Case Studies

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Public Private Partnerships in Ecotourism

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on November 4, 2015 at 11:36am in Impact, Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM, and Influence
Rainforest Expeditions is a for-profit ecotourism provider that has partnered with a native community, to establish an ecotourism venture in the Tambopata Region of Madre de Dios, Peru. Unfortunately this endeavor will be ending in 2016. This report explores that partnership in practice and analyzes mistakes and lessons learned, and provides recommendations for similar contracts moving forward. Rachel Tennant 2012
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Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on October 2, 2015 at 3:33pm in Impact, Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM, and Investment
“Preserving wilderness, wildlife, and cultural heritage across the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem by creating sustainable economic benefits for the Maasai people” The world increasingly relies on many traditional communities like the Maasai to protect the ecological treasures that exist within the land that they own. But the incredible wilderness and wildlife of Africa’s grasslands and the famous culture of the Maasai people both face daunting threats to their long-term survival. The fate of both rests with the Maasai themselves as they work to figure out how to benefit from their incredible natural resources while preserving them.
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Wilderness Travel: Protecting Namibia's Wildlife

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on October 1, 2015 at 3:57pm in Impact, Conservation Travel Policy, and Non-profits
A leader in adventure travel since 1978, Wilderness Travel offers innovative journeys on all seven continents, featuring expert trip leaders, meticulously planned itineraries, and small groups. Committed from the beginning to culturally sensitive and ecologically responsible travel, we strongly believe that tourism can be an extraordinary tool to connect people across borders and cultures, and to promote a more environmentally sustainable and just world.
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Encounters Asia: Tracking the Ghost

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on September 29, 2015 at 3:11pm in Impact, Conservation Travel Marketing, and Influence
Combine a height of 3400 metres and a - 25 degrees Celsius weather forecast, and you have the perfect conditions to track the elusive Snow Leopard. It was 6 years ago that we began our first Snow Leopard program. The first year we had only one sighting of the much anticipated and very elusive Grey Ghost. With each passing year, sightings got closer and increased in quality, and by the third year our trekkers had 8 sightings of 5 different Snow Leopards. From then on, pictures went viral and the elusive cat was no longer a myth but a reality for many, and a new tourism industry for Ladakh had formed.
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Encounters Asia: Tiger Trust and Star Beds

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on September 29, 2015 at 3:06pm in Impact, Travel Philanthropy, and Partnerships
Today, there are 5 main National Parks where Bengal tigers roam freely, and Madhya Pradesh (Central India) is the core habitat. In prior years, some of the National Parks were connected by corridors through which the tigers had a larger area to move around in and create territories of their own. Today these Parks have been encroached upon by roads, highways, large villages and farmland. Unfortunately, in order to create the National Parks and preserve the wildlife, government had to relocate small villages that were spread out within the jungles; however, it is this relocation which has formed larger villages that block the corridors. Still being remote, these villages largely depend on farming and livestock for their daily necessities. This is where man animal conflict begins can pose danger to both groups. The rules are only known by the humans, wildlife still venture out in hopes of finding new territory, injured predators will feast on livestock and ruin farmland.
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READ Global

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on September 24, 2015 at 2:28pm in Impact and Non-profits
BACKGROUND In 1991, Myths and Mountains and its founder, Dr. Antonia Neubauer, designed and implemented a unique sustainable development model, READ Global (www.readglobal.org), that has changed how many people and organizations today are working with communities. READ’s goal was to use library community centers combined with local businesses and training to help make rural villages viable places to live. This model has impacted the lives of 2.1 million villagers, seeded 117 for-profit enterprises to sustain READ Centers and serves 241 villages throughout Nepal, Bhutan and India. Moreover, the success of the READ model has led many organizations to rethink how they operate overseas and redefine what “sustainability” actually means.
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Volcano Safaris Ltd.

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on September 21, 2015 at 4:02pm in Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM, Non-profits, and Tour operator
Volcanoes Safaris (VS) has been the pioneer in rebuilding mountain gorilla tourism in post-conflict Uganda since 1997 and in Rwanda since 2000. It is the only safari company to have signed the UN Kinshasa Declaration on Great Apes, and the only company to have built its own eco-lodges near three mountain gorilla parks and a threatened chimpanzee population in Kyambura Gorge, Uganda. Conceived and built by visionary conservationist Praveen Moman, Volcanoes Safaris boasts four unique luxury lodges – Virunga Lodge, Volcanoes National Park Rwanda, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga National Park Uganda, Bwindi Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Uganda, and Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda. All of the lodges are sensitive to local culture and aesthetics, echoing local traditional design, whilst providing all the luxury modern conveniences for a supremely comfortable stay.
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Innovations in Influence: The Outbound Opportunity

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on September 17, 2015 at 9:59am in Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM, Conservation Travel Marketing, and Influence
Perhaps the most significant opportunity for outbound operators to engage in conservation travel is through the inspiration of their travelers. Learn how Natural Habitat Adventures and WWF have developed a holistic approach to integrating a conservation message throughout the entire client experience (including marketing, pre-trip services, and on-trip), and how these efforts have resulted in substantial traveler engagement in conservation initiatives.
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Creating a Conservation-Themed Safari to Support Desert Lions

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on August 5, 2015 at 3:15pm in Impact
After putting together a special itinerary for the AfriCat Foundation and experiencing wild success in raising critical program funding, Ultimate Safaris sought to create an even better travel experience, this time raising money to fund projects associated with three different local non-profits. By costing the donation out of the trip, travelers were able to receive a tax deduction, the non-profits were guaranteed a set donation, and the trips sold fast, a win for everybody.
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Investment: Wilderness Safaris

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on August 4, 2015 at 3:17pm
Thirty years ago Wilderness Safaris was established in Botswana. In the ensuing years the company expanded to five brands in eight countries, 61 different safari camps and lodges, 1,016 beds, hosting an excess of 30,000 guests per year. Historically, local communities and governments did not benefit financially from tourism and there was no financial incentive to support conservation. Read this case to learn how they invested to incentivize and manage conservation efforts on their properties.
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Influence - Natural Habitat Adventures

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on August 4, 2015 at 11:54am in Tour operator
Nat Hab offers 75 different trips in 40 countries. The diversity of their offerings, complex supply chain of vendors and suppliers, and expansive sales and marketing network presents unique challenges to advance conservation in environments where tourism can be a threat. As a way to combat this challenge, NHA has partnered with WWF to bring conservation, travel and travel philanthropy together. Their initiatives are inspiring travelers, vendors, suppliers and employees to champion conservation while simultaneously building credibility and loyalty for both brands. Over the past decade, the lessons learned by WWF and NHA have been extremely valuable
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Impact - Conservation Travel in Namibia

Posted by Conservation Travel Curators on August 4, 2015 at 11:43am
"Our market-based approach to conservation has dramatically altered the mindset of communities from animosity to that of embracing wildlife as a livelihood asset.” - Chris Weaver, Managing Director, Namibia, WWF Read this case study to learn how the world's leading conservation organization created a model community-based natural resource management program in Namibia that has been wildly successful.
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About these Case Studies

Cases featured here are meant to give a broad project overview of interesting initiatives happening throughout the adventure travel industry benefiting conservation using innovative methods and adhering to at least one of the Conservation Travel pillars (Impact, Investment and/or Influence).

This is meant to be an interactive forum where you can submit your own examples of conservation travel related to businesses, non-profits, government agencies, communities, destination management companies, development agencies and travelers alike. 

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