OMSLAG 5.indd - IUCN

training courses, the visitors are now treated much better than before the
project. The guides learned not to bicker amongst themselves whenever a
group of tourists arrived, because it was extremely annoying for the visitors.
The problem was solved by introducing a rotation schedule for the guides
and setting a standard price for hiring a guide. The tourists really appreciate
the improved hospitality and this is also reflected in the amount of tips they
give.
All of this is a positive start, but it is often underestimated that it usually
takes a long time for the possible benefits to materialize. IUCN supports
projects for a one-year period of time and within this time frame it is often
impossible to say anything about concrete benefits yet. Apart from this,
project initiators should be aware that tourism development could also
have negative side-effects for people living in the project area. They could
lose access to land, to forest and water resources, and sometimes conflicts
arise within their community. Therefore a project needs to be planned very
carefully and, during the process, the stakeholders should be given ample
opportunity to share their views.
In the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, an NGO called Preserve Muriqui started
a project in the Natural Patrimony Private Reserve (RPPN). This is a good
example of how a tourism and conservation project can have a different
impact on different groups within one community. Preserve Muriqui,
which owns the reserve, involves the local community of Santo Antônio do
Manhuaçu and specifically the people who own land along the borders of
the reserve, mostly farmers. This last group was invited to participate in one
or more courses on improving the management of their farms. The subjects
included animal care, nutrition, and artificial insemination. The participants
reaped the benefits shortly after attending the course. They were able to
run their farms more efficiently and they needed less land to do so. This
way, parts of their properties were left uncultivated, which either became
part of the nature reserve itself or may be used as future corridors to other
uncultivated parts. The participants gained real insight into the relationship
between nature conservation and local development. The outcome of the
project was very profitable for them: they improved their livelihood and
contributed to nature conservation at the same time.
The other group consisted of community members living in San Antonio
– people with no physical link to the reserve. For them, courses on subjects
like guiding, craftsmanship and rural tourism were organized. In this group,
the process of participation did not run so smoothly. Not every household
was informed about the courses on guiding and rural tourism, which
caused disappointment and some families felt left out. But more importantly,
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not all participants were able to use their skills shortly after attending the
course. For instance, none of the participants in a course on providing
tourist accommodation had the financial means to fulfil such plans. As the
population had no experience with tourism, they found it hard to take the
initiative and to put the lessons into practice. In the mean time Preserve
Muriqui has solved this problem by supporting a community lodge. They
are actively working on attracting more tourists, which will enable the
villagers to use the things they have learned.
This project clearly shows that the various groups within one community
cannot be involved in the developments in the same way. What is beneficial
for one group might not be beneficial for the other. It also shows that
it is important to try to avoid creating false expectations related to the
development of a project. Community members do not always understand
that results may only materialize in the long run.