The Congo Basin Forest Partnership Moses Kanene, Marketing and Enterprise Specialist ,
African Wildlife Foundation
Remarks at Ecotourism Symposium
Rosslyn, Virginia
February 21, 2003OUR MISSION
The African Wildlife Foundation
Works with people -- our supporters worldwide and our partners in Africa -- to craft and deliver solutions for the long-term well being of Africa’s most remarkable species, their habitat and the people who depend upon them
AWF Heartland Approach
ECOTOURISM
Involvement with Eco-tourism
- Restructured national wildlife and tourism policy frameworks & authorities: Rwanda, Uganda etc
- Implemented eco-tourism programs e.g. CORE
- Developed eco-tourism development plans
- Negotiated eco-tourism partnerships between communities, tour operators and hotel companies
- Habituated Gorilla groups & training of guides
- We are marketing community eco-tourism products in the US travel retailers & wholesalers.
- Ranger Based Monitoring
CASE ANALYSIS
- Does the venture abate threats to species?
- Is the venture profitable- ROI?
- Who are the stakeholders?
- What are the economic impacts?
- What are the livelihood impacts?
- What are the overall development impacts?
THREATENED & ENDANGERED WILDLIFE
CRITICAL HABITAT AREAS
PROFITABILITY
- Brokering agreements
- Structuring Relationships
- Legal Support
LOCAL COMMUNITIES
OUTBOUND & INBOUND TOUR OPERATORS
TOURISTS SUSTAINING
- Community Fund Management
- Joint Management Committees
- Monitoring conservation impact
SUMMARY LESSONS LEARNED
- Conservation Logic and scale
- Community needs, benefits and consensus
- Title to land/tenure mandates
- Capitalization of tourism infrastructure
- Grant longer grace periods
- Marketing is the determining factor
- Safety and supportive policy framework
- No single factor works in isolation, you need to craft the above into a winning formula
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