Research & Reports
EplerWood International provides insightful reports, which dig beneath the surface, and provide guidance to governments, business, and civil society on the management of the growth of tourism worldwide, the development of sustainable tourism business, community-based tourism, and triple bottom line ecotourism business development.
LATEST REPORT: Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism (2019)
EplerWood International developed a report for the Travel Foundation, which summarized key destination needs and worked in a team format with Cornell Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise and the Travel Foundation to highlight key challenges for managing the growth of tourism in destinations worldwide. LEARN MORE
LATEST BOOK: Sustainable Tourism on a Finite Planet (2017)Epler Wood’s in-depth review of methods to environmentally manage the tourism industry resulted in a wide range of conclusions which have guided EplerWood International’s work. Conclusions on business and government roles in sustainable tourism are excellent guidance for tourism professionals and students worldwide. LEARN MORE
“The author’s comprehension of the structures and dynamics that lie beneath the industry is impressive, and of course vital to understand for anyone wanting to manage tourism or create change.”
– Justin Francis, CEO, Responsibletourism.com
RESEARCH REPORTS
Best Practice for Tourism Concessions in Protected Areas: Cases from Latin America (2010)
(DAI Project, USAID)
Protected areas around the world face a growing crisis to cover the costs of their operations and management. Tourism concessions are part of a much larger system of Tourism User Fees for permitted uses in PAs. This paper reviews a brief history of concessions, looks at best practices and specific steps for parks to manage the contracting of tourism services, and reviews the case of South Africa and Colombia. LEARN MORE
Teknaf Peninsula Community-Based Ecotourism Strategy for Bangladesh (2009)
USAID/Bangladesh
This Community-based Teknaf Ecotourism Strategy proposes that the Integrated Protected Co-Management (IPAC) project facilitate an Ecotourism Management planning process that will create a bioregional ecotourism plan for the Himchari National Park, the proposed Inani National Park, the Teknaf Game Reserve, and Sonadia and St. Martin’s Islands incorporating all relevant buffer zones. LEARN MORE
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities &Threats (SWOT) of Tourism in the Sunderbans Reserve Forest, Bangladesh (2009)
USAID/Bangladesh
The tourism industry is frequently referenced in Bangladesh as a highly important stakeholder/user group with the potential to provide extensive benefits to the Sundarbans Reserve Forest. However, there is no consistent analysis of tourism’s impacts on the ecosystem or neighboring communities. And there is no existing tourism plan in effect to help measure how tourism management is functioning at present. LEARN MORE
Total tourism numbers visiting Sierra Leone was 40,000 in 2005, 90% of whom were coming for business related to the United Nations or other development agencies, or to visit family members. However, Sierra Leone has several primary attractions with international potential, including The Western Peninsula, Bunce Island, and to a lesser degree Tiwai Island and OutambaKilimi. LEARN MORE
Ecolodges: Exploring Opportunities for Sustainable Business (2004)
International Finance Corporation, World Bank
This publication summarizes the findings of two studies on ecolodges that IFC commissioned in 2004. With these studies, IFC sought to determine whether the environmental impacts and financial performance of ecolodges are sufficiently positive to justify IFC’s investing in them as part of its sustainable development mission.
A Review of International Markets, Business, Finance and Technical Assistance Models for Ecolodges in Developing Countries (2003)
International Finance Corporate, World Bank
This study set out to identify market demand, establish a market profile, and determine the key factors for business viability of ecolodges in Lesser Developed countries (LDCs). To achieve this goal, the authors reviewed market literature from origin markets around the world, and undertook a survey with regional market experts to discuss ecolodge development trends in destination countries
Sustainable Tourism Certification Marketing and its contribution to SME Market Access (2003)
with Dr. Xavier Font
The question of how well certification of sustainable tourism can contribute to building market access for business enterprises has important implications for how NGOs, donors and governments approach their support of sustainable tourism. LEARN MORE
EARLY PUBLICATIONS
Ecotourism: Principles, Practices & Policies for Sustainability (2002)
UNEP
Basic textbook which defines ecotourism, provides information on how the private sector provides services in the ecotourism sector, how NGOs work with ecotourism, government policy examples, development agencies and training options. LEARN MORE
Meeting the Global Challenge of Community Participation in Ecotourism (1998)
The Nature Conservancy
This paper investigates the role of community participation in the development of ecotourism in Ecuador from social, political and conservation perspectives. Ecuador is a living laboratory of ecotourism and community development issues that provides an excellent base to tstudy and learn about communities in tropical zones working to adapt ecotourism to their needs. LEARN MORE