IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) has released a new publication titled “Tourism and Visitor Management in Protected Areas“, guidelines to help protected area authorities establish sustainable tourism and visitation.
Many protected areas are managed for tourism and visitation as one component of achieving their purpose, involving a wide range of stakeholders, including the private sector. The rapidly expanding demand for tourism development associated with protected areas emphasises the need to provide clear guidance that will contribute towards sustainable tourism consistent with the primary conservation objectives of protected areas. The legal, political, economic and social contexts for tourism in and around protected areas vary widely across the globe, yet there are many common elements and a diversity of experiences that can enrich the understanding of those involved.
“At the global scale, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council has developed criteria for certification and accreditation programmes that are applicable to protected areas (see Box 2.3), and recognises and accredits certification standards that are aligned with these criteria.”
