Forging links between protected areas and the tourism sector: how tourism can benefit conservation

Many tourism companies include visits to protected areas, including World Heritage sites, as part of their tourism excursions. These visits could also benefit conservation and site protection, but this requires forging links between parks managers and the tourism industry. This manual, based on interviews with tourism companies, provides practical guidance on better ways of understanding the tourism industry and on effective methods of developing links with tourism. It also details what can be realistically expected from the tourism industry in terms of support for conservation.