Sustainable tourism geographies in UNESCO biosphere reserves

Abstract

Abstract

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BRs) are globally recognised as multifunctional landscapes that seek to reconcile biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and community well-being. Unlike conventional protected areas, BRs integrate conservation, economic activity, cultural heritage preservation and local livelihoods across interconnected socio-ecological systems. As tourism is acknowledged as a mechanism for supporting sustainability objectives, important questions arise concerning governance, environmental justice, resilience, community participation and socio-ecological change. This treatise introduces a collection on sustainable tourism geographies in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and synthesises insights from contributions spanning Europe, Africa, North America and Latin America. Five cross-cutting themes are identified: governance and participation; conservation and environmental justice; community development and livelihoods; resilience, degrowth, and alternative tourism futures; and knowledge mobilisation and learning. We argue that biosphere reserves constitute distinctive tourism geographies and function as living laboratories for sustainability transitions. The collection advances theoretical understandings of tourism within socio-ecological systems while offering important implications for policy, practice and multilateral sustainability agendas.