ECONOMIC VALUS OF ECOTOURISM SERVICES IN PROTECTED AREAS IN YEMEN

lcome visitors to our educational blog. We are pleased to introduce to researchers and learners interesting in environment  and tourism issues a series of  reports and studies that i have prepared to be available to all.  These reports highlight the situation of  environment and tourism in  Yemen.

 

Introduction

1.1 Background and Purpose of Study

Yemen is extremely rich in attractions. These comprise both natural and cultural attractions and 

are spread over the country providing the basis for a truly national industry. It is blessed with rich, 

diverse and distinctive ecosystems comprising fresh waters, wetlands, coral reefs, oceanic islands, 

mountainous woodlands and forests, rangelands, as well as terraced and irrigated valleys. This is an 

additional challenge in terms of sustainable tourism utilization but also provide product 

opportunities through which benefits for residents can occur. The available resources create a 

high value physical product. This value is under threat from uncontrolled utilization and 

inadequate destination facilities and does not adhere to sustainable tourism best-practice yet.

The Development of Ecotourism Strategies for JBNP, AWPA and Hawf protected areas will contribute to 

the strengthening of ecotourism and integrates the product into the national tourism development 

agenda. The SNRMP management plan acknowledges that ecotourism is a significant part of the three 

protected areas’ sustainable development, providing these areas with a framework for developing 

ecotourism policy and for linking ecotourism with integrated land use planning. 

The strong orientation of ecotourism towards the principle guidelines and certification based on 

sustainability gives it a usual position in the tourism field. Ecotourism provides value to local practices 

and traditions; it embraces economies of scale and sustainable business growth. 

SNRMP seeks to set sights in the enhancement of local communities alliances to build‐up their 

innovative methods that will create jobs and produce significant economic results for women and men, 

as well as improve the governance environment to support local economic development , and provides 

the protected areas with a tool to galvanize local, social elements of rural development and link them 

to income generation, economic growth, and improvements in rural economies through biodiversity 

conservation and ecotourism development. 

The goal of the SNRMP is to actively develop opportunities for sustainable tourism development, and to 

promote opportunities for the local communities as participants and beneficiaries of a viable tourism 

industry. It is vital to include local communities to participate in managing their natural resources. The 

Poor’s interests in benefiting from tourism motivate such initiatives, if preceded with information and 

awareness raising campaigns. The areas need to be developed first though, as they are only currently 

drawn up on paper. There is also a need to promote coordination between environmental and tourism 

bodies.

SNRMP has made some development of alternative livelihoods linked with natural resource 

management initiatives in the three protected areas. Specific emphasis has been placed on fostering 

participatory and sustainable livelihood approaches in natural resource management at JBNP, AWPA 

protected areas with the intention of transferring experience from these sites to other parts of Yemen

during the Programme’s lifetime. It has also brought benefits to the lives of individuals. However, there

is a limited increase in the incomes of local communities from ecotourism involved from development 

of alternative livelihoods at JBNP, AWPA and Hawf protected areas. Consequently, the development of 

ecotourism as an alternative livelihood for communities living around the protected areas is a challenge 

and in need to be addressed. Local authorities and community-based groups, especially women have 

been actively involved in the management of natural resources at key protected areas and capacity for 

environmental management has been increased, although there has been no significant private sector 

involvement in the Programme.