Engaging Communities in Protected Area Tourism Steve McCool Department of Society and Conservation The University of Montana

Starting Points 1.Goals of protected area and tourism planning Conserving heritage, values, resources and opportunities Conserving heritage, values, resources and opportunities Tourism is a toolTourism is a tool Providing communities and their citizens with routes to economic opportunity Providing communities and their citizens with routes to economic opportunity Incentives and sources of income/revenueIncentives and sources of income/revenue Enhancing quality of life Enhancing quality of life Recognizing that income is not the only measure of developmentRecognizing that income is not the only measure of development

Starting Points 2. Protection of values in a dynamic, uncertain, complex and contentious context In short, a messy situationIn short, a messy situation Requires new, different approaches to planning and public engagementRequires new, different approaches to planning and public engagement

Starting Points 3. Vision of the community and role of tourism What the community would “look” like in the futureWhat the community would “look” like in the future The vision for tourismThe vision for tourism Contribution of tourism to the community’s visionContribution of tourism to the community’s vision Role of conservation in visionRole of conservation in vision

Objectives What makes for successful engagement What makes for successful engagement What are the implications for how we see public engagement What are the implications for how we see public engagement

What makes for a successful plan? Implementation Technical Planning (LAC) Public Engagement (Consensus and Learning)

Protected Area Decisions Requiring Public Engagement Purpose and goals of the protected area Purpose and goals of the protected area What values are to be protectedWhat values are to be protected What tourism experiences and opportunities are to be offered and promotedWhat tourism experiences and opportunities are to be offered and promoted

Protected Area Decisions Requiring Public Engagement Framing problems Framing problems Identifying and ranking issues Identifying and ranking issues

Protected Area Decisions Requiring Public Engagement Setting standards of acceptable change Setting standards of acceptable change Management of trade-offsManagement of trade-offs Conflicting goals Conflicting goals How much, what kind, where, tourism development is acceptable?How much, what kind, where, tourism development is acceptable? Use Level Impact How much impact is acceptable? ? ?

Dimensions of Success: A Framework Plan is written Plan is written Plan is implemented (values are protected) Plan is implemented (values are protected) Socially acceptable goals and actionsSocially acceptable goals and actions Traditional Approaches based on a “Culture of Technical Control”

Dimensions of Success: A Framework Representation Representation All interests at the tableAll interests at the table Relationships Relationships Building trustBuilding trust Learning Learning Process, content, each otherProcess, content, each other Ownership Ownership Sense of carrying, responsibilitySense of carrying, responsibility Enhanced functioning Enhanced functioning Capacity to make and implement decisionsCapacity to make and implement decisions Emergent approaches, based on a culture of learning and power- sharing

So, What’s the Message? Requires a plan itself Requires a plan itself Based on how the specific planning context is framedBased on how the specific planning context is framed With specific expected outcomesWith specific expected outcomes Process is critical to a useful plan Process is critical to a useful plan Intertwined with technical aspects Intertwined with technical aspects

Models of Public Engagement Technical Planning Process Expert Based

Models of Public Engagement Technical Planning Process ScopingAlternatives Expert Lead

Models of Public Engagement Technical Planning Process Public Participation Collaborative

Models of Public Engagement Transactive

Tourism Development Community and individual capacity Community and individual capacity TechnicalTechnical Business management, market, guiding Business management, market, guiding ServiceService Financial Financial Relationship with protected area Relationship with protected area Includes legal restrictions, personal relationshipsIncludes legal restrictions, personal relationships

What Information Public Engagement Provides Tourism Planners Community strengths, weaknesses Community strengths, weaknesses Identification of resources, capacities and opportunities Identification of resources, capacities and opportunities

What Information Public Engagement Provides Tourism Planners Social/cultural effects Social/cultural effects Acceptability of tourism development actions Acceptability of tourism development actions Distribution/availability of skills, capital, business acumen Distribution/availability of skills, capital, business acumen Social Effects: Commodification Exploitation Transformation Competition Demonstration Homogenization Displacement

Thank you! Steve McCool

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