PRT 5875 - Sustainable Tourism & Protected Area Management

Protected areas (e.g. national parks) where nature-based tourism often occurs provide an array of benefits, including biodiversity protection, economic advancement of near-park communities, and opportunities for citizens to recreate and continue their connections with the natural environment. Experiences these benefits its incredibly inviting for tourists, tourism operators, and near-park communities, and as a result nature-based tourism continues to increase substantially. The impacts of this growth on protected areas are vast, multi-faceted, and complex, and often result in social crowding, loss of habitat, and degradation of sensitive flora and fauna. Additionally, this growth can adversely impact the tourism industry itself by harming the cultural and natural resources that are central to the experience and contribute to the realization of benefits. AS a result, the interface between tourism and protected area management requires substantial attention. Effectively planning for and managing tourism in protected areas relies on the principles of sustainable tourism development. This course will help students identify and understand alternative strategies to mitigate and prevent environmental, cultural, and social impacts often associated with traditional forms of tourism in and around protected areas.