The Importance of Tourism
to Community Conservation
June 2011
Introduction
The Honeyguide
Foundation
is a non-profit, non
Why community
conservation?
governmental organization that supports
communities and environmental conservation
inTourism
Tanzania,
making
ofpartner?
tourism as a
– is
it the use
ideal
sustainable source of income. The
Foundation’s focus areas are the following:
• Improved
and transparent
community
The tourism
- community
partnership – is
governance
this sustainable?
• Poverty alleviation
• Sustainable management of natural and socioeconomic resources.
Why community conservation?
Population increase
The Honeyguide
Foundation
a non-profit,
non
Since the national
parksiswere
developed,
governmental
organization
supports
human populations
have that
expanded
and
communities
and environmental conservation
spread:
in Tanzania, making use of tourism as a
•sustainable
Serengeti Park
est. 1951
population
source
of income.
The8 ½ million
•Foundation’s
Tarangire Park
est. 1970,
13 million
focus
areaspopulation
are the following:
• Improved
and
transparent
community
Population
today
is approx 38
million
governance
Tanzanian population has tripled since the 1950s.
• Poverty
Humanalleviation
density over the last 50 years has increased
from 14 persons
/ sq. km, to of
39natural
persons and
/ sq. sociokm
• Sustainable
management
economic resources.
Wildlife Is Dependant On
Communities
The Honeyguide
Foundation
is awere
non-profit,
non big
Protected areas
(parks etc)
not made
governmental
organization
supports wildlife
enough to encompass
thethat
ecosystems,
communities
and environmental
conservation
movement patterns
included areas
outside the
inprotected
Tanzania,zones
making use of tourism as a
sustainable source of income. The
•Foundation’s
Serengeti National
Park are the following:
focus areas
• •Improved
transparent
Tarangireand
National
Park community
governance
• Kilimanjaro- Amboseli- Arusha
• Poverty alleviation
• Sustainable management of natural and socioeconomic resources.
Serengeti
The Honeyguide Foundation is a non-profit, non
governmental organization that supports
communities and environmental conservation
in Tanzania, making use of tourism as a
sustainable source of income. The
Foundation’s focus areas are the following:
• Improved and transparent community
governance
• Poverty alleviation
• Sustainable management of natural and socioeconomic resources.
Tarangire
The Honeyguide Foundation is a non-profit, non
governmental organization that supports
communities and environmental conservation
in Tanzania, making use of tourism as a
sustainable source of income. The
Foundation’s focus areas are the following:
• Improved and transparent community
governance
• Poverty alleviation
• Sustainable management of natural and socioeconomic resources.
Amboseli- Kilimanjaro
• Map to go in here
Do Communities Benefit?
The Honeyguide
Foundation
is aParks
non-profit,
non
In 2007 Tanzania
National
earned
TShs
governmental
organization
that supports
69.0 Billion of
which it allocated
only 1.8
communities
and environmental
conservation
percent to community
conservation
services
in (TANAPA
Tanzania,
use2007).
of tourism as a
Annualmaking
General Report
sustainable source of income. The
•Foundation’s
WMA- retainfocus
60%areas
total earnings
( split
are the following:
between running the WMA and village
• Improved and transparent community
development).
governance
Tourism
on village land retain 40% of total
• •Poverty
alleviation
earnings.
• Sustainable management of natural and socio•economic
In 2009 consolation
resources. included in Wildlife Act
Community Conservation?
The Honeyguide
is a non-profit,
nonon
The future ofFoundation
these ecosystems
depends
governmental
organization
that supports
the participation
of the communities
that
communities
conservation
occupy thisand
landenvironmental
with the wildlife.
in Tanzania, making use of tourism as a
During the 1990s,
Ministry
sustainable
sourceTanzania’s
of income.
The of Natural
Resources and
Tourism
carried
wildlife sector
Foundation’s
focus
areas
are out
theafollowing:
review which concluded that: “It is essential to the
• Improved
transparent
community
future of and
wildlife
conservation
in Tanzania that
local communities who live amongst the wildlife
governance
shouldalleviation
derive direct benefit from it.”
• Poverty
• Sustainable management of natural and socioeconomic resources.
Tourism – is it the ideal
partner?
Is tourism the ideal partner?
TheWhy
Honeyguide
Foundation
is a non-profit,
non
is eco-tourism
a natural partner
for communities?
governmental organization that supports
• Talk of the day
communities and environmental conservation
•inSustainable
Tanzania,business
makingmodel
use of tourism as a
of income.
The effect
•sustainable
Local peoplesource
benefit moretrickle down
Foundation’s focus areas are the following:
• Add value to tourism product-Eco journey
• Improved and transparent community
• Generates income and employment
governance
Non-consumptive
• •Poverty
alleviation
Participatory management of natural and socio• •Sustainable
But
tourism has
to be responsible
economic
resources.
Can tourism provide?
The Honeyguide
Foundation
is a to
non-profit,
Tourism provides
the funds
make non
governmental
that supports
conservationorganization
a viable business
venture for
communities
and
conservation
communities
to environmental
engage in.
in Tanzania, making use of tourism as a
•sustainable
Loliondo [eastern
Serengeti]
in 2007
exceeded
source
of
income.
The
$400,000
Foundation’s focus areas are the following:
Simanjiro, [east Tarangire] earned $20,000 in 2007
• •Improved
and transparent community
•governance
Sayari camp (northern Serengeti) in 2005 employed
in 40% employees locally and 90% ( approx 40
• Poverty
staff) inalleviation
2007
• •Sustainable
management
natural and
andsalads
socioGrumeti reserves
purchasedof
vegetable
economic
resources.
locally approx
$30,000 per month
Are there negative impacts?
TheWithout
Honeyguide
Foundation
is a non-profit, non
an intelligent
business
governmental organization that supports
approach,
cultures
and ecosystems
can suffer:
communities
and environmental
conservation
Tanzania, making use of tourism as a
•inCulture
sustainable source of income. The
•Foundation’s
Immigration focus areas are the following:
• •Improved
and transparent community
Expectations
governance
• Wealth
• Poverty alleviation
Politics
• •Sustainable
management of natural and socioresources.
•economic
Ecosystems
The tourism community
partnership – is this
sustainable?
Perfect partnership
1- Lack economic
income from tourismlittle incentive for
communities.
2- No consideration for
conservation, wildlife
populations and habitat
unsustainable.
3- community not
onboard, no buy in to
conserve ecosystem.
4- Harmonious
balance.
Community
development
Conserving
ecosystems
1
4
2
3
Tourism
Unbalanced partnership
Tourism becomes
the threat to
conservation.
Community
development
Conserving
ecosystems
Can have a
negative effect on
the communities.
Needs to be
managed well.
Tourism
The role of tourism
• Should tourism only focus on the needs of
the community?
• Who pays for conservation and what does
it cost?
• Who are we conserving for?
Cost of conservation
• Enduimet
– 40 game scouts
– 3 vehicles
• WWA need $330,000 pa
• 40 b/n pd for 300 days
• 60% into WMA $200,000
– $70,000 anti-poaching
– $30,000 admin
– $100,000 for 9 villages
($11,000 per village)
• $130,000 WD
Incentive to Conserve
tourists
reduced
conservation
costs
improved NR
management
improve local
economy and
jobs
improved
livelihoods
Conclusion
My experience in northern Tanzania is that
tourism provides the economic rationale
for
conserving wildlife but cannot front the total
costs of conservation and the support of
local livelihoods.