Tourism Partnerships in Protected Areas: Exploring Contributions to Sustainability

Abstract

Partnerships between natural-area managers and the tourism industry have been suggested to contribute to sustainability in protected areas. This article explores how important sustainability outcomes of partnerships are to their members, how well they are realised and the features of partnerships leading to their achievement. In 21 case studies in Australia, interviews (n = 97) and surveys (n = 100) showed that of 14 sustainability outcomes, improved understanding of protected areas values and improved biodiversity conservation were the most important. Other highly ranked outcomes were greater respect for culture, heritage, and/or traditions; improved quality of environmental conditions; social benefits to local communities; and improved economic viability of the protected area. Scores for satisfaction with outcomes were, like those for importance, all high but were less than those for importance for the majority, with improvement in quality of environmental conditions showing the largest gap. The satisfaction score exceeded that for importance only for increased competitiveness of the protected area as a tourist destination. “Brown” aspects of sustainability, i.e., decreased waste or energy use, were among the lowest-scoring outcomes for both importance and satisfaction. The most important factor enabling sustainability outcomes was provision of benefits to partnership members. Others were increased financial support, inclusiveness, supportive organisational and administrative arrangements, direct involvement of decision makers, partnership maturity, creation of new relationships, decreased conflict, and stimulation of innovation. Improving sustainability outcomes, therefore, requires maintaining these partnership attributes and also increasing emphasis on reducing waste and resource use.

Local Communities’ Attitudes and Support Towards the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Southwest Botswana

“…In this study, the majority of the residents noted favourable attitudes towards KTP with respect to issues related to its protection to benefit future generations, additional resources for conservation programmes, restrictions on hunting and cattle grazing, and unlimited access to the forest resources. Such findings have also been identified in other PAs with residents to have shown greater understanding of biodiversity conservation [6,35,62]. Along with generally favourable attitudes towards KTP, the majority of respondents also demonstrated support for its protection, staff, regulations, and its transfrontier status.…”

“…Parks and protected areas are generally associated with benefits and related values (monetary, pride) by local residents due to improved quality of the environment, and other social and economic benefits including employment [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. However, local residents' attitudes towards protected areas in the developing world have been mixed [1,3,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

“…The implications indicated that communities near the KTP (Botswana side) need to be consulted, while further communications between the KTP management and authorities and adjacent villages are required to initiate effective community conservation programs. Additional programs and community outreach initiatives would also enable positive attitudes and support of KTP.Sustainability 2020, 12, 1524 2 of 17 unreliable rainfall and recurring droughts, and population growth in villages flanking protected areas [6,10,13,21,26,34,[43][44][45][46][47]. In southern Africa, livelihood activities with sole dependence on forest and rangeland resources have caused, and in some instances, exacerbated soil and land degradation [48,49].…”

Development Prospects of the Protected Areas System in Croatia

“…Sustainability involves balancing ecological, social, and economic development outcomes (Deery et al, 2005;Dwyer 2005;Font and Harris, 2004;Pfueller et al, 2011). The unique character and beauty of protected areas have become attractions for tourism and recreation, it is however important to prevent destruction activities on these sites.…”

Adaptive co-management as an approach to tourism destination governance – a case of protected areas in Bangladesh

“…Partnerships may also stimulate greater access to funding and other mechanisms of support for protected areas and improve capacity building opportunities for local stakeholders; both of which may then, in turn, encourage innovation (Colfer, 2005;Pfueller, Lee, & Laing, 2011).…”