University of Aarhus ECOTOURISM AS A WAY TO PROTECT ...

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Ecotourism as a sustainable way to protect nature The tourists do not have a direct effect on the ecosystem. Studies prove that there are only minor impacts on soils and geological features at very restricted locations and on certain trails. Birds breeding colonies have shown no detectable impact on the reproductive success (MacFarland, 2001). However tourisms have an indirect impact on the ecosystem. They are the cause of growing population, increased consumption of resources and partly responsible for the introduction of alien species. Concerning the growing population, the government have made some improvements concerned the influx of new immigrants, with no long-term commitments to the island, who are seeking for quick money. The government also promotes environmental education of new immigrants, and they have prohibited further immigration. The Galapagos Islands have a close and positive cooperation between tour operators and the national park service and research station, but the increased tourism means among other things a decline in the guide quality and a more careless attitude to the environment, (for instance dumping of garbage and sewage). The growth in tourism has also meant a decline in environmental “education” of visitors, because of the increasing demand for guides. The result is education of locals, who lacks the needed qualifications. On the other hand it has given job opportunities for the locals. There is also a tendency that tourism takes a small twist to conventional tourism. If the national park service does not control the planning and the control of activities in the national park area, the tourist industry will go ahead of the management authorities, with new modalities and activities, as jet skiing, sport harpooning, helicopter over-flights and sports fishing. Management capacity must be in place before tourism growth is allowed (including new 56
Ecotourism as a sustainable way to protect nature modalities and activities). The tourist industry should also be brought into the process of planning of the nature system in Galapagos. The conflict between the national park and the fishermen is not a story of poor locals whose need for economic development is being fought by affluent outside conservationists. It is rather a struggle between new immigrants with international fishing interests. The national park, research station, tourism operators and even Galapaguaños, believe that they will get more benefits by preserving the ecosystem and promoting tourism than by exports of extracted natural resources. Concerning cultural respect (which is a part of the ecotourism protocol), the local communities of the Galapagos are virtually imported. The population consists mainly of sailors, prisoners, adventures and settlers, so this is not a significant issue on the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands is not a good roll-model for local ecotourism, which intensely involves local communities as the primary service provider and beneficiaries and which attempts to provide for minimizing impacts to their cultural and social life. Ecotourism on the Galapagos is on the other hand a good roll-model for conservation and protection of biodiversity. 3.2. Ecotourism and wildlife in the Kruger National Park 3.2.1. Introduction a. History Kruger National Park (KNP) lies in the Northeast of South Africa (figure 5 and 6) and is one of the largest and oldest protected areas in Africa. It was declared in 1926 and now has an area of 19.458 square kilometres. 57
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