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Vulnerabilities in the conservation– tourism alliance: the impacts of covid-19 in laikipia and the galapagos islands

Abstract:

In East Africa and the Galapagos Archipelago, as in other important biodiversity conservation areas, tourism has been presented as a means of addressing community development aspirations in a way that is compatible with conservation objectives. Local livelihood practices are an important element in this, and in order to advance conservation and tourism goals, strategies derived from a conservation–tourism alliance may aim either to support traditional livelihood practices, to modify those practices, or to encourage transitions from those practices to new livelihoods. While this has proven successful in many areas, and tourism revenue has succeeded in supporting conservation and in opening new opportunities for communities, it has also created vulnerabilities that have been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper explores implications for two areas—Laikipia, Kenya, and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador—and draws conclusions about engineered livelihood transitions.