Poverty, Indigenous culture and ecotourism in remote Australia

Significant challenges exist for Indigenous people in identifying suitable economic and commercial development opportunities directed at enhancing economic and human development within their communities. Ecotourism is seen as one sector that could provide such opportunities. Don Fuller and his colleagues examine the importance and implications of Indigenous culture for ecotourism developments in remote Australian Indigenous communities, in order to evaluate the potential of ecotourism ventures as a possible contributor to economic and human development within remote Indigenous communities. In addition to examining the influence of culture, the paper suggests important strategies for Indigenous success in operating ecotourism enterprises. These include the importance of consultation and planning processes, the availability of suitable education and training to Indigenous business owner-operators and the availability of joint-venture partnerships with actors in the mainstream economy

Evaluation of collaborative strategies for ecotourism and recreational activities in natural parks of Rio de Janeiro

In the city of Rio de Janeiro, the management agencies of environmental conservation units of the park type have been attempting to meet five primary objectives set by the National System for Conservation Units (NSCU), using participatory management guidelines for these units. Two of these objectives relate to the development of recreation activities that involve contact with nature and ecological tourism. This article presents the analyses and conclusions regarding the implementation of collaborative strategies with businesses to achieve such objectives; it is part of a series of research studies having a broader scope. Case studies were conducted in eight parks by means of dozens of interviews with managers and other interested social actors, as well as by documentary research and direct observation. The results suggest that the ecotourism objective is still far from being reached, and that the collaborative strategies used are not sufficient to compensate for the organizational, material and human limitations that encumber these agencies. It was also concluded for the sample that there lacks a strategic vision on the part of the three branches of government involved in the management of these parks in the sense of viewing ecotourism in the city's conservation units as a powerful means to foster local sustainable development