The role of local populations in tourism development projects: the case of Loango National Park in Gabon

• Main Author: Ariane Payen
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Association Via@ 2014-10-01
• Series: Via@
• Subjects: community tourism; local population; governance; protected area; Gabon
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/viatourism/880

This paper will show how community tourism projects in protected areas can often fail due to both a lack of communication between the different actors and the insufficient integration of the relevant socio-anthropological issues. In the same way as a World Heritage site, the case of Loango National Park in Gabon clearly demonstrates that the original objectives of involvement by and empowerment of the local population are still far from being met. This paper presents an overview of a project initiated by the European Union in 2003, analyses the reasons behind the failure of this project, and suggests strategies to achieve greater consensus among conservation and tourism actors and local populations within the framework of community tourism projects in protected areas.