Using multivariate statistics to assess ecotourism potential of water-bodies: A case-study in Mauritania

Abstract

Evaluating the ecotourism potential of sites is a key issue in tourism management. Multiple 6 methodologies have been developed to assess the ecotourism potential of sites. However, there 7 are many constraints affecting their quality. Methodologies independent of subjective criteria 8 and weights are lacking, compromising following interpretations on where to allocate efforts for 9 ecotourism development. We propose a new approach to circumvent these issues that combines independent statistical procedures to assess ecotourism potential. By combining multi-criteria with ordination and clustering algorithms, this two-stage statistical approach allowed identifying suitable water-bodies for ecotourism development in Mauritania and independently assessed which features are related with ecotourism potential. The method was able to group sites for different ecotourist demands, which has implications for policy makers and tourism planners trying to optimize investments while protecting biodiversity and supporting communities. We provide a framework that is scalable and applicable by stakeholders operating in ecotourism planning and management worldwide.

New method to identify and map flagship fleets for promoting conservation and ecotourism

“…The use of GIS approach allowed mapping the location of flagship hotspots, which may guide the implementation of flagship-based conservation initiatives. The methodology can be extrapolated to other biomes and the spatial approach here used constitutes a novel method that should be further explored in ecotourism-based research (Santarém et al, 2018).…”

“…For instance, the small-bodied flagships fleet is composed by species that display many unique adaptations to deserts, such as the reptiles of genera Acanthodactylus, Cerastes, and Scincus, which may be preferred by specialized audiences in deserts (e.g. desert ecotourists and conservationists) and targeted for specialized desert marketing campaigns (Santarém et al, 2018). Likelihood of extinction was also found to be highly associated to species with flagship characteristics in the Sahara-Sahel.…”

“…Flagship hotspots in Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Egypt are particularly poorly protected. By identifying the areas concentrating more flagships, we complement the urgency of preserving these regions and provide local governments with an additional tool to raise funds through flagship species marketing campaigns (Santarém et al, 2018). As most of the species of large-and small-bodied flagship fleets correspond to the most threatened species in the Sahara-Sahel, ecological corridors and transboundary mega conservation areas should be prioritised if these species are to be saved (Brito et al, 2016).…”

“…The potential of non-heuristic methods has been successfully explored in grouping water-bodies with similar traits for ecotourism development (e.g. Santarém et al, 2018) or in bioregionalization exercises based in environmental variation and species distribution (e.g. Brito et al, 2016).…”

Methodology For The Assessment Of Ecotourism Projects Of Russian Regions

“…The concept of ecotourism is considered to be one of the acceptable and sustainable approaches to the conservation and development of ecosystems (Xu, Mingzhu, Bu, & Pan, 2017), a powerful tool for biodiversity conservation, supporting local peoples and their culture, and providing sustainable development (Lorimer, 2006). A number of authors attach critical significance to ecotourism in the struggle against poverty and hunger in low-income countries, especially in Africa (Santarem et al, 2018). Thus, in the modern world, ecotourism plays a crucial role in the promotion of the entire tourism industry to higher standards of sustainability.…”