 2012). Mondino and Beery (2019) have investigated ecotourism as a learning tool benefiting from a case study and have found out that ecotourism activities supported collaboration between stakeholders, but because of insufficient environmental education (language, method, and course related problems at higher governmental levels) there were still negative perceptions of the sides.…”

“…Evaluations have shown that Nepal Government mostly focused on increasing tourist numbers without looking at the carrying capacity and environmental results. Cohen and Silva (2010) have conducted a study on collaborative ecotourism strategies and recreational activities in natural parks of Rio de Janerio. The findings have underlined that collaborative ecotourism strategies were not enough, and more strategic vision was needed.…”

Defining Priority Zones for Conservation and Ecotourism in a Protected Area

“…An altitude range was considered great for ecotourism, and after a certain point, it decreased because, according to Cohen and Silva (2010), sights that are located at hilltops and with difficult access by foot typically receive few visitors.…”