Potentials of an Ecologically Adapted Tourism in The

Potentials of an Ecologically Adapted Tourism in the

Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest:A Situation Analysis of Serra dos ÓrgãosNational Park and the Surrounding Region

Guenola Kahlert, Hartmut Gaese (ITT, Applied University of Cologne)

The Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest is one of the world’s most important “hotspots” in terms of biodiversity and endemic species with great significance for the global ecological balance. It is increasingly threatened by growing population pressure and unsustainable ways of land-use. On the background of a change of concepts, in recent years, nature conservation has attributed growing importance to the economic and social values of biodiversity and the principles of sustainability. Among other alternatives nature- and ecotourism is a promising way of utilisation, due to its enormous economic potential and excellent prospects in the long term. With careful planning and responsible management, potential negative impacts can be minimised, so that benefits prevail by far. In this context the needs of local people, communities, interest groups, and NGOs have to be reconciled with nature conservation programs in order to maximise the benefits for all stakeholders.

In this context, prevailing tourism structures in and around Serra dos OrgãosNational Park have been analysed and evaluated regarding the principles of ecotourism. Special attention was paid to factors like the supply and demand structure, the type of tourist activities, target groups and motivations of the different interest groups. Apart from that, the different economical and ecological effects of tourism as well as their causes and interrelations were identified.

On this behalf, surveys of the tourists visiting the national park and of the ten largest hotel/fazendas in the project region as well as key person interviews were accomplished. Based on these surveys, risks and benefits of the current tourism structure are demonstrated that lead to precise recommendations for the implementation of resource-friendly and profitable tourism structures in Serra dos ÓrgãosNational Park and the surrounding region.

The region is characterized by an intensive, high-priced weekend- and recreational tourism, which has positive as well as negative impacts. The hotel industry is in large parts working ecologically responsible and contributes to the economy of the region. Negative impacts are the surface consumption and environmental problems related to land speculations and the construction of residential areas for vacation homes. Tourism in the national park has proven to be almost independent from tourism in the region in terms of management objectives, target groups, visitor motivation, etc. This leads on the one side to the recommendation of separate strategies, on the other side stronger cooperation between the park and the region will be indispensable in the future. Recommendations for the project area are the implementation of measures, based on the principles of ecotourism, that lead to an increase in income and environmental benefits from tourism, without at the same time provoking a significant increase in tourist numbers. A number or precise suggestions are made in this respect.