Tourism in a protected landscape : challenges to sustainable development

In the substantial literature on sustainable governance in tourism contexts, the challenges posed by 'common pool resources' CPR have been relatively neglected by researchers. Unless more is understood about the nature of such resources and the types of regimes that can help manage them, tourism stakeholders will receive little guidance on best practice management in the face of conflicting views on resource use. Using whale shark tourism in NMP as the context, the discussion has demonstrated that the adequate management of a CPR requires a deep understanding about the causes of existing and potential conflict in resource use. Arguments presented herein support the idea that the time has come to move the idea of protected areas into a new setting" to places where people live and work, into working landscapes. It is essential to carefully and transparently consider the different stakeholders, their knowledge of the empirical context, their institutions, beliefs, myths and ideas.