Community-Based Ecotourism and Sustainability: Cases in Bocas del Toro Province, Panama and Talamanca, Costa Rica

摘要

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the global economy. Ecotourism, a sector of the larger tourism industry, focuses on protecting natural ecosystems while bringing benefits to local communities. To be sustainable, ecotourism projectsmust be carefully managed so that visitors do not damage isolated natural areas and cultures. Projects must be continually monitored to ensure they are run sustainably. Here, we establish a framework of sustainability indicators for evaluating community-based ecotourism projects. We then evaluate six ecotourism projects around Parque Internacional La Amistad, an international biosphere shared by Panama and Costa Rica. Evaluations are based on field visits conducted as part of a rapid assessments courseat the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Finally, we recommend that the sustainability of projects can be increased through goal-setting, establishment of partnerships, and monitoring and evaluation of established projects.