Community base ecotourism success is about 90% communication, but not from the community to the outside, it is mainly the lack of internal communications inside communities the fact that stops long term ecotourism and any kind of development projects in developing countries.
While most of the training programs offered are just focusing on technical abilities it is often forgotten that community goals when deciding for an ecotourism project in stead of an agricultural or timber project are closer to a social process in which local groups are at the end looking for internal cohesion and recognition, this implies a great effort for consultants to start a step behind what they thought was the beginning of an ecotourism project.
If we can just see that ecotourism projects are closer to local needs related to migration, gender, and recognition than just
Communities and SMEs
How do we know a community is back by the others inside
We first know that a project is backed by a community once it appears as a collective effort, How to know that? Just go there and talk to different people on different times, is not that they are not honest but local assemblies are the most difficult decision making systems, once approved it will be closer to reality, but certainly that is far away from success, since communal land tenure represents one of the most conflictive areas at least in Mexico, most of these initiatives remain as internal projects where community try to find the main support from the inside, so the end point in many cases is not ecotourism itself but with the time it can become an important or even a flag project as it happened with San Nicolas, now Amatlan and many other projects, what we see at the end is that communities perceive ecotourism more as a tools to fix other problems than just as a way to start a green business.
I would suggest for every one interested on community decision making to assist at least once to a communal assembly.
I would suggest for every one interested on community decision making to assist at least once to a communal assembly.
Demand for Indigenous/Community-based Tourism
If there be any question about it, I can say that more meaningful "authentic" cultural tourism is in high demand in the ecotourism segment of the adventure travel market.
For years we have seen how backpackers often penetrate rural environs before organized adventure travelers, and may community-based tourism initiatives, especially local private projects (ie. homestays, guide services, etc) get started based on backpack/indendent travel. So, I suppose there is a market and development opportunity for that, with its benefits and pitfalls of course.
But, if we are talking about more organized, potentially more lucrative and maybe more consistent, up-market ecotourism there is real interest and opportunity. We know from research presented at the ATTA conference by a MI State Study commissioned by the ATTA that cultural interests are strong in consumer demand.
However, I know from our experience in the Maasailand Safari project that there is also corresponding media interest in cultural tourism, especially when it is legitimately tied to conservaton and sustainable development. We received abundant notoriety this year including the Conde Nast Green List award because of this focus.
Any ways that we can bring about more people to people interactions on our adventure and ecotour programs the more good will come out it between hosts and guests, as well as interest in the media and marketplace which subsequently generates more business.
For years we have seen how backpackers often penetrate rural environs before organized adventure travelers, and may community-based tourism initiatives, especially local private projects (ie. homestays, guide services, etc) get started based on backpack/indendent travel. So, I suppose there is a market and development opportunity for that, with its benefits and pitfalls of course.
But, if we are talking about more organized, potentially more lucrative and maybe more consistent, up-market ecotourism there is real interest and opportunity. We know from research presented at the ATTA conference by a MI State Study commissioned by the ATTA that cultural interests are strong in consumer demand.
However, I know from our experience in the Maasailand Safari project that there is also corresponding media interest in cultural tourism, especially when it is legitimately tied to conservaton and sustainable development. We received abundant notoriety this year including the Conde Nast Green List award because of this focus.
Any ways that we can bring about more people to people interactions on our adventure and ecotour programs the more good will come out it between hosts and guests, as well as interest in the media and marketplace which subsequently generates more business.
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Nicole Haeusler
- Traveler
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:08 am
How to implement work with communities
There is certainly a different way to approach while planning CBT than usual strategies for any other tourism business. Communities will be more open to hands on labor in stead of theory planning workshops which frequently becomes an important factor for failure, locals simply bore if not working on the field, the strategy we have found the most effective to link communities in to real tourism business has been Balams trail building school where we physically approach to the market needs through users paths, also it give us the possibility to gather local work force and environmental concerns in to a real building situation, this has worked in general well IF tourist are already arriving to the place we are working, if we are planning ahead for future situations where tourism is expected to arrive it becomes more difficult.
Which has taken us as a consultants to the regular condition that we only work in communities where tourism has already arrived, on the step right before tourist arrive governments have a greater role to play and plan basic scenarios.
www.balam.org.mx
Which has taken us as a consultants to the regular condition that we only work in communities where tourism has already arrived, on the step right before tourist arrive governments have a greater role to play and plan basic scenarios.
www.balam.org.mx
I would just like to post an inquiry in this section. Last year at the World Tourism Policy Forum, the World Tourism Organization launched a very ambitious project ST-EP that is designed to encourage community-based pro-poor tourism through private donations and investment, I believe.
I checked their website on the WTO site and it has not been updated at all for one year - the last I looked.
Could Nicole or someone else update us on this effort, let us know how it might be rolling out, and how it might direct investment in community based projects in future? Will there be an effort to partner with the private sector for example?
I would also greatly appreciate a similar kind of update from our friends at SNV on how SNV is approaching its mandate to work with tourism and poverty alleviation, and what types of methodologies are presently in favor there. Thanks!
Megan
I checked their website on the WTO site and it has not been updated at all for one year - the last I looked.
Could Nicole or someone else update us on this effort, let us know how it might be rolling out, and how it might direct investment in community based projects in future? Will there be an effort to partner with the private sector for example?
I would also greatly appreciate a similar kind of update from our friends at SNV on how SNV is approaching its mandate to work with tourism and poverty alleviation, and what types of methodologies are presently in favor there. Thanks!
Megan
An example
Greetings, all
Tropic - Journeys in Nature, has worked with a wide variety of community projects in the Amazon and elsewhere in Ecuador, offering technical assistance as well as marketing support.
In the Amazon, Tropic has successfully marketed programmes run by the Siecoya, Cofan, and the Quichua community tourism networks of RICANCIE and Union Huacamayos and established its own exclusive community programme by developing a long term working partnership with the Huaorani.
Our initiatives include: co-developing community based ecotourism operations with indigenous communities, promoting and marketing independent community-based ecotourism operations, creating business alliances with other responsible private companies in areas where Tropic and communities have no product, playing an active role in industry associations to promote policy change, providing financial support for the Acci
Tropic - Journeys in Nature, has worked with a wide variety of community projects in the Amazon and elsewhere in Ecuador, offering technical assistance as well as marketing support.
In the Amazon, Tropic has successfully marketed programmes run by the Siecoya, Cofan, and the Quichua community tourism networks of RICANCIE and Union Huacamayos and established its own exclusive community programme by developing a long term working partnership with the Huaorani.
Our initiatives include: co-developing community based ecotourism operations with indigenous communities, promoting and marketing independent community-based ecotourism operations, creating business alliances with other responsible private companies in areas where Tropic and communities have no product, playing an active role in industry associations to promote policy change, providing financial support for the Acci
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Aivar_Ruukel
- Traveler
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:09 am
- Location: Estonia
- Contact:
We speak about communities and ask "do they prefer own business, a joint venture with an outside business or would rather to just have a job.."
My experience is that it depends on existance of potential entrepreneurs in the area. Estonia is a small country, but even here one can find so many different scenarios and different levels of local involvment. In many areas local business-minded people had taken initiative , developed own products and have control over their resource base. In other areas product is owned by companies from capital city Tallinn. Joint ventures with foreign partners are not very common.
A believe that community tourism depends on the "best members" of community. It is normal that not all people are involved...
Even more, is not it dangerous to wish that ALL members should directly benefit of CBT?
Would it mean the "monoculture" of tourism? Should not be healty tourism in a good balance with other, traditional livelihoods.
Aivar Ruukel
www.soomaa.com
My experience is that it depends on existance of potential entrepreneurs in the area. Estonia is a small country, but even here one can find so many different scenarios and different levels of local involvment. In many areas local business-minded people had taken initiative , developed own products and have control over their resource base. In other areas product is owned by companies from capital city Tallinn. Joint ventures with foreign partners are not very common.
A believe that community tourism depends on the "best members" of community. It is normal that not all people are involved...
Even more, is not it dangerous to wish that ALL members should directly benefit of CBT?
Would it mean the "monoculture" of tourism? Should not be healty tourism in a good balance with other, traditional livelihoods.
Aivar Ruukel
www.soomaa.com
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Nicole Haeusler
- Traveler
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:08 am
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Nicole Haeusler
- Traveler
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:08 am
I agree wholeheartedly with the numerous comments that have been made about ensuring participation of the broader community when initiating community based tourism planning. When we get involved in a project such as the one in Pangnirtung mentioned in a previous posting, we see ourselves, the consultants, as simply facilitators in the community-based tourism planning process. The community must make a decision to pursue tourism based on an informed understanding of the pros and cons. Any successful community-based tourism plan must have broad support and buy-in. Too often government agencies and NGO
On guerrilla marketing, backpackers and volunteers for CBEs
Hello Everone,
My apologies for late (cross) posting on this very important topic. I just wanted to share some experiences and thoughts on possible
My apologies for late (cross) posting on this very important topic. I just wanted to share some experiences and thoughts on possible
communities, consultants and Internet
Now that some CBE sites are coming out I would like to make a review about how many of this sites are really updated by community members, what kind of autonomy do these communities have in terms of communication when we talk not only about marketing but just simple information, this will show a real measure of where communities are in relation to the internet and where consultants are, in many cases we primarily find the consultant working mainly on the internet marketing and shortly we find a sites where we can have marketing, communication from the base an a local guy behind these whole process.
Over 13 years of CBE we have only gotten one community in to the internet world, they started with it and it seems that they see it as a
Over 13 years of CBE we have only gotten one community in to the internet world, they started with it and it seems that they see it as a