Work

Conservation threats from tourism land grabs and greenwash

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: We report a new threat to conservation, namely land grabs by large tourism developers inside public protected areas . Locally, these tourism land grabs damage national parks through building footprints and access corridors, bringing habitat fragmentation , noise, light, roadkill, fire risk, and invasive plant and animal species and pathogens. They also create negative impacts on social equity and regional economies . The global tourism industry now perceives private development in public national parks as a mechanism to profit from land speculation, rather than merely monopoly provision of visitor services. Investment funds now use tourism, often with socialwashing components, as a political lever for land grabs. International “nature positive” marketing by tourism industry associations and multilateral tourism advocacy organisations is greenwash: it lacks substance, and aims to coopt conservation organisations.

Source: Biological Conservation

DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110792

Authors: Ralf C. Buckley, Sonya Underdahl, Aila Keto, Alienor L.M. Chauvenet

Institutions: Griffith University, Edogawa University, Australian Rainforest Conservation Society Inc

Language: English

Topic: Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,570