Paying the price of ecotourism; two pioneer biological reserves face the challenges brought by a recent boom in tourism.
Americas (English Edition) › Vol. 46 Nbr. 6, November 1994
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Summary
Ecuador's Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
The influx of tourists has brought a considerable strain on the environmental well being of Ecuador's Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Residents and conservationists have conducted ecotourism activities as bold conservation measures towards saving the environment.See the full content of this document
Extract
Paying the price of ecotourism; two pioneer biological reserves face the challenges brought by a recent boom in tourism.
Two of the oldest ecotourist destinations in the Americas are Ecuador's Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Both have been internationally acclaimed for their sound conservation and tourism strategies. Both have been "blessed" by their relative inaccessibility, careful monitoring by scientists, their well-trained guides, and their concerned local communities. Over the last decade, however, as a tourist explosion has brought world attention and new funds to both the Galapagos and Monteverde, it has also put strains on their ecosystems and nearby populations. Although the Galapagos and Monteverde have been viewed as models--beacon lights on the road to sustainable and sound ecotourism--they also may be warning lights signaling danger from tourism that expands too rapidly, without sufficient planning, government and community control, tourist sector responsibility, and international concern.
The Galapagos, seventy-odd volcani...See the full content of this document
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