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. Tourism in protected areas  is a major part of the global tourism industry – an industry whose scale and impacts are enormous.

Schutzgebiete sind ein wesentlicher Bestandteil jeder globalen Naturschutzstrategie. Tourismus bietet eine entscheidende und einzigartige Möglichkeit, die Verbundenheit der Besucher mit den Werten von Schutzgebieten zu stärken, was ihn zu einer potenziell positiven Kraft für den Naturschutz macht. Besuchserlebnisse können für die persönliche Entwicklung und das Wohlbefinden des Einzelnen transformierend sein und gleichzeitig Verantwortungsgefühl und Unterstützung für die Werte von Schutzgebieten steigern.

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. Os benefícios econômicos do turismo em áreas protegidas - que dependem de belas áreas naturais, vida selvagem e natureza saudáveis e culturas autênticas - também podem ser um argumento poderoso 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. Los beneficios económicos del turismo en áreas protegidas —que dependen de hermosas áreas naturales, vida silvestre y naturaleza saludables y culturas auténticas— también pueden ser un argumento poderoso 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. Tourism in protected areas  is a major part of the global tourism industry—an industry whose scale and impacts are enormous.

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.