A Systems Approach to Ecotourism, Leisure and Education …
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policies should regulate a development of tourism (including ecotourism)’, however
a private reserve owner indicated that tourism outside of Panamá city is in the hands of
private owners, and the finances of a program are not easily subsidized by government
funds. The third question (What are the needs to enhance education about ecotourism
among stakeholders, professionals and tourists, while staying at your reserve?) was
answered by one member of Conservation International who said: ‘the preparedness of tourism personnel is limited to the hospitality management industry. In other
words, there is a lack of academic programmes to train professionals in the multifaceted, ecotourism sector in Panamá’. Another CI member added: ‘Ecotourists’
experiences depend on knowledge they may already possess about the place they
are visiting from foreign field guides and/or from the information received from
previous tourists’. The discussion about the fourth question (How much emphasis
does leisure play in your ecotourism programme without affecting irreversibly the
ecological integrity of your site and its natural resources?) found 87.5% of respondents in agreement. Most of them expressed that leisure is the overarching reason
for tourists to seek a tourist experience. However, a reserve owner pointed out that:
‘An excursion in the forest is recreational, yet it is educational too! The educational
component of this experience can only be offered by a tour leader who is knowledgeable about the ecology and natural history of the site’. The BFI stakeholder conceded
that a variety of leisure opportunities are available to ecotourists at Batipa, and these
include camping, hiking, horseback riding, orienteering, swimming, kayaking, and
fishing. At the end of this encounter the facilitator thanked respondents for participating. Six anonymous cards were returned later on, where some respondents added
the following comments/questions:
• The focus group should have included at least a leader of CECOM-RO (Organization of Local Entrepreneurs for Economic Competition in Chiriquí).
• What are the financial opportunities and legal aspects for starting an ecotourism
programme?
• What strategies/initiatives could motivate us Panamanians to protect our natural
environment?
• Thank you for the opportunity. More time should have been allocated for this
focus group.
• Would have liked to learn more about safety issues for ecotourism sites.
• More specifics about regulation of leisure activities such as hunting, fishing,
camping.
6 Conclusion and Recommendations
The work of Schloegel (2007), who considered Panamá as a case in her tourism study,
was of inspiration for this case study about ecotourism at BFI. Based on projections
of future sustainable tourism markets, her analysis presented policy options that
appeared valuable to stakeholders when seeking more specific support from government authorities in Chiriquí. Ecotourism requires a systemic approach to planning
267
policies should regulate a development of tourism (including ecotourism)’, however
a private reserve owner indicated that tourism outside of Panamá city is in the hands of
private owners, and the finances of a program are not easily subsidized by government
funds. The third question (What are the needs to enhance education about ecotourism
among stakeholders, professionals and tourists, while staying at your reserve?) was
answered by one member of Conservation International who said: ‘the preparedness of tourism personnel is limited to the hospitality management industry. In other
words, there is a lack of academic programmes to train professionals in the multifaceted, ecotourism sector in Panamá’. Another CI member added: ‘Ecotourists’
experiences depend on knowledge they may already possess about the place they
are visiting from foreign field guides and/or from the information received from
previous tourists’. The discussion about the fourth question (How much emphasis
does leisure play in your ecotourism programme without affecting irreversibly the
ecological integrity of your site and its natural resources?) found 87.5% of respondents in agreement. Most of them expressed that leisure is the overarching reason
for tourists to seek a tourist experience. However, a reserve owner pointed out that:
‘An excursion in the forest is recreational, yet it is educational too! The educational
component of this experience can only be offered by a tour leader who is knowledgeable about the ecology and natural history of the site’. The BFI stakeholder conceded
that a variety of leisure opportunities are available to ecotourists at Batipa, and these
include camping, hiking, horseback riding, orienteering, swimming, kayaking, and
fishing. At the end of this encounter the facilitator thanked respondents for participating. Six anonymous cards were returned later on, where some respondents added
the following comments/questions:
• The focus group should have included at least a leader of CECOM-RO (Organization of Local Entrepreneurs for Economic Competition in Chiriquí).
• What are the financial opportunities and legal aspects for starting an ecotourism
programme?
• What strategies/initiatives could motivate us Panamanians to protect our natural
environment?
• Thank you for the opportunity. More time should have been allocated for this
focus group.
• Would have liked to learn more about safety issues for ecotourism sites.
• More specifics about regulation of leisure activities such as hunting, fishing,
camping.
6 Conclusion and Recommendations
The work of Schloegel (2007), who considered Panamá as a case in her tourism study,
was of inspiration for this case study about ecotourism at BFI. Based on projections
of future sustainable tourism markets, her analysis presented policy options that
appeared valuable to stakeholders when seeking more specific support from government authorities in Chiriquí. Ecotourism requires a systemic approach to planning