{"id":260,"date":"2019-10-17T10:53:25","date_gmt":"2019-10-17T08:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/tourismeetdeveloppement\/?p=260"},"modified":"2019-10-17T10:53:25","modified_gmt":"2019-10-17T08:53:25","slug":"ecotourism-and-natural-parks-the-role-of-local-communities-in-ecotourism-natural-parks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/tourismeetdeveloppement\/2019\/10\/ecotourism-and-natural-parks-the-role-of-local-communities-in-ecotourism-natural-parks\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecotourism and natural parks the role of local communities in ecotourism natural parks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ghana is a pioneer in terms of community-based ecotourism, which aims to focus on local populations, environment and tourists [1]<\/a>. However, local communities seem to be neglected sometimes and do not necessarily benefit from it [2]<\/a>. – Joanne Jeanbourquin et Na\u00efma Garcia-Casillas<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cEcotourism is a new form of tourism\u201d that develops a harmony between environment, local communities and economy [3]<\/a>. It aims to \u201cminimize environmental impacts\u201d [4]<\/a> and contributes to local people respecting nature resources. This concept is also usually described as a way to decrease poverty for the local communities [5]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It became popular in the 1970s, 1980s as a response to mass tourism [6]<\/a>. The \u201cestablishment of national parks\u201d at the end of the nineteenth century, such as Yellowstone in the USA and Banff in Canada, \u201cwas evidence of early interest in ecotourism\u201d [7]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The KCA (Kakum Conservation Area), as illustrated on the image below, is one of the most famous ecotourism destinations in Ghana [8]<\/a> and this kind of tourism is implanted since 1995 [9]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are different types of touristic goods: discovery and escapist [10]<\/a>, and some parks could be both. Indeed, they offer several possibilities, such as excursions in the forest with a guide or spending the night inside the parks and thus stay longer [11]<\/a>. Moreover,\u00a0natural parks are part of economic\u00a0experience, they offer an educational and escapist dimension.<\/p>\n

Various resources are created in natural parks, for example in Ghana, local communities use \u201cnature\u201d for \u201cfood but also as a basis of cultural and religious beliefs\u201d [12]<\/a>. But this \u201cnature\u201d is also used by international organization and the government, to protect biodiversity and to develop ecotourism [13]<\/a>. These various utilizations could be confrontational, especially if one of the uses is dominant over the others. Indeed, in KCA\u2019s case the actors encountered some conflicts [14]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Although ecotourism is positive for nature conservation, it also often \u201cmisrepresents local communities […] by \u201cconcealing\u201d them and marketing ecotourism as a \u201cpristine\u201d form of tourism\u201d [15]<\/a>. In response to that, Ghana developed community-based ecotourism, which aim is to increase community involvement. They create \u201cTourism Managment Committes\u201d [16]<\/a>. However, one of the challenges is to get a mixity of people and sharing the benefits equally [17]<\/a>. \u00a0Moreover, \u201clocal ecological knowledge\u201d is important to conservation and it is not always taken into account. \u201cScientific knowledge\u201d is necessary too and a compromise between both needs to be found18<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Joanne Jeanbourquin et Na\u00efma Garcia-Casillas<\/p>\n

Questions de recherche<\/u><\/span><\/h2>\n

Suite \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9criture du billet ci-dessus, diff\u00e9rents enjeux ont \u00e9t\u00e9 soulev\u00e9s face \u00e0 la probl\u00e9matique de l\u2019\u00e9cotourisme dans les parcs naturels au Ghana. Tout d\u2019abord, la mani\u00e8re de consid\u00e9rer les r\u00e9serves naturelles et de les pr\u00e9senter aux touristes de fa\u00e7on \u201cpure et sauvage\u201d[18]<\/a> ne correspond pas tout \u00e0 fait avec la r\u00e9alit\u00e9. En effet, la plupart du temps, les communaut\u00e9s locales ne sont pas inclues dans le processus d\u00e9cisionnel et dans la gestion de ces parcs, bien qu\u2019elles y aient toujours v\u00e9cu. De plus, leurs connaissances en termes d\u2019\u00e9cologie locale n\u2019est souvent pas prise en compte, puisque les personnes qui gouvernent ces parcs sont la plupart du temps externes, provenant de la ville ou m\u00eame d\u2019organisation internationales.[19]<\/a> Il est possible d\u2019observer en ce sens un paradoxe au sein m\u00eame de la d\u00e9finition d\u2019\u00e9cotourisme[20]<\/a>, qui est sens\u00e9e profiter directement aux communaut\u00e9s locales, tout en pr\u00e9servant l\u2019environnement. Il y a un d\u00e9calage entre th\u00e9orie et r\u00e9alit\u00e9 qui soul\u00e8ve \u00e9galement des questions sur la r\u00e9tention des revenus. Effectivement, il est int\u00e9ressant de savoir si les revenus engendr\u00e9s par les emplois li\u00e9s au secteur de l\u2019\u00e9cotourisme profitent localement ou non.<\/p>\n

Voici diff\u00e9rentes questions de recherche envisageables :<\/p>\n