Ecotourism and Community Development

Ana Veras

Professor Lyon

Ecotourism and Community Development

The article “Is Community-based Ecotourism a Good Use of Biodiversity conservation funds?” defines community-based ecotourism in a very complex way. It is “ a mean of supporting biodiversity conservation, particularly in developing countries”. Belize is a perfect example for this definition due to its rapid development on its ecosystem and the desire of its conservation. As we read on the “Ecotourism and Community Development: A view From Belize” article, ecotourism is the fastest growing branch of the travel industry helping people in the developing world such as in Belize with opportunities for community development.

While reading these articles we came across many ways in which the ecotourism is helping the developing country of Belize, especially its rural community that is expected to need more help than others. The “Ecotourism and Community Development: A view from Belize” article describes a very creative way in which the people from the community can help themselves economically while helping the ecosystem as well. Dr. Robert Horwich invented the Community Baboon Sanctuary with the intentions of creating a safer and more appropriate environment for the black howler monkeys. With this new Sanctuary the monkeys will have a better living conditions and the community will benefit with the tourist that would pay in other to visit the Sanctuaries. Due to the great benefits that the Sanctuary was providing the community with, other sanctuaries were created to help other animals such as jaguars with the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and others.

Even though there are great things in helping the community with projects like the sanctuary that would benefit the environment as well, there are many pitfalls and challenges that the community-base project faces in promoting the ecotourism. Some of the pitfalls according to the “Is Community-based Ecotourism a Good Use of...