NGO Partnerships in Using Ecotourism for Conservation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Conservation Science
• Ecotourism Studies
• Community-Based Natural Resource Management

Background:

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) increasingly utilize ecotourism as a conservation strategy.
• Ecotourism initiatives involve diverse stakeholders, including local communities, private sector entities, and government agencies.
• Stakeholder dynamics significantly influence NGO roles, project governance, and management structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze global ecotourism conservation cases involving NGOs.
• To classify project structures based on initiating stakeholders and NGO roles.
• To identify geographic patterns and success factors in NGO-led ecotourism conservation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 214 worldwide ecotourism conservation cases involving NGOs.
• Classification of cases into 10 structural categories based on stakeholder initiation and NGO role.
• Examination of geographic distribution and success factors across different structural categories.

Main Results:

• The majority of cases (79%) are community-based, located in developing countries (89%), and situated within protected areas (91%).
• Structural category frequencies vary geographically; Latin America and Asia show more NGO/community initiation, while Africa has more private sector initiation.
• Project success showed no significant association with private tourism entrepreneur involvement but was higher with either local or international NGOs, not both simultaneously.

Conclusions:

• Ecotourism conservation initiatives are predominantly community-based and located in protected areas within developing nations.
• Geographic variations exist in the initiation of ecotourism projects, influenced by regional stakeholder engagement.
• Future research should explore political ecology perspectives to understand NGO motivations, internal processes, stakeholder interactions, and conservation outcomes in ecotourism.