O ecoturismo representa uma das modalidades de turismo de maior interesse na sociedade contemporânea, envolvendo o contato do ser humano com a natureza preservada e contribuindo à conservação do meio ambiente no local visitado. No Brasil, grande parte dos atrativos ecoturísticos encontra-se nas Unidades de Conservação (UCs), onde as Reservas Particulares do Patrimônio Natural (RPPNs) representam a categoria de caráter privado. As RPPNs são instituídas por ato voluntário do proprietário e destinadas à conservação dos ecossistemas, sendo uma das principais estratégias nos biomas brasileiros mais ameaçados.Essas unidades seguem uma tendência mundial de expansão dos esforços privados na conservação da biodiversidade, cujo uso compatível, por meio do turismo, é permitido, mediante planejamento e manejo adequados. Uma pesquisa exploratório-descritiva foi realizada, sob o enfoque quali-quantitativo, com o objetivo de avaliar a importância das RPPNs ao ecoturismo e o papel deste na conservação dos ecossistemas presentes nessas UCs. A análise do cenário das RPPNs no Brasil, comparado ao do Rio Grande do Sul, foi feita a partir da aplicação de questionários, entrevistas e formulários em 14 RPPNs do Brasil que desenvolvem ecoturismo, e sete unidades do Rio Grande do Sul. A pesquisa foi norteada pela questão da possibilidade de o ecoturismo vir a ser um instrumento para a conservação dos ecossistemas nas RPPNs, cujos resultados demonstram tendências e práticas diversas sendo desenvolvidas nesses ambientes. A partir da análise da inter-relação entre meio ambiente e ecoturismo, no âmbito das RPPNs, estas demonstram ser estratégias efetivas na conservação dos ecossistemas brasileiros; porém, ainda um desafio em evolução quanto à implementação dos preceitos do ecoturismo. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-05-14T17:47:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Laura Rudzewicz.pdf: 8050307 bytes, checksum: 15b0f143f485e47795ae7da9ae9da499 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-14T17:47:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Laura Rudzewicz.pdf: 8050307 bytes, checksum: 15b0f143f485e47795ae7da9ae9da499 (MD5) / Ecotourism represents one of the types of tourism that most interests contemporary society, since it relates the contact of human being with preserved nature while contributing to the local environment conservation. In Brazil, a significant diversity of ecotourism attractions is found within the natural protected areas, in which the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural - RPPN represents the private category. The RPPNs are created by voluntary act from the private owner for the conservation of ecosystems, and it has become one of the main strategies in Brazilian ecosystems that face extreme threats. These areas follow a world-wide trend of enlarging private efforts for conserving biodiversity, where its compatible use through tourism is allowed under an appropriate planning and management. A descriptive and exploratory research was developed, under the qualitative and quantitative methods, with the objective to evaluate the importance of the RPPNs to the ecotourism and its role in the conservation of ecosystems. The analysis of the RPPNs in Brazil, compared to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, was based in the application of questionnaires, interviews and forms in 14 RPPNs that develop ecotourism around Brazil, and in seven areas in Rio Grande do Sul. The research was guided by the possibility of ecotourism as an instrument for the conservation of ecosystems in the RPPNs, and the results demonstrate a diversity of practices and trends being developed in these environments. The relation between environment and ecotourism in the scope of the RPPNs demonstrates that they are effective strategies to the conservation of Brazilian ecosystems. However, the practices of the concepts of ecotourism are still a challenge for its evolution.

O Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe é uma Unidade de Conservação de proteção integral e está localizado entre as cidades de Mostardas e Tavares, no litoral médio e sul do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, a 230 km de Porto Alegre. A região na qual está inserido apresenta uma economia baseada na agricultura, destaque para a cebola e o arroz, pecuária, pesca e principalmente a extração madeireira do pinus, atividade essa que causa grande impacto ambiental à região, por ser uma espécie que se dissemina com facilidade para outras áreas. O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi de avaliar o papel do Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe no processo de desenvolvimento do Turismo nos municípios de Mostardas e Tavares, verificando sua relação com as melhorias na qualidade de vida da população. A hipótese utilizada foi que devido ao aumento de visitantes nas cidades, a população passaria a perceber as melhorias realizadas para atendê-los e a usufruir dos benefícios da atividade turística. Para isso foi utilizada uma pesquisa exploratório-descritiva com enfoque qualitativo e quantitativo. Utilizou-se, como método de coleta de dados, a entrevista, realizada em três grupos distintos nas duas cidades: os empreendedores, a população nascida após 1970 e a população nascida antes de 1970. Os resultados demonstraram que existe, entre as cidades pesquisadas, uma maior percepção dos benefícios trazidos pelo Parque Nacional no município de Mostardas. O fato de Tavares possuir grande parte de seu território na área de entorno da Unidade de Conservação, acarreta maiores restrições no uso da terra, o que gera mais conflitos. Verificou-se ainda, que há uma tendência dos entrevistados nascidos após 1970 de aceitar mais os benefícios do Parque Nacional do que entre os nascidos antes do ano de 1970. Por outro lado, ambos os grupos não identificam a Unidade de Conservação como um potencial gerador de receitas, pois somente a visualizam com relação a atividades agrícolas e não como um potencial para Turismo. Verificou-se entre os empreendedores, o reconhecimento dos benefícios ambientais e econômicos oriundos da atividade turística no Parque. Constatou-se que o ecossistema preservado de grande singularidade é o principal atrativo da região e que os habitantes reconhecem esse potencial, no entanto, deve-se trabalhar melhor o tipo de Turismo que a região pretende desenvolver, definindo o público alvo a ser atingido, havendo assim, uma melhor integração entre o Turismo e a preservação dos recursos naturais. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-05-28T17:09:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Paulo Roberto Teixeira.pdf: 3666913 bytes, checksum: 5806669a5a96953e2c6b4623737426b9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-28T17:09:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Paulo Roberto Teixeira.pdf: 3666913 bytes, checksum: 5806669a5a96953e2c6b4623737426b9 (MD5) / The National Park of Lagoa do Peixe is a protected area that is located between Mostardas and Tavares cities, at middle and south coast of the estate of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 230km from Porto Alegre. The region where it is inserted has an economy based on agriculture, mainly of the onion and the rice, livestock and fishing. Also the plantations of pinus is the activity that causes the strongest environmental impact for the region, because it is a species that spreads easily to other areas. The general objective of the research was to evaluate the role of the National Park, in the process of developing tourism in the cities of Tavares and Mostardas, to check its relation with the improvements in quality of life. The hypothesis used was that due to the increase of visitors in the cities, the population would understand the improvements made to serve them and enjoy the benefits of tourism activity. For this study, was used an exploratory-descriptive search with focus qualitative and quantitative. For data collection, was used the interview, made with three different groups in the both cities: the businessmen, the population born after 1970 and the population born before 1970. The results showed that exist, among the cities surveyed, a greater perception about the benefits brought for the National Park in Mostardas. The fact that Tavares have much of its territory in the surroundings of the Park, carries more restrictions on land use, which creates more conflict. It was also found that there is a tendency of respondents born after 1970 to accept more the benefits of National Park than in those born before the year 1970. On the other hand, both groups did not identify the protected area as a potential generator of revenue, because they only see the point of view in of agricultural activities and not the potential for tourism. Among the businessmen, it was found a big acceptance of the environmental and economic benefits arising from the tourism in the Park. It was found that the preserved ecosystem is the main attraction of the region and that people recognize this potential, however, it is necessary to develop an appropriate type of tourism to the Park, defining the target audience to be reached, so there is better integration between tourism and preservation of natural resources.

Thesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. / Research indicates that community-based tourism (CBT) has economic relevance and is often viewed as an alternative source of income for rural communities that are endowed with rich cultural and natural tourism resources, yet the success of CBT projects is negligible. This research was designed to explore the importance of considering pre-conditions for CBT before proceeding with the actual implementation of the project with a sample of CBT project members directly involved in CBT. Ignoring this fundamental step often led to failure of CBT projects. The research sought to establish whether the CBT projects in Mpondoland were either faced with challenges or presented with opportunities and to propose a CBT Pre-condition Management and Evaluation Model (PEM). The participants were selected because of their relevant knowledge and experience in relation to the case. All seventeen members who were operating a CBT business at the time of the study in the village of Noqhekwane and all five members from the village of Ndengane were approached to participate in the study. This study employed a mixed-methods approach for data collection, more specifically, the qualitative approach was used to gather more in-depth information from respondents, based on their CBT project in the context of their specific socio-economic status, their local environment, education levels, management and background of their project, and infrastructures of the area. Interpretive analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data using thematic categories from the analysis as sub-headings. Other data collected from the responses was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0.

O ecoturismo representa uma das modalidades de turismo de maior interesse na sociedade contemporânea, envolvendo o contato do ser humano com a natureza preservada e contribuindo à conservação do meio ambiente no local visitado. No Brasil, grande parte dos atrativos ecoturísticos encontra-se nas Unidades de Conservação (UCs), onde as Reservas Particulares do Patrimônio Natural (RPPNs) representam a categoria de caráter privado. As RPPNs são instituídas por ato voluntário do proprietário e destinadas à conservação dos ecossistemas, sendo uma das principais estratégias nos biomas brasileiros mais ameaçados.Essas unidades seguem uma tendência mundial de expansão dos esforços privados na conservação da biodiversidade, cujo uso compatível, por meio do turismo, é permitido, mediante planejamento e manejo adequados. Uma pesquisa exploratório-descritiva foi realizada, sob o enfoque quali-quantitativo, com o objetivo de avaliar a importância das RPPNs ao ecoturismo e o papel deste na conservação dos ecossistemas presentes nessas UCs. A análise do cenário das RPPNs no Brasil, comparado ao do Rio Grande do Sul, foi feita a partir da aplicação de questionários, entrevistas e formulários em 14 RPPNs do Brasil que desenvolvem ecoturismo, e sete unidades do Rio Grande do Sul. A pesquisa foi norteada pela questão da possibilidade de o ecoturismo vir a ser um instrumento para a conservação dos ecossistemas nas RPPNs, cujos resultados demonstram tendências e práticas diversas sendo desenvolvidas nesses ambientes. A partir da análise da inter-relação entre meio ambiente e ecoturismo, no âmbito das RPPNs, estas demonstram ser estratégias efetivas na conservação dos ecossistemas brasileiros; porém, ainda um desafio em evolução quanto à implementação dos preceitos do ecoturismo. / Ecotourism represents one of the types of tourism that most interests contemporary society, since it relates the contact of human being with preserved nature while contributing to the local environment conservation. In Brazil, a significant diversity of ecotourism attractions is found within the natural protected areas, in which the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural - RPPN represents the private category. The RPPNs are created by voluntary act from the private owner for the conservation of ecosystems, and it has become one of the main strategies in Brazilian ecosystems that face extreme threats. These areas follow a world-wide trend of enlarging private efforts for conserving biodiversity, where its compatible use through tourism is allowed under an appropriate planning and management. A descriptive and exploratory research was developed, under the qualitative and quantitative methods, with the objective to evaluate the importance of the RPPNs to the ecotourism and its role in the conservation of ecosystems. The analysis of the RPPNs in Brazil, compared to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, was based in the application of questionnaires, interviews and forms in 14 RPPNs that develop ecotourism around Brazil, and in seven areas in Rio Grande do Sul. The research was guided by the possibility of ecotourism as an instrument for the conservation of ecosystems in the RPPNs, and the results demonstrate a diversity of practices and trends being developed in these environments. The relation between environment and ecotourism in the scope of the RPPNs demonstrates that they are effective strategies to the conservation of Brazilian ecosystems. However, the practices of the concepts of ecotourism are still a challenge for its evolution.

O Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe é uma Unidade de Conservação de proteção integral e está localizado entre as cidades de Mostardas e Tavares, no litoral médio e sul do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, a 230 km de Porto Alegre. A região na qual está inserido apresenta uma economia baseada na agricultura, destaque para a cebola e o arroz, pecuária, pesca e principalmente a extração madeireira do pinus, atividade essa que causa grande impacto ambiental à região, por ser uma espécie que se dissemina com facilidade para outras áreas. O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi de avaliar o papel do Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe no processo de desenvolvimento do Turismo nos municípios de Mostardas e Tavares, verificando sua relação com as melhorias na qualidade de vida da população. A hipótese utilizada foi que devido ao aumento de visitantes nas cidades, a população passaria a perceber as melhorias realizadas para atendê-los e a usufruir dos benefícios da atividade turística. Para isso foi utilizada uma pesquisa exploratório-descritiva com enfoque qualitativo e quantitativo. Utilizou-se, como método de coleta de dados, a entrevista, realizada em três grupos distintos nas duas cidades: os empreendedores, a população nascida após 1970 e a população nascida antes de 1970. Os resultados demonstraram que existe, entre as cidades pesquisadas, uma maior percepção dos benefícios trazidos pelo Parque Nacional no município de Mostardas. O fato de Tavares possuir grande parte de seu território na área de entorno da Unidade de Conservação, acarreta maiores restrições no uso da terra, o que gera mais conflitos. Verificou-se ainda, que há uma tendência dos entrevistados nascidos após 1970 de aceitar mais os benefícios do Parque Nacional do que entre os nascidos antes do ano de 1970. Por outro lado, ambos os grupos não identificam a Unidade de Conservação como um potencial gerador de receitas, pois somente a visualizam com relação a atividades agrícolas e não como um potencial para Turismo. Verificou-se entre os empreendedores, o reconhecimento dos benefícios ambientais e econômicos oriundos da atividade turística no Parque. Constatou-se que o ecossistema preservado de grande singularidade é o principal atrativo da região e que os habitantes reconhecem esse potencial, no entanto, deve-se trabalhar melhor o tipo de Turismo que a região pretende desenvolver, definindo o público alvo a ser atingido, havendo assim, uma melhor integração entre o Turismo e a preservação dos recursos naturais. / The National Park of Lagoa do Peixe is a protected area that is located between Mostardas and Tavares cities, at middle and south coast of the estate of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 230km from Porto Alegre. The region where it is inserted has an economy based on agriculture, mainly of the onion and the rice, livestock and fishing. Also the plantations of pinus is the activity that causes the strongest environmental impact for the region, because it is a species that spreads easily to other areas. The general objective of the research was to evaluate the role of the National Park, in the process of developing tourism in the cities of Tavares and Mostardas, to check its relation with the improvements in quality of life. The hypothesis used was that due to the increase of visitors in the cities, the population would understand the improvements made to serve them and enjoy the benefits of tourism activity. For this study, was used an exploratory-descriptive search with focus qualitative and quantitative. For data collection, was used the interview, made with three different groups in the both cities: the businessmen, the population born after 1970 and the population born before 1970. The results showed that exist, among the cities surveyed, a greater perception about the benefits brought for the National Park in Mostardas. The fact that Tavares have much of its territory in the surroundings of the Park, carries more restrictions on land use, which creates more conflict. It was also found that there is a tendency of respondents born after 1970 to accept more the benefits of National Park than in those born before the year 1970. On the other hand, both groups did not identify the protected area as a potential generator of revenue, because they only see the point of view in of agricultural activities and not the potential for tourism. Among the businessmen, it was found a big acceptance of the environmental and economic benefits arising from the tourism in the Park. It was found that the preserved ecosystem is the main attraction of the region and that people recognize this potential, however, it is necessary to develop an appropriate type of tourism to the Park, defining the target audience to be reached, so there is better integration between tourism and preservation of natural resources.

The purpose of this thesis is to substantiate the hypothetical development of a community radio station for a South African National Park, such as the Kruger National Park and to design the programming. As such the thesis has two phases namely a theoretical phase, where the variables and dynamics of the process of community unification, tourism’s ability to alleviate poverty and the central role played by radio are considered, and a creative phase, where the findings of the theoretical phase are applied in the design of the programme. The research leads to a model, and its methodology can be described as applied creative research. In order to arrive at the model, the research investigates a number of dynamics. In the first instance the research investigates a potential audience for such a community radio station. The notion of this potential audience or imagined community is interrogated. The thesis argues that there needs to be a conceptually synthesised audience, consisting of the local ethnic community, and a tourist community and that these two communities have interwoven functions around the provision and exploitation of tourism. Secondly, the thesis argues the demands of the audience synthesis, by investigating the nature of the South African tourism industry, with specific reference to the National Parks. In this section, the interrelatedness of the function and demands of the two communities are posited and developed, so that the groundwork for potential content of the Community Radio Station can be foregrounded. The thesis then interrogates the concept of communication by radio and draws on Marshall McLuhan’s concepts of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ receivers and Walter Ong’s work around primary and secondary orality, amongst others. Here the thesis argues for the way that radio may be used to exploit and develop the synergy of the ethnic and the tourist community. The thesis then moves into the phase, where, through the recognised research process oftriangulation, which includes the synergised two communities (now a ‘Parks Emergent Radio Community’/ PERC), the shared content around the demands of tourism in National Parks, and the communal form of radio are creatively interwoven into a potential or hypothetical programme layout. The study concludes with a consideration of what might be the stumbling blocks in the way of implementing such a triangulated process and notes finances and budgets, training, and most specifically, bureaucratic intervention by licensing authorities as primary obstacles. The thesis argues for the advantages of the development of such a Community Radio Station for National Parks, given the projected steep increment in the tourist trade in South Africa. / Thesis (DPhil (Community Radio))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Drama / unrestricted

This work, containing reflections on human-nature relationship, the perspective of the process of capitalist accumulation and in the light of geographical science and of Marxist theory , aims to analyze the relations between the state and capital , implied in the process that defines the commodification of landscape from the natural activity of ecotourism in the National Parks that are part of the National System of Conservation Units . It is noted therefore that the State, in view of the continuing need for capital expansion and responding to changes of modern times, proposed to be implemented in the National Parks and its environs, ecotourism as an economic activity capable of promoting " sustainable development . " However, this activity is the type of tourism in which nature itself is a commodity that should be consumed. The interference of the commodification of natural landscapes in the production of space these protected areas and their surroundings, with the territorial capital of the tourism demands geographers reflect the purpose of the particularities of results and contradictions of this process that transforms these spaces of accumulation territories of ecotourism, before the regime of flexible accumulation of the capital system, but also imposes question what defines it. And in this sense, it is necessary to note that the analysis of reality, without disregarding the changes observed with the rise of postmodern cultural forms, maintains the central argument is that the relationship between the state and capital that define this process. Besides the growth of visitation to National Parks, some observed in recent years related to public policy, such as a result of investments made in the Parks Program Guide , as well as related to private initiative , as investments made in some of these initiatives Conservations Units by companies that have the issue of support visitation services , supporting the continuum of this process . However, nothing guarantees that this will evolve in the future to the point of being mean to restructure the space of all the National Parks and its environs, which generally constitute the traditional territories of several and / or productive leisure activities, there view are the capitalists who, following the logic of capital, make the choices of the spaces in which they will realize their investments. The analysis highlights the fact that the actions of the State, for the development of ecotourism in protected areas that category were not followed in many of these by significant capital expenditures. But it should be noted that even before being perceived any significant interference with the territorial capital ecotourism in many National Parks, these conflicts of interests related to this process are observed, like the conflicts arising from the expropriation of areas with natural landscapes of great scenic beauty that must be turned into tourist attractions. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the mystification around ecotourism, as well as the need to evaluate the results of this territorialization in the production of space based on social interest. And since the process being analyzed in this work, is ongoing, or even just begins, there is no pretense to launch definitive conclusions about the same, making it necessary to indicate its further analysis. / Este trabalho, contendo reflexões em torno da relação homem-natureza, na perspectiva do processo de acumulação capitalista e à luz da ciência geográfica e da teoria marxista, objetiva analisar as relações entre o Estado e o capital, subentendidas no processo que define a mercantilização da paisagem natural a partir da atividade do ecoturismo nos Parques Nacionais que integram o Sistema Nacional de Unidades de Conservação da Natureza. Nota-se, deste modo, que o Estado, atendendo à necessidade contínua de expansão do capital e respondendo às mudanças dos novos tempos, propõe que seja implementado nos Parques Nacionais e em seus entornos, o ecoturismo como uma atividade econômica capaz de promover o desenvolvimento sustentável . Entretanto, esta atividade é a modalidade de turismo na qual a natureza, em si, é a mercadoria que deve ser consumida. A interferência da mercantilização das paisagens naturais na produção do espaço dessas Unidades de Conservação e dos seus entornos, com a territorialização do capital turístico, exige dos geógrafos refletir a propósito das particularidades, dos desencadeamentos e das contradições desse processo que transforma esses espaços de acumulação em territórios do ecoturismo, diante do regime de acumulação flexível do sistema do capital, mas também impõe questionar o que o define. E, neste sentido, é mister observar que a análise da realidade, sem desconsiderar as mudanças observadas com a ascensão de formas culturais pós-modernas, sustenta o argumento central de que são as relações entre o Estado e o capital que definem esse processo. Além do crescimento da visitação aos Parques Nacionais, algumas iniciativas observadas nos últimos anos, relacionadas à política pública, a exemplo dos investimentos realizados em decorrência do Programa Turismo nos Parques, bem como relacionadas à iniciativa privada, como os investimentos efetuados em algumas dessas Unidades de Conservações por empresas que têm a concessão de serviços de apoio à visitação, sustentam a perspectiva de continuidade desse processo. Todavia, nada garante que este evolua a ponto de no futuro ser significativo para a reestruturação do espaço do conjunto dos Parques Nacionais e de seus entornos, os quais, de modo geral, constituem tradicionais territórios de atividades produtivas diversas e/ou de lazer, haja vista serem os capitalistas que, seguindo a lógica do capital, fazem as escolhas dos espaços em que irão realizar os seus investimentos. A análise da realidade evidencia que as ações do Estado, em prol do desenvolvimento do ecoturismo nas Unidades de Conservação dessa categoria, não foram seguidas em muitas destas por investimentos expressivos de capital. Mas deve-se observar que, mesmo antes de ser percebida qualquer interferência significativa da territorialização do capital com o ecoturismo em muitos Parques Nacionais, nestes, são observados conflitos de interesses relacionados a esse processo, a exemplo dos conflitos decorrentes das desapropriações de áreas com paisagens naturais de grande beleza cênica, que devem ser transformadas em atrativos turísticos. Assim sendo, é importante atentar para a mistificação em torno do ecoturismo, bem como para a necessidade de avaliar os resultados dessa territorialização na produção do espaço com base no interesse social. E, visto que o processo em análise neste trabalho encontra-se em curso, ou mesmo apenas se inicia, não se tem a pretensão de lançar conclusões definitivas sobre o mesmo, fazendo-se necessário indicar o prosseguimento da sua análise.

Tourism in tropical areas represents the fastest-growing branch of tertiary sector. The Balikpapan Bay (Eastern Kalimantan, Indonesia) is partly covered by mangroves and remains of primeval tropical forest that are extraordinary for their unique biodiversity. To avoid over-exploitation of described destination, detailed analysis of the evolving tourism and implementation of its sustainable form - ecotourism is necessary. The submitted project builds on one of the latest topics of longitudinal research running by Stanislav Lhota, PhD. in this area. Supervisor of this thesis, Radek Trnka, PhD. also joined the research in its beginning in 2005. Description and evaluation of current condition of ecotourism in Balikpapan Bay area is the main goal of the diploma thesis. Therefore, activities of organizations acting on natural tourism field, and which are connected with ecotourism, were analyzed in depth. The semi-annual field research was done in the area of Balikpapan Bay, while a combination of several qualitative techniques, especially participant and non- participant observation and semi-structured interviews as well as document analysis marginally, was used for data collection. The research brought several main findings. Concept ecotourism is perceived as an educative nature-based tourism by...

Magister Artium - MA / Recent years have seen an upsurge of interest from governments and development organisations in adopting the Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach when developing and operating ecotourism projects. A PPP is a contract between a public sector institution and a private party, in which the private party assumes substantial financial, technical and operational risk in the design, financing, building and operation of a project (South African National Treasury 2004). Countries such as India, China and Kenya have developed numerous projects through PPPs. Protected Areas have followed suit in adopting the PPP approach, to be able to focus on their core business, namely conservation. To date, relevant research on PPP ecotourism projects, specifically pro-poor tourism approach is fragmented, limited in scope, and lacks examples that can assist practitioners in embedding pro-poor tourism principles in the PPP methodology. Academically, studies are largely evaluations that compare progress against projects’ defined objectives or broad based sustainable tourism goals. However, this study is an assessment of a tourism development from a pro-poor tourism perspective. Thus, this study interrogated the extent to which ecotourism PPP at De Hoop is pro-poor. Furthermore, the study sought to establish if rural local communities living in and near De Hoop PPP benefit and how their benefits can be enhanced. Pro-poor tourism indicators are used in this study as a theoretical base to evaluate De Hoop PPP.

No description available.