Ecotourism Along the Meso-American Caribbean Reef: The Impacts of Foreign Investment
Author(s)
Moreno, Peter S.
Abstract
Ecotourism has been heralded as a potential economic and environmental savior in much of Latin America, though explosive foreign investment in ecotourism ventures raises questions about the validity of ecotourism as a tool of sustainable local development. This paper uses three case studies from coastal Belize and the Bay Islands of Honduras to illustrate the challenges that local communities face when attempting to derive ecotourism benefits. Whether these communities are poised to take advantage of foreign capital is largely dependent on their ability to direct the investment and establish control over their common property resources. This appears to require a marked cultural shift toward planning and politicization.
