Nature and religious tourism

        First, nature tourism’s development is essential for a country can attract visitors with its natural resources. This means that money can be made from a gifted environment if well developed and marketed. Thus, enriches the country and helps conserving the sites.

We will begin with France, a naturally rich country with a network of protected areas composed of 9 national parks, 45 regional natural parks, 163 nature reserves and over 100,000 hectares of preserved coastline (Explore France, 2019). Additionally, the nation has around 180 000km of recognized footpaths for tourists to hike on and discover magnificent landscapes:

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All are listed by ‘FFRandonnée’ alongside accommodations, maps, heights and other practical information. This makes tourists’ journey research easier and quicker. Besides, they can take part in trips organised by affiliated structures or in partnership with institutions like ‘Allibert Trekking’ or ‘Terres d’Aventure’ (FFRandonnée, 2020).

Moreover, the ‘Réseau des Grands Sites de France’ rehabilitates and manage prestigious and popular inherited sites. These interventions follow a strict national policy which aims to respect the place’s ‘spirit’, control visits to optimize its conservation while still welcoming the public. However, the organization also benefits the locals by integrating them to their projects and redistributing part of the money to the regions (Réseau des Grands Sites de France, 2018).

Among these infamous sites is Ardèche’s ‘Aven d’Orgnac’:

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Classified as a natural monument, this 120-meter-deep cave contains galleries adorned with impressive stalagmites and stalactites. The site has been adapted for tourists and is now a worldwide reference of underground environments.

Another naturally rich territory is South Africa, very diverse in its habitats and wildlife species. Therefore, it counts a total of “422 formally protected areas and 160 privately owned reserves covering approximately 6% of the land surface area” (Spenceley, 2005). Tourists from all over the world come to see the nation’s animals in their native environment. In fact, because of its unique tropical climate, it is home to even more unique animals which can only be found there:

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The Gemsbock                                The greater kudu bull                

Therefore, to preserve biodiversity and reduce poverty, Integrated Conservation and Development Programs (ICDPs) have been put in place since the mid-1960s. Their goal is to provide locals with a better financial situation via the nature-tourism sector by preserving their environment. These often involve for the inhabitants to change the way they use their surroundings so that the landscape remains intact and keeps attracting Western tourists (Silva, Khatiwada, 2014). However, many protected areas are under funded which leads to overlooked ecosystems and ‘paper parks’ (unfulfilled conservation laws). Moreover, community-based tourism is limited because of its inability to equal the profusion and diversity of well-known national parks’ wildlife. Finally, tourism depends on two main points that Africa is frequently unable to provide: satisfactory infrastructures and political stability (Lindsey, Mills, Alexander, Romañach, Woodroffe, 2007).

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