Indigenous ecotourism: nature conservation, tourism and indigenous rights

Indigenous ecotourism: nature conservation, tourism and indigenous rights

Worldwide, indigenous peoples are becoming more involved in the tourism industry and particularly ecotourism.
'Indigenous peoples comprise five per cent of the
world's population occupy 20% of the world's land surface but nurture 80% of the world's biodiversity on ancestral lands and territories' (UN, 2002: 2-3). Ecotourism
enterprises controlled by indigenous people in tribal reserves or protected areas include cultural ecotours, ecolodges and bungalows, hunting and fishing tours,
indigenous cultural attractions and other nature-based facilities or services. This paper reviews indigenous ecotourism as a special type of nature-based tourism and
examines the conservation and community benefits from indigenous-owned and operated ecotourism businesses or joint ventures. It compares indigenous ecotourism in developed and developing countries and introduces global case studies of indigenous ecotourism projects in the Pacific Islands, Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. The paper analyses key factors and constraints for
sustainable development of indigenous ecotourism and explores the growing links between biodiversity conservation, ecotourism and indigenous land rights. The role of environmental NGOs in supporting biodiversity conservation and indigenous ecotourism projects is also highlighted.