Delivering the promise of ecotourism: an assessment of nature guide training at El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

One of the great challenges of the 21st century is to meet human needs without threatening the integrity of the ecosystems that form the basis of human survival. The goals of the biodiversity conservation community (i.e. environmental protection and species conservation) often seem at odds with the human development and poverty alleviation goals of the development community. This is particularly true in areas of the world with the most — and most sensitive — biodiversity, such as the tropics, where often the poorest and most underserved human communities live (Christ, Hillel, Matus, & Sweeting, 2003). Thus, the concept of integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs) evolved as a method to address both sets of interests, and ideally to make them synergistic in ways that would draw added public and financial support for both human development and biodiversity conservation. Communities in developing nations living near protected areas face and will continue to face daily decisions as to whether to use resources sustainably or exploit them. As such, the successful design and implementation of projects that integrate the objectives of conservation and development is a reality that conservationists must face in order to achieve global environmental objectives. Having experienced failure to attain conservation goals in the absence of local community support and participation, many conservationists now consider the application of ICDPs as necessary for future biodiversity conservation efforts.