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ASEAN workshop to discuss ecotourism management in protected areas

Managers of ASEAN Heritage Parks and other protected areas will hold a workshop in Gunung Ledang, Malaysia from 17-21 March 2008 to learn ecotourism management and biodiversity conservation and share best practices in managing recreation and ecotourism in protected areas. The workshop is being organized by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), a European Union-funded ASEAN center of excellence on biodiversity conservation. Workshop partners include the Johor National Park Corporation, Department of Wildlife and National Park of Malaysia, and the Singapore National Parks Board.

Executive Director Rodrigo U. Fuentes of the Philippines-based ACB said his centre is assisting ASEAN Member Countries to harmonize ecotourism and biodiversity conservation.

“Tourists should be guided to experience and learn about natural areas and diverse cultures, with the higher aim of enhancing their awareness on the importance of preserving these natural heritages and their biodiversity,” Executive Director Fuentes explained.

Managers of the Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia, the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in Singapore, and the Johor Bahru National Park in Malaysia will present best practices on recreation and tourism in these Heritage Parks.

Dr. Monina T. Uriarte, Capacity Development Specialist of ACB, said managers and staff of ASEAN Heritage Parks and other protected areas should be equipped with skills to plan and regulate recreation and tourism as a sustainable business within the context of conservation management.

Dr. Uriarte said the workshop participants will learn the key considerations for ecotourism development; ecotourism management planning; and strategies, mechanisms and guidelines on establishing and enhancing ecotourism sites.

The five-day workshop will be followed by a study tour that will bring the participants to some of the more developed and managed parks of Malaysia and Singapore. On 24-25 March, they will visit three Ramsar Sites in Malaysia: Endau Rompin State Park; Bukit Kukup, and Tanjung Piai. Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance for biodiversity conservation and for the well-being of human communities. On 27-28 March, the participants will be in Singapore to observe management practices at the Singapore Botanical Gardens, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and MacRitchie Trails in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.  

Director Fuentes said the study tour will provide an opportunity for the participants to interact with each other and compare experiences and lessons learned in these sites. He added that the tour will promote the possibility of cooperation and networking among practitioners in recreation, tourism and ecotourism sites.
The ASEAN region boasts many great ecotourism attractions, especially its Heritage Parks. Ecotourism attractions include rare and endemic species, abundant wildlife, spectacular land formations, and uniquely diverse historic or cultural places. ASEAN’s indigenous peoples are at the centre of these ecotourism attractions. This makes ecotourism an important economic activity in protected areas. More importantly, it provides opportunities for tourists to experience several ways of appreciating the significance of conserving biodiversity and of valuing the local cultures in these areas.

“The demand for guidance in developing tourism, recreation and ecotourism opportunities and managing the increasing pressure of tourism in protected areas are high. It is vital that tourism development does not threaten the long-term health of the protected areas, and should occur within the context of conservation management,” Executive Director Fuentes said.