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LINKING ECOTOURISM AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION: A CASE STUDY OF DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK, THAILAND
Author(s) -
Hvenegaard Glen T.,
Dearden Philip
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
singapore journal of tropical geography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1467-9493
pISSN - 0129-7619
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9493.1998.tb00259.x
Subject(s) - ecotourism , tourism , national park , interdependence , biodiversity conservation , biodiversity , context (archaeology) , environmental resource management , geography , environmental planning , nature tourism , nature conservation , business , ecology , sociology , environmental science , social science , archaeology , biology
Ecotourism, or tourism that promotes conservation, does not occur in isolation, but as part of an interdependent system. Based on a case study at Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand, this study outlines a conceptual framework for such a system, placing biodiversity conservation in the context of other major tourism components, including tourists, ecotourism infrastructure, protected areas and local people. In an interactive way, each component affects the conservation of biodiversity. Based on a tourist survey and participant observation, we examine the interrelationships among the key tourism components and potential changes over time. Several environmental, social, economic and educational effects illustrate the complex nature of the ecotourism‐conservation relationship. Recommendations to increase conservation benefits from ecotourism are provided.