Page 105 - sustainable tourism-- Dr.Aya

paramount importance to understand the

benefits and threats of tourism for local

communities.

One of sustainable tourism‘s greatest

contributions is the degree to which it can shift

tourism‘s impacts on a local community from

―threats‖ to ―benefits‖. Local residents play

an important role in sustainable tourism for

two main reasons. First, it is their homelands

and workplaces that are attracting nature

travelers. Second, the support of local

residents is essential for the success of any

conservation effort, including sustainable

tourism. In additional, local or traditional

knowledge is often a key component of

visitors‘ experience and education.

The negative environmental, cultural, and

social impacts of unsustainable tourism

development have affected local people most

acutely. Traditional communities and

indigenous people can play a major role in

conserving biodiversity, but this has been

acknowledged only recently, and important

115