Ecotourism and other Services Derived from Forests in the Asia- Pacific Region: Outlook to 2010. (FAO - Forestry, 1997): 4. OUTLOOK: ISSUES, TRENDS, IMPLICATIONS, AND OPTIONS: 4.12 Pressure to Use Natural Areas for Activities that are Not Nature-Dependent

Ecotourism and other Services Derived from Forests in the Asia- Pacific Region: Outlook to 2010. (FAO - Forestry, 1997)

4. OUTLOOK: ISSUES, TRENDS, IMPLICATIONS, AND OPTIONS

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		4.1 Preserving Services Derived from the Forest: Protected Area and Social Forestry Approaches
		4.2 Need for Increased Research and Utilization of Results
		4.3 Importance of Social Issues in Management
		4.4 Continued Funding Difficulties in Natural Areas
		4.5 Ecotourism Management: Low Level of Funding and Reliance on Simplistic Strategies Like Carrying Capacity
		4.6 Growth in International and Domestic Visitation
		4.7 Change in the Visitor Market
		4.8 Continued or Increased Competition, Particularly for International Visitors
		4.9 Importance of Interpretation
		4.10 Importance of Partnerships Among Ecotourism Actors
		4.11 Greater Private Sector Roles in Management of Natural Areas
		4.12 Pressure to Use Natural Areas for Activities that are Not Nature-Dependent
		4.13 Professionalization of Operators and Desire to Exclude Those Not Meeting Professional Criteria
		4.14 Tendency for Dominance by Larger Operators and Those Located in Regional or National Centres
		4.15 Summary of Issues, Trends, Implications, and Options

4.12 Pressure to Use Natural Areas for Activities that are Not Nature-Dependent

Issue/trend: Related to the previous issue/trend, there is pressure to use natural areas for activities that are not nature-dependent. For example, golf courses have been proposed, and in some cases developed, in several national parks and other protected areas in the region.

At the same time, the supply of natural areas with little or no environmental degradation continues to decline. Therefore, it should be questioned whether it is either environmentally desirable or economically efficient to locate non nature-dependent activities in natural areas preserved for conservation or nature tourism purposes.

Options: In simplified terms, two options are to allow or to not allow non nature-dependent infrastructure and activities in national parks and similarly-designated natural areas. If they are allowed, the natural areas may gain concession fees and/or political support, but negative environmental and experiential impacts may outweigh these benefits. Insofar as the infrastructure and associated activities are less dependent on intact ecosystems than is the case for ecotourism activities like birdwatching, it may be better to locate them outside protected areas for both economic efficiency and conservation reasons.