Conference paper
The impacts of tourism on biodiversity hotspots: research opportunities and dilemmas
ISSRM 2007 13th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management: landscape continuity and change (Park City, Utah, 17/06/2007–21/06/2007)
2007
Abstract
Tourism is growing rapidly and is one of the world’s largest industries. It is clearly linked to biodiversity-rich biomes, such as tropical rainforests and coral reefs, and destinations with abundant collections of birds, fish and/or mammal species or novel and unusual species. As such, high levels of tourism and biodiversity often occur together. The maintenance of biodiversity then becomes critically important for tourism as well as a suite of other reasons. Little is known however about the complex interactions between tourism and biodiversity. This paper explores the opportunities and dilemmas in researching this interface and the associated interactions.
A significant and under-researched opportunity is exploring the potentially symbiotic (positive) relationships at this interface and moving beyond a previous focus on conflictive (negative) interactions. Another opportunity is developing a transdisciplinary approach to understanding the relationship between tourism and biodiversity integrating environmental, social and economic concerns. An associated challenge is the different paradigmatic locations of ecologists, sociologists and economists, both within and between these disciplines. Two other dilemmas are confusion over the definition of biodiversity and a lack of knowledge about ecosystems and how they function. Both have the potential to impede research efforts. The paper concludes by recommending some future possibilities for researching this important interface between tourism and biodiversity hotspots.
Details
- Title
- The impacts of tourism on biodiversity hotspots: research opportunities and dilemmas
- Authors/Creators
- S. M. Mason (Author/Creator)S. Moore (Author/Creator)D. Newsome (Author/Creator)R.J. Hobbs (Author/Creator)
- Conference
- ISSRM 2007 13th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management: landscape continuity and change (Park City, Utah, 17/06/2007–21/06/2007)
- Identifiers
- 991005543296307891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Environmental Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Conference paper
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