Conservation, Tourism and Value Chains

Conservation, Tourism and Value Chains Background Background  Tourism has provided an economic rationale for government sponsored landscape and wildlife conservation ever since modern protected areas were first established (Runte 1987, MacKenzie 1999). Background  While economic benefits of biodiversity are diffuse and accrue to society in general, financial benefits generally accrue to governments and external entrepreneurs, many of the costs are acute and borne locally (Dixon and Sherman 1990; Wells 1992; Balmford and Whitten 2003) A Little History A Little History  Phase 1: 1960’s / 1970s – mass scale tourism development projects (World Bank, IFC etc)  Mass tourism projects – Cancun, Mombasa,  Establishment of national parks / protected areas in a neo-colonial model (guns and fences) A Little History  Phase 2: 1980’s – small scale ecotourism lodges  ―Local economic development as a strategy for wildlife conservation and conflict resolution‖ (IUCN / UNEP / WWF 1980)  ―Conservation with a human face‖ (Bell 1987)  Socialist business model  Major donor investment in ―community based‖ tourism development A Little History  Phase 3: 1990’s –integrated rural development projects  Major donor investment in ―community based‖ tourism development  Sustainable utilization and equitable benefit sharing enshrined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (2005) A Little History  ? Phase 4 ? (now) – Increased interest in “leveraging” tourism for biodiversity conservation with the private sector What have we learned? What have we learned?  Indirect incentive schemes that attempt to integrate economic development and conservation are a challenge  At the community level  Benefits are few and do not offset individual costs  Benefits are too indirect to act as an incentive for conservation  As benefits rise, so do aspirations What have we learned?  Enterprises Must generate net benefits for communities  The Distribution of benefits amoungst individuals should take into account variation between individuals the cost of living with wildlife  A clear understanding of the linkages between the receipts of benefits from conservation and the need to conserve it Why work the Value Chain? The travel industry has been significantly more successful than the “tourism as an economic development / biodiversity conservation” movement in generating economic returns Because of this success, the principals of sustainable tourism are increasingly being adopted by the mainstream tourism industry Why work the Value Chain?         Engage in tourism in a systematic way Ensure that the private sector is driving the process Utilize end-market information to inform upgrading strategies Diagnose and evaluate constraints and opportunities Prioritize addressing the key constraints with stakeholders Design interventions that are both high-impact and sustainable Develop multi-year strategies with stakeholders to sustain competitiveness Clearly link tourism activities to conservation efforts Key common constraints      Policy constraints (e.g. land tenure) Lack of / poor links to higher yielding end- markets and tour operators Short visitor stays at sites/destinations, few benefits retained at sites/ destinations Poor backward linkages to agriculture, local labor force, other inputs Lack of appropriate financing options, low-quality financial products and services The Power of End Market Demand  Identifying key firm-level activities that create value and a competitive advantage  Learning and innovation sources  Distribution of benefits, and  Incentives for behavior change in the tourism sector Competitiveness Strategy Objectives: Improve tourism experience Increase number of quality activities Protect environment that tourism depends on Reinforce linkages with local producers Increase number of tourist arrivals •Support for local tour operators •Site development •Promotion Strategies: •Increase professionalism in service subindustries •Improve sanitation •Improve lodging options •National Monument status for Alley of Baobabs •Strengthen linkages to agricultural inputs •Improve marketing •Strengthening regional tourism office •Improve access by air •Information collection and dissemination •Improve access & response to end market demands •Support for Cellule Technique Baobab’s efforts •Strengthen handicrafts production and promotion •Strengthen linkages to seafood vendors Impact: •Increased competitiveness of tourism sector •Decreased poverty through pro-poor economic growth •Increased financing of biodiversity conservation through tourism activities Menabe Region Low-end Tourists Researchers, Backpackers, France, Reunion, Madagascar n≈ 7,000 Mid-range Tourists France, Japan, Reunion, USA, Canada, UK, Europe (other), Madagascar n≈ 15,000 High-end Tourists France, USA, UK, Europe (other) n≈ 2,000 Only one airline servicing the destination constrains growth, access to the region, competitive pricing Outbound Tour Operators, Travel Agents and Wholesalers Current End Market Tour Operators/ Travel Agencies n= Tour Operators/ Travel Agencies n= Tour Operators/ Travel Agencies n= No local excursion assembler limits options for tourists, increases costs for TOs, and hinders marketing of MSEs No local products and services catering to high-end market—highend tourists fly in/ fly out and do not stay in region—large leakage Inbound Tour Operators and Travel Agencies Micro TOs/ T.A.: Mid-range to Low-end market n=34 Small TOs/ T.A.: Mid-range n= 19 Small TOs/ T.A.: High-end n= 8 National Tourism Service Providers Air Madagascar Taxi Brousse National Car Rentals National Guides Private Aircrafts Regional Taxi Brousse Regional Car Rentals Informal n=42 Local Tourism Product & Service Providers Hotels/ Restaurants 2 Stars n=3 Eco-lodges 2 Stars n=5 Hotel/ Restaurant 2 Ravinala n=14 Bungalows in Forest 1 Ravinala n=1 Hotel/ Restaurant 1 Star/ 3 Ravinala n=18 Regional Car Rentals Formal n=5 Local Guides n= 22 Over-utilization of marquee natural resource attraction and no means to extract local benefits Handicraft Shop Morandava n=4 Handicraft Shop Marofandillia n=1 Natural, Cultural and Historical Attractions Alley of the Baobabs Cultural Attractions: Tombs, Markets, etc. Waterfalls, springs and other water attractions Parc du Menabe-Private Zoo, Parc Autruche, Agoecotourism (private) Andranomena RS (ANGAP) Kirindy Forest TS (CFPF) Mangroves Beaches Lac Bedo Private Park (De Heaulme) Tsingy de Bemaraha NP (ANGAP) Several missed opportunities to derive more benefit from tourism by offering more entertainment, cultural, historical, or shopping opportunities for tourists to spend more money locally. The lack of infrastructure in community managed protected areas hinders the ability of communities to derive benefits from tourism Protected Area- Category 5 Local Input Providers Animal Products Agricultural Products Handicrafts Mareyeuses Agricultural Products Fishermen Animal Products Lack of local input provisioning reduces local benefits derived from tourism industry and limits economic opportunities Thank you!