Tourism linkages for biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation

Biodiversity Conservation and Tourism

Tourism Can Help Alleviate Poverty and Conserve Biodiversity

Despite there being a negative outcome from current biodiversity conservation efforts, it is possible for tourism to alleviate poverty. To reduce poverty through tourism, models such transfer of tourism benefits through the donation of part income earned from tourism for development purposes (Nyaupane & Poudel, 2011). The marginalized community can be afforded meaningful and sustainable employment in the biodiversity conservations. To support the economic way of life of the poverty stricken population, it also ideal to provide an avenue for the locals to sell some of their good and services to the tourists. Redistribution of the tax revenues from the tourism activities to development of infrastructures surrounding area of the conservation will also serve to reduce poverty

Area That Exhibits the Highest Level of Linkages

Community empowerment comes out as the one with the highest level of linkages comparatively. Community empowerment does not necessarily give back to the community in term of monetary capacity, but it creates an avenue for all in the community to exploit their limited capacity to earn a sustainable way of life. The creativity that results from the empowerment goes far beyond from providing income by developing ways of generating wealth for the community without leaving out anyone (Nyaupane & Poudel, 2011).

3. Five Themes of Linkages Explained

The five linkages in the article include Community Empowerment, Economic Benefits, Capacity Building, Amenities Development and, Environmental Biodiversity Conservation Services (Nyaupane & Poudel, 2011). Community empowerment target is to afford the community an opportunity to explore their potentials and lead a sustainable way of life. The Economic benefit includes the collection of funds from tourism revenues either through donation or employment of the locals. Capacity building involves improving on the local population's ability to provide goods and services to the tourist industry. Amenities development and biodiversity conservation incorporate construction of infrastructures -- (health centers, roads, social places, buffer zone) -- using tax revenues from the tourist industry (Nyaupane & Poudel, 2011).

4. Buffer Zone

A buffer zone is an area engulfing the conversation region forming a boundary between the wildlife and human population and their activities. A buffer zone serves as the linkage between the locals and the conservation. In these zones, the local inhabitants have rights to manage and utilize the resource for their traditional and economic ways of life (Nyaupane & Poudel, 2011).

7. The Environmentally Friendliest Tourists are Highest Spenders

The environmentally friendly tourists are the highest spenders. Since their preference is to appreciate nature and relax in an environment, that conserve the very nature. They will engage in more revenue earning nature activities for the value and prefer regions that are environmentally friendly (Teresa M. et al., 2010).

8. Tourist Segments That Perform Environmentally Friendly Behavior

Nature lovers, environmental wanderers, and Outdoor seekers are the groups that perform environmentally friendly behaviors. Nature lovers and environmental wanderers are seen to explore nature by embracing all that is natural and undertaking natural measures such as hiking, horse riding trail hiking, and fishing. The outdoor seekers exhibit their behavior through camping, recycling, carpooling and collecting litter even if it, is not theirs (Teresa M. et al., 2010).

9. Environmentally Friendly and Economically Attractive Groups

Environmental wanderer and outdoor seekers come out as both environmentally friendly and economically attractive.

10. Environmentally Friendliness is a Sacrifice

The sacrifice is choosing to be conservative rather than an exhaustive spender. In this case, tourist are called upon to cut down on too much comfort and conserving the environment. This is truly being environmentally friendly since the minimized use of resources, and the conservation of the environment will result to environmentally sustainable tourism (Teresa M. et al., 2010).