Ecotourism Success Stories

Impacts of Ecotourism and Biodiversity Ecotourism Belize Nature Travel Ecuador

This part of the site features Nature Conservancy partners' ecotourism programs that we wish to specially highlight for aspects of their contribution to biodiversity conservation and sustainable community development.

Ecotourism Showcase 2000 Award Winners

At the annual Non Profits in Travel Conference in March 2000, the Ecotourism Program's partner organizations captured three of four awards at the Ecotourism Showcase 2000, an event recognizing excellence in organizations supporting ecotourism in the Americas.

The Ecotourism Showcase, organized by the Ecotourism Society, received applications from 21 projects from Canada to Bolivia. The four finalists were chosen by a panel of seven jurors from diverse ecotourism backgrounds in industry, government and environmental organizations. Ecotourism projects were evaluated on the basis of:

Support for biodiversity conservation
Sharing of benefits with local people
Product excellence resulting from, and reflected in, staff training, interpretation programs, itinerary development, responsible promotion and client satisfaction
Lack of previous recognition

The Nature Conservancy's three winning partners are:
Programme for Belize (PfB)
The Maquipucuna Foundation
The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE)

The Nature Conservancy is proud of the well-deserved recognition its partners have received and is continuing to aid them in their quest for an environmentally sound and economically prosperous future.

Maquipucuna Foundation

Maquipucuna, an 11,000-acre private reserve, was founded in 1988 to protect one of the last remaining patches of cloud forest in northwestern Ecuador. The reserve, ranging from 4,000 to 9,000 feet in altitude, is home to one of the highest levels of biodiversity on the earth. The reserve is currently under development pressures from logging, grazing, agriculture and charcoal production.

Fundación Maquipucuna, a local conservation organization, has developed a successful ecotourism project as an alternative to resource depletion. The ecotourism project is designed to provide a steady source of income for the reserve and for local residents. Maquipucuna's ecotourism project also helps educate foreign visitors, Ecuadorians from Quito and members of surrounding communities.

The current facilities, the Umachaca lodge, the Thomas David Scientific Research Station and the adjacent laboratory are constructed in accordance with traditional designs using local materials. The lodge accommodates up to 18 persons and includes a kitchen and open dining room. A trail system and highly qualified local guides provide the means to appreciate Maquipucuna's great ecotourism attractions, including excellent bird watching, unique pre-Inca archaeological sites and beautiful cloud forest habitats.

Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE)

TIDE was founded in 1997 in response to urgent conservation needs. This local conservation organization is dedicated to protecting the resources of the Toledo District of southern Belize through sustainable development. Ecotourism has been a principle focus of its conservation and development efforts. As a result, TIDE has instituted an ecotourism enterprise that directly benefits both the ecosystems and associated communities by furnishing alternative employment opportunities and funds for ongoing conservation programs. Its ecotourism program is recognized as being environmentally sound, culturally sensitive and dedicated to keeping the revenues within local communities.

The Toledo area offers a wealth of attractions for the ecotourist. Five distinct cultural groups are represented here: Maya, Creole, Garifuna, East Indian and even some descendants of American Confederates who fled the United States after the Civil War. TIDE's ecotourism venture offers an authentic approach to accommodation and experience. Visitors can stay at guesthouses in one of 11 different villages, offering visitors a genuine taste of the varied local cultures and allowing for an equitable distribution of benefits among them. In addition to cultural tourism, TIDE has helped to develop local fly fishing, sea kayaking, snorkeling, birding and natural history tours and now offers a central reservations service for local ecotourism-related businesses.

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