Case studies

Australia: The Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Programme (NEAP) is a successful scheme that was developed to recognise and reward operators whic provide genuine nature tourism and ecotourism services in Australia. NEAP is an industry- driven programme that has been developed in consultation with operators, protected area managers and other key stakeholders.

South East Asia: In Thailand, five major areas have been prioritised and five new types of management identified for coastal ecotourism development with an emphasis on increased community participation.
Community-based coastal ecotourism is common in Indonesia and the Philippines.In the Philippines, the focus is currently on Palawan and Bohol, awaiting the completion of a national ecotourism strategy in 2002. With decentralisation in Indonesia, coastal ecotourism linked to community-declared marine sanctuaries may become more common.
A homestay programme has been introduced in Malaysia to improve upon existing private sector enterprises in coastal ecotourism.
Vietnam will have its first coastal ecotourism project in Halong Bay.

Maldives: The protection of reef sharks in the Maldives is another illustration of how tourism can be a major tool for the conservation of protected areas. It also shows that tourism can raise the environmental awareness of residents and visitors. A survey in 1992 estimated that dive operations focusing on reef sharks generated about 100 times more revenue than the shark fishery. As a consequence objectives were set to protect important dive sites, conserve biodiversity and achieve the sustainable development of tourism by prohibiting certain damaging activities. Tourist divers were used as a resource to monitor and report on lawbreakers, deliberate or otherwise. This created awareness among locals of the importance of protecting sharks and their environment. Illegal mining and garbage dumping has also stopped in these areas.

Mexico: the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve is a 60,000 hectares internationally important wetland and principal breeding site of the American flamingo. Over the years, the bird has developed into one of the main tourism attraction. Fishing pressure in surrounding waters was high and the tourism initiatives existing in the area saw conflict amongst tour operators, administrative irregularities, and environmental damage as their main problems. In order to counter these problems, administrators have co-ordinated with other institutions in the region to carry out workshops and courses aimed at local operators to educate them about the benefits of ecotourism and to convince them of the advantages of building one business initiative. Considerable increases in tours and revenues, reduction in environmental impact, distribution of educational leaflets are some of the successes recorded by the implementation of this scheme.

Tonga: a number of travel initiatives in these islands offer the unique opportunity to explore the area from a whale research vessel. They also offer the opportunity to use a hydrophone to listen to their songs as well as to get into the water to snorkel with whales. Part of the money paid to join one of these organised tours is helping to support long-term conservation efforts in these islands. Tourists are also offered a one-year's membership of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society in the UK.

Galapagos: an English based tour operator offers cruise tours of the islands using small personalised boats in order to minimise environmental impact. The trips also include 1 year annual membership to the Galapagos Conservation Trust. The travel group organising these trips donates over �5000 each year to conservation of the archipelago, most of the money deriving from the revenue generated through the tourist tours. Staff organising the tours of the island is experienced and passionate about Ecuador and the Galapagos and the conservation of habitats and associated biodiversity in the region.