How ecotourism benefits wildlife conservation
19 August 2022 (379 visits)At Tambopata Ecolodge, we have been aware of the enormous potential for ecotourism to contribute to conservation for more than thirty years. Located around 68 kilometers from the jungle town of Puerto Maldonado and only accessible by river, we are an Amazon basin ecotourism destination officially classed as an eco-lodge by the Peruvian government, located in the Buffer Zone of Tambopata National Reserve.
In the Amazon rainforests of southeastern Peru, we have been a pioneer in conservation based ecotourism created to offer international travelers a sustainable wildlife experience. Since we built our eco-lodge back in 1991, we have gone on to conserve the extensive areas of rainforest we own, together with those areas of forest granted to us as conservation concessions by the Peruvian government.
Through this work, in addition to introducing thousands of travelers of all ages to the beauty of the Amazon rainforest, we have effectively saved large areas of forest from clear felling and conversion to agriculture.
As the owners of an officially certified Private Conservation Area, while preventing the logging of land and the growing of cash crops that have destroyed other parts of the Amazon, we demonstrate how it is possible to generate an income while preserving the wilderness for small-scale natural history ecotourism. Our guests come to see typical and endangered Amazon species, while staying with us out our comfortable lodge, surrounded by vast tracts of forest, broad rivers, and picturesque wetlands.
By adopting sustainable energy practices, we impact minimally on the environment, while providing employment for local people and attracting travelers to the jungle town of Puerto Maldonado, where we maintain an office. Leading by example, we demonstrate to the local community the benefits of preserving flora and fauna, rather than felling trees or hunting animals.
To achieve all this, we derive an income from our guests, while preserving for posterity our corner of the Amazon basin and protecting the plants and animals of the forest.
Across the Amazon, recent years have seen political upheavals and the consequences of a global pandemic lead to a drop in tourism arrivals. Sadly, in many parts of the Amazon this has led to an increase in the activities of illegal loggers and slash-and-burn farmers, who have invaded more areas of virgin jungle.
But at Tambopata Ecolodge, we have continued our work undaunted, and we continue to welcome travelers from all over the world to our rainforest home, to enjoy nature in the company of our expert guides, and to assist us through their presence in our ecotourism based conservation initiative.
