Balancing marine conservation with community well-being by adding value to the local fish economy in Galapagos Marine Park.

A biodiversity hotspot both on land and underwater, the Galapagos Islands are an area of extraordinary global biological significance.  Because the islands are extremely isolated, an especially high percentage of the species in the Galapagos cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. In addition, the region serves as a habitat for nearly 3,000 marine species and is home to the largest biomass of sharks on the planet.

While it may be easy to point fingers at the fishermen and overlook their concerns, our experience has shown that environmental conservation and community well-being should go hand in hand.  As one of the oldest economic activities on the islands, fishing is deeply embedded within the Galapagos’ culture. For many of the fishermen, it is a way of life that has been passed down from one generation to the next. Losing the fishermen would not only alter the community’s identity, but it would also threaten local food security and drive up reliance on imported food – meaning higher prices for locals as well as an increased likelihood of new biohazards being introduced to the islands.  In addition, it would also diminish the authenticity of the Galapagos culinary tourism experience.

To lessen tensions surrounding the new sanctuary, in 2016 Sustainable Travel International worked with the fishermen, government, park management, local businesses, and NGOs to identify ways to support those affected by the added regulations.  Through a series of interviews, workshops, and focus groups, our team was able to gain a better understanding of the problems and potential opportunities related to two intervention strategies: 

1. Increasing the value of locally-caught fish
2. Pinpointing alternative livelihood opportunities for fishermen within the marine tourism sector

Through this collaborative process, we developed an action plan that outlines recommended next steps for the Government of Ecuador to alleviate the conflict and successfully implement these strategies. We hope that once this plan is put into action, that it will result in a beneficial future for both the wildlife and the residents of the Galapagos. 

Assessing sustainable tourism issues and needs to protect one of Africa’s World Heritage Sites

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of Tanzania’s most visited destinations, covering 8,292 square kilometers of savanna, highland plains, savanna woodlands and forests. The area is internationally renowned for the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera; the resident pastoralist population; and the native wildlife including Africa’s ‘Big Five’ – the African elephant, Cape buffalo, rhinoceros, African lion and African leopard. The protected area also harbors a range of endangered species and supports one of the largest animal migrations on earth, making it a global priority for biodiversity conservation.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to tribal communities who preserve their traditional way of life while co-existing with the area wildlife. The protected area also contains a number of key paleontological and archaeological sites where Hominid fossils dating back three million years were discovered. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area was declared a natural property on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 and a cultural property in 2010.

In recent years, the region experienced considerable tourism growth as well as an increase in the resident and livestock populations. The conservation area now faces numerous conservation and community relations challenges linked to this growth including:

• Degraded quality of the visitor experience
• Saturation and congestion
• Human wildlife conflict
• Need for a diversified product offering
• Lack of engagement with key stakeholders
• Low capacity of local community
• Low community involvement in tourism

Our Role

At the request of UNESCO, Sustainable Travel International completed a detailed situation analysis and tourism needs assessment to help the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) develop a holistic strategy for sustainable destination management within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. It was funded by the UNESCO Flanders Fund and Trust under the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme.

The work addressed some of the key issues affecting the area. Project objectives included:

• Strengthening relations between key destination stakeholders
• Safeguarding the outstanding universal value of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, including protection of globally threatened species and biodiversity as well as preservation of the local culture and heritage
• Enhancing the visitor experience

Sustainable Travel International undertook three key activities between May and June 2016: destination profiling, an on-site assessment and situation analysis, and a needs assessment report. The report contained key issues related to tourism in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and provided recommendations for improvement.

The situation analysis and tourism needs assessment will be used as the basis for completing the NCAA sustainable tourism development strategy.

Capturing the North American tourist market to alleviate rural poverty and support local conservation efforts in Namibia.

Located along the Atlantic Ocean in Southern Africa, Namibia spans over 800,000 square kilometers of natural and cultural diversity. Namibia’s resident population is made up of at least 11 different ethnic groups, resulting in a rich mix of heritage and traditions. Unfortunately, a large percentage of Namibia’s rural indigenous population lives in poverty due the country’s history of apartheid and the resulting income inequality. The country’s geography varies greatly, from sand dunes and rugged mountains to tropical rainforests and savannahs. These landscapes host a high number of endemic species, making wildlife conservation a crucial focus.

Namibia was the first country in the world to specifically address habitat conservation and the protection of natural resources in its constitution. This led to the establishment of 82 communal conservancies – defined geographic areas within which the local residents are responsible for the protection of the wildlife and other natural resources. Residents are also given rights over tourism operations and development within the conservancy boundaries. This means the local people are more likely to be engaged in and receive the benefits from tourism. The influx of tourists to communal conservancies combats Namibia’s high rural poverty levels by stimulating rural community development, creating new job opportunities, generating alternative income streams, and providing new skills and expertise.

Communal conservancy tourism also fosters sustainable management of natural resources and stimulates cultural preservation. Because Namibia’s most compelling tourism assets are the native wildlife and cultural heritage, local communities now associate these natural resources with increased economic benefits and place a greater value on conservation efforts. This has resulted in decreased poaching, the successful restoration of native species such as black rhinos, lions, cheetahs and zebras, and the ongoing revitalization of cultural traditions.

Of course, the success of economic development and conservation efforts within Namibia’s communal conservancies is highly contingent on the prosperity of the country’s tourism industry. While Namibia enjoyed steady tourism growth during the decade after its Independence in 1990, the economic recession in the years following led to a decline in tourist arrivals from the country’s traditional European source markets. With every tourist signifying an opportunity for poverty alleviation and resource conservation, this decrease in arrivals represented an impending threat to the well-being of Namibian communities.

Our Role

To combat the decline in European tourist arrivals and spur sustainable tourism development, Sustainable Travel International joined Cardno, a professional infrastructure and environmental services company, and other partners to implement the North American Destination Marketing (NADM) Project. The project was funded by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) – Namibia on behalf of the Namibia Tourism Board.

The NADM project aimed to diversify Namibia’s source markets by attracting more travelers from the United States and Canada and increasing the number of tour operators who sell Namibia. Achieving this tourism growth would mean greater benefits for local people and communities engaged in tourism, particularly those living in rural poverty, including:

• Greater local employment and economic gain from increased foreign engagement with Namibian festivals and events
• Increased local capacity and skill-set
• Enhanced appreciation and conservation of Namibia’s natural and cultural heritage
• Increased social cohesiveness
• Enhanced national and community pride
• Cultural enrichment and broader social outlook through increased interaction with other people, ideas and cultures

The project took the form of a destination marketing campaign implemented over the course of four years. The campaign promoted Namibia as an exciting new destination, with added emphasis on conservancy-based tourism. Sustainable Travel International led the Festivals and Events component of the campaign. STI’s work focused on increasing the quality and recognition of Namibian festivals and events as well as communicating the essence of the destination by offering compelling, authentic stories. Our efforts included:

• Capacity building workshops for locals focused on festival / event planning, marketing, and how to meet the needs of North American travelers
• Development of educational resources for Namibian event planners
• Relaunch of Namibia’s Ae//Gams Arts and Cultural Festival in 2014
• Targeted outreach to travel trade, PR and strategic business networks
• Event promotion through North American marketing and media channels
• Promotion of Namibia as a prime destination for North American event planners

Our work, along with other project components, contributed to the ultimate success of the campaign. There are now 141 new North American companies selling Namibia and North American tourist arrivals grew from 19,342 at the beginning of the project to 28,787 in 2014. There are also 158 new itineraries to Namibia, many of which are specifically focused on communal conservancy tourism.

While these achievements are considerable, the impact of this project extends far beyond the numbers. The resulting prosperity in Namibia’s tourism industry signifies additional economic opportunities and improved quality of life for people living in rural poverty as new jobs are created, foreign money flows into the local economy, and sustainable development is made possible.  Additionally, the growth in conservancy based tourism heightens the perceived value of wildlife, habitats, cultural traditions and local heritage as prized assets, ensuring that conservation efforts continue to be a top priority.