Green tourism towards conservation

Peru is second only to Brazil in the amount of Amazon rainforest it holds in its territories. 60% of its forests are regarded as such, encompassing an area of 782,880 km², according to the Institute of Amazonian Research (IIAP). Within this region there are nine national parks, most of them open to visitors. In the Tambopata National Reserve and the Manú National Park some of the most successful ecotourism initiatives are being developed, which are attractive in both the national and international spheres.

The natural and cultural appeals present in these protected areas allowed to the development of their full potential for tourism over the last two decades. Managed in a responsible way the sustainable activity provides benefits to local communities and helps to preserve the country’s natural heritage.

One of the charm at the Tambopata is the famous “Colpa Colorada”, considered to be the largest in the world, located between the Tambopata Reserve and the Bahuaja Sonene National Park, where every day up to 1.700 macaws and parrots of different species meet to consume the clay, making the area one of the most striking sights in the world. The Manú is not behind. It is well known internationally due to researchers’ belief that its virgin forests are home to the Paitití or The lost city of the Incas, a conviction that encourages the visiting of tourists from all over around the world every year.

Growth in tourism

The trend for trips to destinations with natural attractions led ecotourism to a growing rate of 15% per year, making it the fastest segment of tourism to expand in Peru. An example is what has taken place to the Tambopata Reserve, which receives around 12,800 people per year and is characterized for being seasonal. Between July and August, 40% of visitors come from the United States, England 15%, Australia 8% and Spain 6%, driven by the will to get to know the Amazon rainforest and its wonders, the local communities’ world view and way of life and by the scientific interest.

At present, ecotourism benefits the communities that inhabit the forest, says Luis Mayta Huari, eco-guide of the Rainforest Expeditions. Another benefit is that the biodiversity of national parks in the Peruvian Amazon is being preserved thanks to tourism concessions, which also allows the State to obtain income that is in turn put through management of the protected areas under concession.

Since Peru is the second country with the highest number of bird species and the third in terms of mammals, of which between 44% and 63% respectively live in the Amazon rainforest, it has managed to promote more information and scientific research on these species thanks to the new thesis in biology study on tourism concession areas. This has certainly been of great benefit to science and conservation.

Nonetheless there are challenges. Although ecotourism has proven to be a nature friendly activity and to benefit the local population, there is pressure from illegal activities such as mining and coca leaf crops plantation near tourist concessions and protected areas, which alter and harm its development. There is also the fact that 150,000 hectares of forest are cleared annually, most of them in the Amazon.

This in large part led the Peruvian government to launch in 2008 a national program aiming to reduce deforestation completely until 2021. The initiative is now under operation in central Amazon, in the municipality of Madre de Dios, one of the worst affected areas, where communities are being paid a total of 10 Peruvian soles per year per preserved hectare. The program as well provides farmers with access to health and education for their children.

Valuing biodiversity

The recent survey by the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP) shows that 80% of Peruvians recognize that the primary purpose of national parks is conservation of biological diversity, thus demonstrating the intrinsic value represented by these areas, which besides being huge reservoirs of natural life are the most important legacy that is to humanity.