IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group)

Protected areas are a key component of any global conservation strategy. Tourism provides a crucial and unique way of fostering visitors’ connection with protected area values, making it a potentially positive force for  conservation. Protected area tourism’s economic benefits – which depend on beautiful natural areas, healthy wildlife and nature, and authentic cultures – can also be a powerful argument for conservation.

Schutzgebiete sind ein wesentlicher Bestandteil jeder globalen Naturschutzstrategie.

As áreas protegidas são um componente essencial de qualquer estratégia de conservação global. O turismo oferece uma maneira crucial e única de promover a conexão dos visitantes com os valores das áreas protegidas, tornando-se uma força potencialmente positiva para a conservação.

Les aires protégées sont une composante essentielle de toute stratégie mondiale en faveur de la conservation. Le tourisme offre une façon unique et cruciale d’encourager la connexion des visiteurs avec les valeurs associées aux aires protégées, ce qui en fait une force potentiellement positive pour la conservation.

Las áreas protegidas son un componente clave de las estrategias mundiales de conservación. El turismo ofrece una forma única y fundamental para promover la conexión de los visitantes con los valores de las áreas protegidas, haciendo de esta una fuerza potencialmente positiva para la conservación.

Protected areas are a key component of any global conservation strategy. Tourism provides a crucial and unique way of fostering visitors’ connection with protected area values, making it a potentially positive force for  conservation. Protected area tourism’s economic benefits—which depend on beautiful natural areas, healthy wildlife and nature, and authentic cultures—can also be a powerful argument for conservation.

Many Parties to the CBD underutilise tourism as a means to contribute towards the financial sustainability of protected areas. The development of the present guidelines on tourism partnerships and concessions for protected areas is a response to this under-utilized potential and to recent decisions of the CBD on tourism.