The Role of Environmental NGOs in Sustainable Tourism Development: A Case Study in Northern Honduras

Mass tourism has been widely used as a development tool for boosting national, regional, and local economies worldwide. Recently numerous negative impacts associated with mass tourism have been recognized. Sustainability of the local culture, social structure, economic well-being and way of life are common goals that are inherently interconnected with the health of the natural resource base. The tourism industry, through ecotourism, is natural resource based and is but one competing use or demand on these resources. Local extractive demands or subsistence use also competes with the resource needs of the ecotourism sector. This paper investigates the importance of natural resources and their use, the perceptions and opinions of the local population toward the NGOs in charge, and the likelihood of the local population of supporting ecotourism in two natural areas in northern Honduras. In the communities adjacent to the natural areas, nearly all people supported the preservation of natural resources and had a positive view of tourism and NGOs. Comparison of the approaches taken by two NGOs illustrates that strategies emphasizing local participation are most likely to achieve development and resource sustainability.