Sustainable Tourism Geographies in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
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Guest editors
Kelly L. Cerialo (PhD) Associate Professor, Business and Hospitality, Paul Smith’s College, New York, USA [email protected] Dr. Kelly L. Cerialo is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator in the Business and Hospitality Department at Paul Smith’s College. She is the Co-Chair of the UNESCO Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve (New York/Vermont, USA), Coordinator for the U.S. UNESCO Biosphere Network, and co-founder of the U.S. Biosphere Reserve Youth Network. She coordinates international research exchanges with a focus on sustainable tourism and community development in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Europe and Africa. She is the co-founder of the Adirondack to Appeninno Sustainable Parks and Communities Project – an international sustainable tourism initiative between the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve in Italy and the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve. Prof. Marina Novelli (PhD) Professor of Marketing and Tourism, The University of Nottingham Business School, UK [email protected] Professor Marina Novelli (PhD) is a globally renowned tourism for sustainable development expert and Professor of Marketing and Tourism at The University of Nottingham Business School (UK). She is known for her contributions to the concept of Niche Tourism, Tourism Development in Sub-Saharan Africa and critical elaboration of the Overtourism phenomenon. She is Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, Alternate Member of the UNWTO World Committee on Tourism Ethics (2021-2025) and Member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council for Sustainable Development (2023-2024). She has written and advised in the field of international tourism policy, planning and development in Africa, Europe, and Asia for institutions such as the World Bank, the EU, the UN, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, National Ministries and Tourism Boards, Regional Development Agencies, private sector, and NGOs. She distinguishes herself as a particularly active member of the global tourism community and for her inclusive research leadership practice and excellence in collaborating with multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholders and multi-cultural teams. |
UNESCO Appenino Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve (Italy)Ó Kelly Cerialo, 2019
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This special issue aims to advance conceptual and empirical scholarship on sustainable tourism geographies in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and to explore the intricate relationship between sustainable tourism development and the preservation of biodiversity, cultural heritage, and sustainable livelihoods in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.
In 1971, UNESCO established the Man and the Biosphere Reserve (MAB) Programme, an intergovernmental program designed to promote knowledge exchanges that support sustainable development and preserve biological and cultural diversity (“UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.). Biosphere reserves are protected landscapes that are rich in biodiversity and claim to act as a laboratory to test and apply approaches to sustainable development including natural resource management, environmental education, and sustainable tourism (Bokova, 2017). In a quest to improve human interaction with the natural environment, biosphere leaders are challenged to find a balance between economic development, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation.
Considering the complexity of this task, and the growing need to address the United Nation Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its related 17 Sustainable Development Goals, biosphere leaders often turn to tourism as a solution to promote sustainable development (Bokova, 2017). However, if tourism is utilized as a means of economic growth without proper planning, management, and monitoring, existing literature has highlighted that significant environmental, social, and economic problems can arise including increased housing costs, traffic, pollution (Deery et al., 2012), overcrowding and overtourism, as well as socio-economic inequalities (Milano et al., 2019).
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve’s Functions and Goals
Through cross-sector partnerships, UNESCO’s MAB Program supports the practical application and integration of social and natural sciences, equitable benefits, natural resource management, education, and economics to improve human livelihoods, and approaches to economic development that preserve the social, cultural, and environmental integrity of the region (“UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.). Currently, UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves consists of 748 sites in 134 countries across the world (“UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.). UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are designed to serve three primary functions: conservation, sustainable development, and logistic support (Batisse, 1986). Conservation in biosphere reserves focuses on protecting biodiversity, ecosystems, landscapes, species, and genetic variation (Pool-Stanvliet & Coetzer, 2020). Sustainable development in biospheres aims to promote economic growth that is environmentally and socio-culturally sustainable (Bokova, 2017). Lastly, logistic support in biospheres includes research, monitoring, education, and training necessary to facilitate sustainable development (Bokova, 2017). The United Nations’ 17 SDGs act as a framework for action to implement sustainable development in global biospheres (Pool-Stanvliet & Coetzer, 2020). In addition to the three functional areas, biosphere reserves pursue four overarching objectives based on the Lima Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves:
1.Conserve biodiversity, restore and enhance ecosystem services, and foster the sustainable use of natural resources;
2.Contribute to building sustainable, healthy, and equitable societies, economies and thriving human settlements in harmony with the biosphere;
3.Facilitate biodiversity and sustainability science, education for sustainable development (ESD) and capacity building;
4.Support mitigation and adaptation to climate change and other aspects of global environmental change. (Bokova, 2017, p. 17)
Land Zoning in Biosphere Reserves
In order to effectively manage conservation, development, and logistical support, each biosphere reserve is zoned according to three distinct territories:(1) core zone—devoted to long-term protection with restricted development; (2) buffer zone—limited development and human use; and (3) transition zone— where sustainable development is promoted by public authorities, local communities, and enterprises (UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.). Land zoning in global biosphere reserves has been met with resistance by segments of biosphere reserve population as they see biosphere zoning as an effort to further regulate land use and prohibit economic development in favor of environmental conservation.
Although biosphere reserves share similar characteristics to traditional protected areas at the policy and site level, there are considerable differences between biospheres and protected areas such as national parks (Nguyen et al., 2009). Biosphere reserves aim to integrate environmental conservation and sustainable development whereas, national parks have a primary objective of nature conservation (Aschenbrand & Michler, 2021). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies protected areas according to whether nature conservation is the primary management objective of at least 75% of the designated area (Dudley, n.d.). According to the IUCN criterion, only some areas of biosphere reserves (the core zone, and where applicable, the buffer zone) meet the IUCN criterion (Aschenbrand & Michler, 2021; Dudley, n.d.).
By design, in biosphere reserves more than 80% of the designated area lies outside of legally protected zones (Ishwaran et al., 2008). Within a biosphere, the core zone is typically the only protected area and is typically around 20% of the designated terrain (Nguyen et al., 2009). Bioret (2001) claimed that this creates a significant challenge for managers of biosphere reserves as they have to account for the diverse functions and management of sustainable development for local communities, conservation, education, and research. Due to the variance in land use, human impact, and conservation within a designated biosphere reserve, biospheres tend to be more dynamic and complex than standard protected areas (Nguyen et al., 2009).
With a strong focus on multi-stakeholder engagement and involving local communities in management decisions, biosphere reserves have participatory governance structures that can be replicated to develop and maintain sustainable communities (Bokova, 2017). Leaders in biosphere reserves are responsible for navigating complex social, economic, and environmental issues to promote sustainable development by creating space for diverse stakeholder perspectives. Employing traditional and local knowledge in ecosystem management, leaders in biosphere reserves access the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WBBR) and local communities to integrate biological and cultural diversity in decision-making (“UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.), particularly when it comes to tourism development. In an effort to preserve biodiversity, biosphere leaders are challenged to find a healthy balance between economic development, environmental conservation, and social preservation when designing tourism models.
Sustainable Tourism Geographies in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
Countries across the world including Sweden, Jordan, India, England, Guatemala, Italy, China, and Slovakia have focused on sustainable tourism development in biosphere reserves to promote sustainable economic development and environmental conservation (Wilkinson & Coles, 2023; WNBR, 2020). Biosphere reserve managers position sustainable tourism as an important part of sustainable development and have even used tourism as a rationale for the establishment of new biospheres worldwide. Hoppstadius (2019) posited that biosphere reserve landscapes increased environmental awareness and that tourists in these regions perceived environmental concerns and their own role in affecting the natural environment. In many international biosphere reserve destinations including the North Devon Biosphere Reserve in Southwest England, the natural environment is recognized as an important attraction for visitors and residents that is sensitive to human impacts (Wilkinson et al., 2022). For this reason, biosphere reserves including North Devon, work with regional leadership to implement sustainable tourism practices to protect the destination’s natural and cultural resources for future generations (Wilkinson et al., 2022).
At present, tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves remains under-researched. However, current tourism geographies discourses highlight several of the key issues in sustainable tourism in protected areas. Duffy (2015) discussed the incongruities in nature-based tourism models that mask the contradiction between economic growth and environmental sustainability. Spenceley (2008) outlined the essential factors of sustainable nature-based tourism in transfrontier conservation areas while Lamers et al. (2014) examined tourism-conservation businesses as a land-use strategy and the governance required to facilitate this. Zanotti and Chernela (2008) explored education as a form of empowerment in ecotourism in nature reserves and Mach et al. (2023) assessed the governance of wildlife tourism and how it impacts the treatment of wildlife and the tourist experience. Although these studies provide a constructive narrative about sustainable tourism geographies in protected areas, research on sustainable tourism geographies in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves remains in a nascent state.
This special issue will further the debate on sustainable tourism which Tourism Geographies has facilitated by building upon its previously published special issues, such as ‘Tourism and the UN Sustainable Development Goals’ (edited by Saarinen, 2018) and it will introduce new perspectives on the challenges and opportunities related to sustainable tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. It will complement the debate with a range of new theoretical frameworks and approaches and will also highlight new topics and foci of analysis and draw attention to sustainable tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, which has so far been under-researched in geographical studies of tourism. A new, significant, and timely research agenda will be proposed in this special issue.
We invite authors to contribute empirical and conceptual papers, including case studies and comparative and conceptual perspectives that investigate the social, ecological, political, and economic dimensions of sustainable tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. We encourage contributions that investigate the multifaceted interactions between tourism and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, examining the challenges, opportunities, and innovative strategies that promote responsible and sustainable tourism practices. Researchers are invited to explore topics including but not limited to:
Authors are expected to engage with relevant theoretical frameworks, particularly those that are relevant to tourism geographies, and to make adequate advances in and a valuable contribution to the general theoretical understanding of sustainable tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves from a geographical perspective. We welcome examples and case studies from all over the world and all geographical, cultural, political, and social contexts, particularly those outside of Global North geographies.
Author Instructions
If you are interested in contributing to this Tourism Geographies - Special Issue on Tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, please send an extended abstract of 1000 words (includes guiding references) to Dr. Kelly Cerialo ([email protected]) and Prof. Marina Novelli ([email protected]) by 15th December 2023. Abstracts must include title of the paper, author names and affiliations, email address of corresponding author, up to 5 keywords, and guiding references. Abstracts should be emailed with ‘Tourism Geographies Special Issue - Biosphere Reserves’ in the subject line to: [email protected] and [email protected].
Authors must ensure that manuscripts are prepared meticulously and are in line with the journal’s author guidelines – see Notes for Authors (https://www.tgjournal.com/notes-for-authors.html). Where English language editing is required, authors should ensure that this is undertaken before manuscript submission.
Additionally, authors must ensure that Tourism Geographies publication criteria is explicitly addressed. This can also be found in the above mentioned Notes for Authors instructions.
Authors who submit abstracts will be informed on the outcome of abstract review by the 15th January 2024. Those authors who are invited to prepare full manuscripts will be asked to submit their papers to Guest Editors for a pre-submission review by 30th June 2024. An invitation from the guest editors to submit a full paper does not guarantee publication. All full paper submissions will undergo a double-blind review process after an initial review by the Special Issue editors.
Timeline
Keywords
UNESCO, biosphere, reserve, sustainability, natural resources, bioregionalism, transboundary, land use, tourism
References
Aschenbrand, E., & Michler, T. (2021). Why Do UNESCO Biosphere Reserves Get Less
Recognition than National Parks? A Landscape Research Perspective on Protected Area Narratives in Germany. Sustainability, 13(24), 13647. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413647
Batisse, M. (1986). Biosphere reserves: developing and focusing the concept. Nature and
Resources, 22(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.44888
Bioret, F. (2001). Biosphere Reserve manager or coordinator? Conclusion from Euro
MAB. Parks: The International Journal for Protected Area Managers, 11(1). Retrieved from https://parksjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/parks_bio01-1.pdf
Bokova, I. (2017). A New Roadmap for the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its
World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Paris, France: United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved from https://www.clubperlunescotolentino.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/PIANO-DI-AZIONE-DI-LIMA-EN.pdf
Deery, M., Jago, L., & Fredline, L. (2012). Rethinking social impacts of tourism research: A new
research agenda. Tourism Management, 33(1), 64-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.01.026
Dudley, N. Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories. Available online:
https://portals.iucn.org/library/ sites/library/files/documents/PAG-021.pdf (accessed on 20 September 2023).
Duffy, R. (2015). Nature-based tourism and neoliberalism: Concealing contradictions. Tourism
Geographies, 17(4), 529-543, DOI: 10.1080/14616688.2015.1053972
Hoppstadius, F. (2019). Tourists' reflections on sustainability in a biosphere reserve
landscape. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(4), 560-573. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2282
Ishwaran, N., Persic, A., and Tri, N.H. (2008). Concept and practice: the case of UNESCO
Biosphere Reserves. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development,
7(2), 118–131. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijesd.2008.018358
Lamers, M., Nthiga, R., van der Duim, R., & van Wijk, J. (2014). Tourism–conservation
enterprises as a land-use strategy in Kenya. Tourism Geographies, 16(3), 474-489.
Mach, L., McPherson, B., & Hayes, R. (2023). Wildlife tourism maps and the governance of
environmental collapse. Tourism Geographies, 25(5), 1465-1482.
Milano, C., Novelli, M., & Cheer, J. M. (2019). Overtourism and tourismphobia: a journey
through four decades of tourism development, planning and local concerns. Tourism
Planning and Development, 16(4), 353-472. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003140610-1
Nguyen, N. C., Bosch, O. J., & Maani, K. E. (2009). The importance of Systems Thinking and
Practice for creating biosphere reserves as" learning laboratories for sustainable
development". In Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Meeting of the ISSS-2009, Brisbane,
Australia. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.1044
Pool-Stanvliet, R., & Coetzer, K. (2020). The scientific value of UNESCO biosphere reserves.
South African Journal of Science, 116(1), 21–24. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2020/7432
Spenceley, A. (2008). Requirements for sustainable nature-based tourism in transfrontier conservation areas: A southern African Delphi consultation. Tourism Geographies, 10(3), 285-311.
UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme. (n.d). United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization Man and Biosphere Programme. About.
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-
sciences/
Wilkinson, T., & Coles, T. (2023). Do tourists want sustainability transitions? Visitor attitudes to
destination trajectories during COVID-19. Tourism Geographies, 1-18.
Wilkinson, T., Coles, T., & Petersen, C. (2022). Mindful continuation? Stakeholder preferences
for future tourism development during the COVID-19 crisis. Tourism Geographies, 1-19.
WNBR. (2020). World network of biosphere reserves, 30th October, 2020 http://www. unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere- reserves/world-network-wnbr/.
Zanotti, L., & Chernela, J. (2008). Conflicting cultures of nature: ecotourism, education, and the
Kayapó of the Brazilian Amazon. Tourism Geographies, 10(4), 495-521
In 1971, UNESCO established the Man and the Biosphere Reserve (MAB) Programme, an intergovernmental program designed to promote knowledge exchanges that support sustainable development and preserve biological and cultural diversity (“UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.). Biosphere reserves are protected landscapes that are rich in biodiversity and claim to act as a laboratory to test and apply approaches to sustainable development including natural resource management, environmental education, and sustainable tourism (Bokova, 2017). In a quest to improve human interaction with the natural environment, biosphere leaders are challenged to find a balance between economic development, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation.
Considering the complexity of this task, and the growing need to address the United Nation Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its related 17 Sustainable Development Goals, biosphere leaders often turn to tourism as a solution to promote sustainable development (Bokova, 2017). However, if tourism is utilized as a means of economic growth without proper planning, management, and monitoring, existing literature has highlighted that significant environmental, social, and economic problems can arise including increased housing costs, traffic, pollution (Deery et al., 2012), overcrowding and overtourism, as well as socio-economic inequalities (Milano et al., 2019).
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve’s Functions and Goals
Through cross-sector partnerships, UNESCO’s MAB Program supports the practical application and integration of social and natural sciences, equitable benefits, natural resource management, education, and economics to improve human livelihoods, and approaches to economic development that preserve the social, cultural, and environmental integrity of the region (“UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.). Currently, UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves consists of 748 sites in 134 countries across the world (“UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.). UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are designed to serve three primary functions: conservation, sustainable development, and logistic support (Batisse, 1986). Conservation in biosphere reserves focuses on protecting biodiversity, ecosystems, landscapes, species, and genetic variation (Pool-Stanvliet & Coetzer, 2020). Sustainable development in biospheres aims to promote economic growth that is environmentally and socio-culturally sustainable (Bokova, 2017). Lastly, logistic support in biospheres includes research, monitoring, education, and training necessary to facilitate sustainable development (Bokova, 2017). The United Nations’ 17 SDGs act as a framework for action to implement sustainable development in global biospheres (Pool-Stanvliet & Coetzer, 2020). In addition to the three functional areas, biosphere reserves pursue four overarching objectives based on the Lima Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves:
1.Conserve biodiversity, restore and enhance ecosystem services, and foster the sustainable use of natural resources;
2.Contribute to building sustainable, healthy, and equitable societies, economies and thriving human settlements in harmony with the biosphere;
3.Facilitate biodiversity and sustainability science, education for sustainable development (ESD) and capacity building;
4.Support mitigation and adaptation to climate change and other aspects of global environmental change. (Bokova, 2017, p. 17)
Land Zoning in Biosphere Reserves
In order to effectively manage conservation, development, and logistical support, each biosphere reserve is zoned according to three distinct territories:(1) core zone—devoted to long-term protection with restricted development; (2) buffer zone—limited development and human use; and (3) transition zone— where sustainable development is promoted by public authorities, local communities, and enterprises (UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.). Land zoning in global biosphere reserves has been met with resistance by segments of biosphere reserve population as they see biosphere zoning as an effort to further regulate land use and prohibit economic development in favor of environmental conservation.
Although biosphere reserves share similar characteristics to traditional protected areas at the policy and site level, there are considerable differences between biospheres and protected areas such as national parks (Nguyen et al., 2009). Biosphere reserves aim to integrate environmental conservation and sustainable development whereas, national parks have a primary objective of nature conservation (Aschenbrand & Michler, 2021). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies protected areas according to whether nature conservation is the primary management objective of at least 75% of the designated area (Dudley, n.d.). According to the IUCN criterion, only some areas of biosphere reserves (the core zone, and where applicable, the buffer zone) meet the IUCN criterion (Aschenbrand & Michler, 2021; Dudley, n.d.).
By design, in biosphere reserves more than 80% of the designated area lies outside of legally protected zones (Ishwaran et al., 2008). Within a biosphere, the core zone is typically the only protected area and is typically around 20% of the designated terrain (Nguyen et al., 2009). Bioret (2001) claimed that this creates a significant challenge for managers of biosphere reserves as they have to account for the diverse functions and management of sustainable development for local communities, conservation, education, and research. Due to the variance in land use, human impact, and conservation within a designated biosphere reserve, biospheres tend to be more dynamic and complex than standard protected areas (Nguyen et al., 2009).
With a strong focus on multi-stakeholder engagement and involving local communities in management decisions, biosphere reserves have participatory governance structures that can be replicated to develop and maintain sustainable communities (Bokova, 2017). Leaders in biosphere reserves are responsible for navigating complex social, economic, and environmental issues to promote sustainable development by creating space for diverse stakeholder perspectives. Employing traditional and local knowledge in ecosystem management, leaders in biosphere reserves access the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WBBR) and local communities to integrate biological and cultural diversity in decision-making (“UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme,” n.d.), particularly when it comes to tourism development. In an effort to preserve biodiversity, biosphere leaders are challenged to find a healthy balance between economic development, environmental conservation, and social preservation when designing tourism models.
Sustainable Tourism Geographies in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
Countries across the world including Sweden, Jordan, India, England, Guatemala, Italy, China, and Slovakia have focused on sustainable tourism development in biosphere reserves to promote sustainable economic development and environmental conservation (Wilkinson & Coles, 2023; WNBR, 2020). Biosphere reserve managers position sustainable tourism as an important part of sustainable development and have even used tourism as a rationale for the establishment of new biospheres worldwide. Hoppstadius (2019) posited that biosphere reserve landscapes increased environmental awareness and that tourists in these regions perceived environmental concerns and their own role in affecting the natural environment. In many international biosphere reserve destinations including the North Devon Biosphere Reserve in Southwest England, the natural environment is recognized as an important attraction for visitors and residents that is sensitive to human impacts (Wilkinson et al., 2022). For this reason, biosphere reserves including North Devon, work with regional leadership to implement sustainable tourism practices to protect the destination’s natural and cultural resources for future generations (Wilkinson et al., 2022).
At present, tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves remains under-researched. However, current tourism geographies discourses highlight several of the key issues in sustainable tourism in protected areas. Duffy (2015) discussed the incongruities in nature-based tourism models that mask the contradiction between economic growth and environmental sustainability. Spenceley (2008) outlined the essential factors of sustainable nature-based tourism in transfrontier conservation areas while Lamers et al. (2014) examined tourism-conservation businesses as a land-use strategy and the governance required to facilitate this. Zanotti and Chernela (2008) explored education as a form of empowerment in ecotourism in nature reserves and Mach et al. (2023) assessed the governance of wildlife tourism and how it impacts the treatment of wildlife and the tourist experience. Although these studies provide a constructive narrative about sustainable tourism geographies in protected areas, research on sustainable tourism geographies in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves remains in a nascent state.
This special issue will further the debate on sustainable tourism which Tourism Geographies has facilitated by building upon its previously published special issues, such as ‘Tourism and the UN Sustainable Development Goals’ (edited by Saarinen, 2018) and it will introduce new perspectives on the challenges and opportunities related to sustainable tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. It will complement the debate with a range of new theoretical frameworks and approaches and will also highlight new topics and foci of analysis and draw attention to sustainable tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, which has so far been under-researched in geographical studies of tourism. A new, significant, and timely research agenda will be proposed in this special issue.
We invite authors to contribute empirical and conceptual papers, including case studies and comparative and conceptual perspectives that investigate the social, ecological, political, and economic dimensions of sustainable tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. We encourage contributions that investigate the multifaceted interactions between tourism and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, examining the challenges, opportunities, and innovative strategies that promote responsible and sustainable tourism practices. Researchers are invited to explore topics including but not limited to:
- Sustainable tourism development in biosphere reserves
- Environmental and/or socio-economic impacts of tourism in biosphere reserves
- Cultural preservation and heritage management through sustainable tourism in biosphere reserves
- Biodiversity conservation, nature-based tourism and/or ecotourism in biosphere reserves
- Impacts of climate change on sustainable tourism in biosphere reserves
- Community engagement, local participation, and stakeholder collaboration in biosphere reserves
- Tourism policies and regulations for preserving biosphere reserves integrity
- Indigenous tourism in biosphere reserves
- Biocultural heritage tourism in biosphere reserves
- The role of technological and organizational innovations in sustainable tourism in biosphere reserves
- Local sourcing and local products in tourism in biosphere reserves
- Alternative energy solutions and green transportation for tourism in biosphere reserves
- Sustainable tourism and the UN Sustainable Development Goals in biosphere reserves
- Destination stewardship in biosphere reserves
- Measuring and managing visitor use in biosphere reserves
- De-carbonization of tourism production and consumption in biosphere reserves
- Social, cultural, political, and ecological factors shaping sustainable tourism in biosphere reserves
Authors are expected to engage with relevant theoretical frameworks, particularly those that are relevant to tourism geographies, and to make adequate advances in and a valuable contribution to the general theoretical understanding of sustainable tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves from a geographical perspective. We welcome examples and case studies from all over the world and all geographical, cultural, political, and social contexts, particularly those outside of Global North geographies.
Author Instructions
If you are interested in contributing to this Tourism Geographies - Special Issue on Tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, please send an extended abstract of 1000 words (includes guiding references) to Dr. Kelly Cerialo ([email protected]) and Prof. Marina Novelli ([email protected]) by 15th December 2023. Abstracts must include title of the paper, author names and affiliations, email address of corresponding author, up to 5 keywords, and guiding references. Abstracts should be emailed with ‘Tourism Geographies Special Issue - Biosphere Reserves’ in the subject line to: [email protected] and [email protected].
Authors must ensure that manuscripts are prepared meticulously and are in line with the journal’s author guidelines – see Notes for Authors (https://www.tgjournal.com/notes-for-authors.html). Where English language editing is required, authors should ensure that this is undertaken before manuscript submission.
Additionally, authors must ensure that Tourism Geographies publication criteria is explicitly addressed. This can also be found in the above mentioned Notes for Authors instructions.
Authors who submit abstracts will be informed on the outcome of abstract review by the 15th January 2024. Those authors who are invited to prepare full manuscripts will be asked to submit their papers to Guest Editors for a pre-submission review by 30th June 2024. An invitation from the guest editors to submit a full paper does not guarantee publication. All full paper submissions will undergo a double-blind review process after an initial review by the Special Issue editors.
Timeline
- Extended Abstracts due – 15th December 2023
- Decision on Abstracts –15th January 2024
- Manuscripts submitted to Tourism Geographies via its portal - from 30th June 2024 to 31 August inclusive.
- Manuscripts accepted – around end of 2024 subject to peer review processes.
- Anticipated publication – around mid to late 2025
Keywords
UNESCO, biosphere, reserve, sustainability, natural resources, bioregionalism, transboundary, land use, tourism
References
Aschenbrand, E., & Michler, T. (2021). Why Do UNESCO Biosphere Reserves Get Less
Recognition than National Parks? A Landscape Research Perspective on Protected Area Narratives in Germany. Sustainability, 13(24), 13647. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413647
Batisse, M. (1986). Biosphere reserves: developing and focusing the concept. Nature and
Resources, 22(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.44888
Bioret, F. (2001). Biosphere Reserve manager or coordinator? Conclusion from Euro
MAB. Parks: The International Journal for Protected Area Managers, 11(1). Retrieved from https://parksjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/parks_bio01-1.pdf
Bokova, I. (2017). A New Roadmap for the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its
World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Paris, France: United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved from https://www.clubperlunescotolentino.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/PIANO-DI-AZIONE-DI-LIMA-EN.pdf
Deery, M., Jago, L., & Fredline, L. (2012). Rethinking social impacts of tourism research: A new
research agenda. Tourism Management, 33(1), 64-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.01.026
Dudley, N. Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories. Available online:
https://portals.iucn.org/library/ sites/library/files/documents/PAG-021.pdf (accessed on 20 September 2023).
Duffy, R. (2015). Nature-based tourism and neoliberalism: Concealing contradictions. Tourism
Geographies, 17(4), 529-543, DOI: 10.1080/14616688.2015.1053972
Hoppstadius, F. (2019). Tourists' reflections on sustainability in a biosphere reserve
landscape. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(4), 560-573. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2282
Ishwaran, N., Persic, A., and Tri, N.H. (2008). Concept and practice: the case of UNESCO
Biosphere Reserves. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development,
7(2), 118–131. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijesd.2008.018358
Lamers, M., Nthiga, R., van der Duim, R., & van Wijk, J. (2014). Tourism–conservation
enterprises as a land-use strategy in Kenya. Tourism Geographies, 16(3), 474-489.
Mach, L., McPherson, B., & Hayes, R. (2023). Wildlife tourism maps and the governance of
environmental collapse. Tourism Geographies, 25(5), 1465-1482.
Milano, C., Novelli, M., & Cheer, J. M. (2019). Overtourism and tourismphobia: a journey
through four decades of tourism development, planning and local concerns. Tourism
Planning and Development, 16(4), 353-472. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003140610-1
Nguyen, N. C., Bosch, O. J., & Maani, K. E. (2009). The importance of Systems Thinking and
Practice for creating biosphere reserves as" learning laboratories for sustainable
development". In Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Meeting of the ISSS-2009, Brisbane,
Australia. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.1044
Pool-Stanvliet, R., & Coetzer, K. (2020). The scientific value of UNESCO biosphere reserves.
South African Journal of Science, 116(1), 21–24. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2020/7432
Spenceley, A. (2008). Requirements for sustainable nature-based tourism in transfrontier conservation areas: A southern African Delphi consultation. Tourism Geographies, 10(3), 285-311.
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