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Best Practices for Tourism Concessions in Protected Areas: A Review of the Field

MDPI
Forests
Authors:
Miriam S. Wyman at Auburn University
Miriam S. Wyman
James R Barborak at Colorado State University
James R Barborak
Neel Inamdar
Neel Inamdar
Neel Inamdar
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Taylor V. Stein at University of Florida
Taylor V. Stein
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Despite the importance of protected areas (PAs) worldwide to protect biodiversity, reduce poverty and promote sustainable development, throughout the world governments struggle to adequately fund PAs to meet conservation goals. Tourism is seen as a viable financial option for PAs, with tourism concessions through private sector partnerships gaining momentum that allows the overarching goal of preservation and conservation to remain with the state. However, without appropriate planning or best practices in place, tourism concessions can lead to such problems as waste, habitat destruction and the displacement of local people and wildlife. We analyzed tourism concession agreements in government documents from 22 countries to provide an overview of what best practices for tourism concessions are being established and what practices might need to be better incorporated into agreements. The greatest weaknesses of best practices appear to be with concession qualifications, legal, and financial responsibilities, while the strengths included environmental and empowerment/social responsibilities. This initial assessment of contract components will provide a baseline to further develop best practices and assist protected area managers, local communities, and conservation practitioners working with tourism in PAs to ensure that tourism has a positive impact on protected area management.
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Best Practices for Tourism Concessions in Protected Areas: A Review of the Fie
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... Tourism concessions and permits play a critical role in fostering partnerships for effective tourism management in protected areas. The literature extensively covers guidelines and case studies on the establishment and operation of these mechanisms (Casimiro & Spenceley, 2012;ME;Spenceley, 2014;Thompson et al., 2014;WBG, 2016;Wyman et al., 2011). These concessions are viewed as market-based instruments that generate revenue from tourism services to support protected area management (Casimiro & Spenceley, 2012). ...
... The reviewed studies emphasize the diverse stakeholders involved in operating concessions, including protected area agencies, private sectors, local communities, and NGOs (Casimiro & Spenceley, 2012). Effective management of concessions requires robust regulatory frameworks to mitigate negative impacts such as habitat damage and wildlife displacement (Wyman et al., 2011). Ensuring sustainability necessitates continuous stakeholder coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of tourism activities (Spenceley et al., 2017). ...
... Ensuring sustainability necessitates continuous stakeholder coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of tourism activities (Spenceley et al., 2017). International organizations and governments have developed guidelines to improve the formulation and operation of tourism concessions in protected areas (Spenceley et al., 2017;Thompson et al., 2014;TRC, 2013;WBG, 2016WBG, , 2021Wyman et al., 2011). These guidelines aim to assist protected area authorities in establishing legal agreements, managing concession contracts, and promoting sustainable tourism practices (Spenceley et al., 2017;Wyman et al., 2011). ...
Tourism Governance and Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in Protected Areas: A Scoping Review
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2024
As the number of visitors to protected areas increases and their objectives become more complex, governing and managing protected area tourism is becoming increasingly challenging. Recent literature reflects a growing trend toward stakeholder involvement, including the private sector, NGOs, and local communities, in managing protected area tourism through co-governance arrangements and multi-stakeholder partnerships. However, research in this area is still relatively new, resulting in a lack of theoretical and conceptual foundations regarding this crucial aspect of park and recreation administration. To address this gap, a scoping literature review was conducted to assess current governance practices and their effectiveness in protected area tourism. The review of published studies focused on two primary categories: 1) constructing and operating multi-stakeholder tourism partnerships and 2) evaluating governance and multi-stakeholder tourism partnerships. The paper emphasizes the significance of partnerships in protected area tourism, outlining the conditions and criteria necessary for their success and sustainability, thereby addressing a gap in existing literature. It introduces two frameworks: one aimed at shedding light on the creation and management of partnerships in protected areas, and the other focused on evaluating partnerships. These proposed frameworks offer interpretations of the study's findings, illustrate how the research advances understanding in this field, and lay the groundwork for further theoretical and empirical exploration. They may assist park managers and planners in enhancing the tourism management and governance process by providing systematic guidance for establishing and assessing partnership models in protected areas.
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... No que diz respeito à gestão das concessões, Wyman et al. (2011) apontam que, ao passo em que as concessões de serviços visam colaborar para que os objetivos de conservação das áreas protegidas sejam atendidos, a ausência de planejamento pautado na mitigação de impactos negativos pode desencadear problemas como a gestão inadequada de resíduos, a deterioração dos recursos naturais e o deslocamento da população local. Vale ressaltar que alguns estudos reconhecem o importante papel desempenhado pelas concessões no âmbito da gestão do turismo em áreas protegidas, como o de gerar renda, contribuir com o desenvolvimento local e colaborar com a proteção dos recursos (WYMAN et al., 2011;SPENCELEY et al., 2019). ...
... No que diz respeito à gestão das concessões, Wyman et al. (2011) apontam que, ao passo em que as concessões de serviços visam colaborar para que os objetivos de conservação das áreas protegidas sejam atendidos, a ausência de planejamento pautado na mitigação de impactos negativos pode desencadear problemas como a gestão inadequada de resíduos, a deterioração dos recursos naturais e o deslocamento da população local. Vale ressaltar que alguns estudos reconhecem o importante papel desempenhado pelas concessões no âmbito da gestão do turismo em áreas protegidas, como o de gerar renda, contribuir com o desenvolvimento local e colaborar com a proteção dos recursos (WYMAN et al., 2011;SPENCELEY et al., 2019). ...
... Esses apontamentos, portanto, confirmam alguns argumentos já relatados na literatura de que o estabelecimento das parcerias demanda um órgão gestor fortalecido, com os recursos humanos, tecnológicos e institucionais necessários para monitorar e fiscalizar a qualidade da prestação dos serviços do concessionário e o alcance das metas pactuadas no contrato de concessão (WYMAN et al., 2011;RODRIGUES;ABRUCIO, 2019;MORO et al., 2022a). ...
Aprendizados e desafios da concessão de serviços de apoio à visitação no Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos (RJ)
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2023
Envolvendo a perspectiva de investimentos expressivos, atividades e serviços que demandam uma maior complexidade de operação e prazo de vigência mais duradouro, a concessão de serviços em unidades de conservação deve ser analisada para além da sua capacidade econômica e técnica, avaliando-se, sobretudo, os seus efeitos para a experiência do visitante, a gestão do patrimônio natural e territórios envolvidos. Nesse sentido, este artigo visa apresentar parte dos resultados de um estudo sobre os aprendizados e os desafios da concessão de serviços de apoio à visitação no Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos (RJ), a partir da perspectiva dos gestores públicos que atuam na área e das iniciativas desenvolvidas no conselho gestor da unidade. Esta análise considerou como ponto de partida a interface entre os princípios do ecoturismo e a gestão da visitação por meio da concessão. Assim, pautando-se pela análise documental, realização de entrevistas e observação participante, foi possível identificar aspectos relevantes no processo de concessão que podem funcionar como uma experiência para outras iniciativas de parcerias em curso. Como resultados, foi apresentado um conjunto de propostas para aprimorar o planejamento, a implementação e o monitoramento das parcerias no parque. Além disso, destaca-se que a ampliação da política de parcerias requer o aperfeiçoamento do monitoramento, que resultará em evidências para embasar a avaliação de seus resultados e fundamentar as decisões a respeito dos modelos mais adequados de parceria para cada contexto.
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... The existing literature indicates that in certain locations, implementing a concession fee might not be practical, especially where demand for the service is low. Additionally, even if there is demand, there may be a lack of concessionaires with adequate capital, interest, or willingness to take on the associated risks [53] [54]. However, these examples are not related to European practice following the adoption of the Concession Directive. ...
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... Waste management poses a significant challenge for protected areas globally (Hong & Chan, 2010;Rodríguez-Rodríguez, 2012. Morrison-Saunders et al. (2019) have ranked 'responsible waste management' as one of the top expectations of visitors to protected areas, while Wyman et al. (2011) regard waste management as one of the five indicators of 'environmentally responsible tourism practices' in protected areas. In the African context, the Africa Waste Management Outlook (UNEP, 2018) highlights the threats that waste management may pose to protected areas and recommends the development of 'integrated waste management and conservation strategies', which address waste management challenges and protect sensitive environments. ...
Developing a Deliberative-Delphi Method for Informing National Conservation Capacity Development Strategies
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2024
  • J Environ Dev
Conservation governance requires inter-disciplinary approaches aimed at bridging science, management, and policy divides, which introduces capacity development challenges in developing countries. In particular, there is a need to establish how best to direct capacity development efforts in order to achieve long-term conservation benefits. To help meet this challenge, a deliberative-Delphi method was developed and tested in Namibia based on an integrated Delphi and workshop-based approach. Deliberative-Delphi involves rapid responses to questions followed by consensus workshops to agree emerging themes. The method was applied to researchers in the fields of conservation ecology, conservation governance, and futures thinking (FT) identifying and prioritising ten conservation themes over a two-day period. These themes were then aligned with Namibian conservation policy and explicated through literature review, providing a roadmap for capacity development interventions (through setting university curricula, research agendas, and future policy changes). The approach can be applied elsewhere to focus conservation capacity development interventions.
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... Private participation in the provision of services supporting management has been encouraged in several countries in order to improve the contribution of tourism as a biodiversity conservation strategy and as a source of revenue in the management of PAs [119][120][121][122][123]. In Brazil, on the basis of pioneer cases some decades ago, there has been a tendency of allowing increasing concessions to tourism support services over the last decade. ...
Collaborative Conservation for Inclusive, Equitable, and Effective Systems of Protected and Conserved Areas—Insights from Brazil
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2023
Abstract: . Protected and conserved areas (PCAs) are increasingly recognized as essential tools for their effectiveness in conservation and the benefits they provide. However, their challenges are still significant. The concepts, legislation, and governance surrounding PCAs are the results of social contexts. Due to the evolution of scientific knowledge, human rights, and diversified demands, new approaches are necessary to fulfill their functions. To better understand the context and possibilities, a study group was established to evaluate the current research, exchange experiences, guide dialogues, and identify lessons from experiences. The core of the experiences and cases considered and the reflections developed focused on the Brazilian context. This article analyzes the collected information and reflections related to several themes associated with challenges. The results reinforce the importance of PCAs but warn about the limitations of current conservation strategies to respond to social actors’ expectations, the needs of the vulnerable social groups, and evolving demands. The complexity of PCA systems is evident in view of the multiplicity of interests, potential contributions, and possibilities for participatory arrangements. There is a need to improve management and governance conceptions to promote the reconnection between society and nature. Therefore, the concept of collaborative conservation is proposed as an instrumental approach to advance towards inclusive and effective conservation strategies. . . . . . . Keywords: governance; complex systems; social benefits; partnership arrangements; biodiversity; nature; stakeholders; right-holders; society–nature interactions. . . . . . . Supplementary materials including: . 1. Brazilian PCA-related context, concepts, and practices; . 2. Evolution of PCA-related policies and themes; and . 3. The processes of the study group.
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Concession as a tool for improving the budget and tax incentives for investment attractiveness of the tourist complex in Ukraine
Article
  • Dec 2024
The argumentation of the use of concession of historical and architectural objects in Ukraine as a tool for improving the budget and tax incentives for investment attractiveness of the tourist complex has been carried out. A scientific approach to budgetary and tax incentives for investment attractiveness of tourist facilities has been formed using an optimization model for calculating concession payments, which ensures the flexibility of incentives, takes into account the interests of investors, based on indicators for assessing the effectiveness of an investment project with a simultaneous focus on maximizing budget revenues. It is substantiated that the budgetary and tax incentives for investment attractiveness of tourist complexes through the introduction of public-private partnership in the form of a concession of historical and architectural objects will allow private business to invest in attractive tourist sites and ensure higher profitability of the hotel and restaurant business, since the interests of the investor are taken into account, and will also reduce budget expenditures and increase tax revenues to the budgets from servicing tourist flows.
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Parcerias para a Promoção do Lazer e do Turismo em Unidades de Conservação Municipais do Rio de Janeiro
Chapter
  • Oct 2024
Todos os dias, milhões de cariocas abrem suas janelas e descortinam a paisagem. Nesta cidade, é difícil olhar para fora e não vislumbrar sequer uma nesga de verde no horizonte. Mas, a maioria desconhece o que se passa naquelas florestas que avistam de casa. Não sabem que muitas delas são áreas protegidas. Ignoram que algumas nem estavam ali poucas décadas atrás, foram reflorestadas, após séculos sem sua cobertura original. E nem imaginam a importância dessas florestas para o bem-estar da cidade. Amenizar o clima, evitar a erosão, proteger contra deslizamentos, reduzir enchentes e ser lugar de lazer são algumas das funções dessas florestas. Além, é claro, de ser abrigo para nossa flora e nossa fauna. Este livro é sobre isso para que servem as florestas e como têm sido tratadas, tanto pelo Poder Público quanto pela cidadania. Quais são suas ameaças e desafios, mas, principalmente, que soluções têm sido pensadas e adotadas para que sejam melhor cuidadas. É um livro técnico, escrito por pesquisadores, gestores, profissionais de meio ambiente, e também por pessoas que se dedicam, voluntariamente, a cuidar dos nossos parques, das nossas trilhas, do nosso verde, enfim, do patrimônio natural carioca.
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EFFECTS OF TOURISM CONCESSIONS IN PROTECTED AREAS AROUND THE WORLD
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Sep 2024
This study aimed to investigate tourist concessions around the world and their main effects. To do so, we explored the descriptive information according to specific variables and the existing balance between positive and negative effects. We found that the concessions fulfill their economic role through the development of tourist activity, but they have deficiencies in social, environmental and procedural parameters. The most significant positive effect especially concerns the economy and tourism. On the other hand, the negative social effect showed a higher percentage and is related to the lack of partnership with the community. Most concession types are strictly linked to tourism by large companies. The local population is not fully included in the processes or considered partners, and they only participate in the provision of services. We also found an imbalance between positive and negative effects, with evidence of inconsistency in the processes. The processes considered inconsistent compromise local sustainability, the management objectives of the areas, and generate unequal opportunities. This scenario reveals that tourism concessions are still fragile and can compromise sustainable tourism development and nature conservation in PA. Furthermore, processes based on economic policies when implemented in conservation efforts only guarantee the maximization of economic benefits, disfavoring social and environmental objectives. We defend the control and continuous monitoring of concessions in order to maintain more consistent and effective processes.
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EVOLUTION OF CONCESSION OPERATIONS
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
In todayʼs dynamic world, it is important to understand the roots and evolution of key econo­mic and legal mechanisms. The article is devoted to a detailed analysis and description of conces­sion operations during various historical stages: from ancient times, the Middle Ages, stages of development in the 19th and 20th centuries, ana­ly­sis of its modern trends in the 21st century. The relevance of the research lies in the in-depth disclosure of the mechanisms underlying conces­sion operations and their impact on the econo­mic, social and cultural development of the society. Studying the history of concessions will help specialists and researchers to better assess current trends and predict future developments in this field. The aim of the article is to characterize the key evolutionary stages of con­cession operations in order to understand their essence and critical features, based on the hypothesis that they have transformed from simple agreements to complex multi-stakeholder contracts for various public services and goods. The research metho­dology is based on an integ­rated approach, which includes historical, com­pa­rative and analytical research methods. As a result, the research is provided a holistic view of the evolution of con­cession arrangements, their significance and role in the formation of econo­mic relations at various stages of historical development.
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  • Nov 2023
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Tourism, Local Livelihoods, and the Private Sector in South Africa: Case Studies on the Growing Role of the Private Sector in Natural Resources Management
Technical Report
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  • Apr 2003
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