Engaging Communities in Engaging Communities in Protected Area TourismProtected Area Tourism
Steve McCoolSteve McCool
Department of Society and ConservationDepartment of Society and Conservation
The University of MontanaThe University of [email protected]@cfc.umt.edu
Starting PointsStarting Points
1.1. Goals of protected area and Goals of protected area and tourism planningtourism planning
Conserving heritage, values, Conserving heritage, values, resources and opportunitiesresources and opportunities• Tourism is a tool Tourism is a tool
Providing communities and their Providing communities and their citizens with routes to economic citizens with routes to economic opportunityopportunity• Incentives and sources of Incentives and sources of
income/revenueincome/revenue Enhancing quality of lifeEnhancing quality of life
• Recognizing that income is not the Recognizing that income is not the only measure of developmentonly measure of development
Starting PointsStarting Points
2.2. Protection of values in a dynamic, Protection of values in a dynamic, uncertain, complex and contentious uncertain, complex and contentious contextcontext
• In short, a messy situationIn short, a messy situation• Requires new, different approaches to Requires new, different approaches to
planning and public engagementplanning and public engagement
Starting PointsStarting Points
3. 3. Vision of the community Vision of the community and role of tourismand role of tourism• What the community would What the community would
“look” like in the future“look” like in the future• The vision for tourismThe vision for tourism• Contribution of tourism to the Contribution of tourism to the
community’s visioncommunity’s vision• Role of conservation in visionRole of conservation in vision
ObjectivesObjectives
What makes for successful What makes for successful engagementengagement
What are the implications for how we What are the implications for how we see public engagementsee public engagement
What makes for a successful plan?What makes for a successful plan?
Implementation
Technical Planning (LAC)
Public Engagement (Consensus and Learning)
Protected Area Decisions Requiring Protected Area Decisions Requiring Public EngagementPublic Engagement
Purpose and goals of the Purpose and goals of the protected areaprotected area• What values are to be What values are to be
protectedprotected• What tourism experiences What tourism experiences
and opportunities are to be and opportunities are to be offered and promotedoffered and promoted
Protected Area Decisions Requiring Protected Area Decisions Requiring Public EngagementPublic Engagement
Framing problems Framing problems Identifying and Identifying and
ranking issuesranking issues
Protected Area Decisions Requiring Protected Area Decisions Requiring Public EngagementPublic Engagement
Setting standards of acceptable Setting standards of acceptable changechange• Management of trade-offsManagement of trade-offs
Conflicting goalsConflicting goals
• How much, what kind, where, tourism How much, what kind, where, tourism development is acceptable?development is acceptable?
Use Level
Impact
How much impact is acceptable?How much impact is acceptable?
?
?
Dimensions of Success:Dimensions of Success:A FrameworkA Framework
Plan is writtenPlan is written Plan is Plan is
implemented implemented (values are (values are protected)protected)• Socially acceptable Socially acceptable
goals and actionsgoals and actions
Traditional Approaches based on a “Culture of Technical Control”
Dimensions of Success:Dimensions of Success:A FrameworkA Framework
Representation Representation • All interests at the tableAll interests at the table
RelationshipsRelationships• Building trustBuilding trust
LearningLearning• Process, content, each otherProcess, content, each other
OwnershipOwnership• Sense of carrying, Sense of carrying,
responsibilityresponsibility Enhanced functioningEnhanced functioning
• Capacity to make and Capacity to make and implement decisionsimplement decisions
Emergent approaches, based on a culture of learning and power-sharing
So, What’s the Message?So, What’s the Message?
Requires a plan itselfRequires a plan itself• Based on how the specific planning Based on how the specific planning
context is framedcontext is framed• With specific expected outcomesWith specific expected outcomes
Process is critical to a useful planProcess is critical to a useful plan Intertwined with technical aspectsIntertwined with technical aspects
Models of Public EngagementModels of Public Engagement
Technical Planning Process
Expert Based
Models of Public EngagementModels of Public Engagement
Technical Planning Process
Scoping Alternatives
Expert Lead
Models of Public EngagementModels of Public Engagement
Technical Planning Process
Public Participation
Collaborative
Models of Public EngagementModels of Public Engagement
Transactive
Tourism DevelopmentTourism Development
Community and individual Community and individual capacitycapacity• TechnicalTechnical
Business management, Business management, market, guidingmarket, guiding
• ServiceService FinancialFinancial Relationship with Relationship with
protected areaprotected area• Includes legal restrictions, Includes legal restrictions,
personal relationshipspersonal relationships
What Information Public Engagement What Information Public Engagement Provides Tourism PlannersProvides Tourism Planners
Community Community strengths, strengths, weaknessesweaknesses
Identification of Identification of resources, resources, capacities and capacities and opportunitiesopportunities
What Information Public Engagement What Information Public Engagement Provides Tourism PlannersProvides Tourism Planners
Social/cultural effectsSocial/cultural effects Acceptability of tourism development Acceptability of tourism development
actionsactions Distribution/availability of skills, Distribution/availability of skills,
capital, business acumencapital, business acumenSocial Effects:CommodificationExploitationTransformationCompetitionDemonstrationHomogenizationDisplacement
Growth in International TravelGrowth in International Travel