Recommendations for tourism and biodiversity conservation at Laguna Bávaro Wildlife Refuge, Dominican Republic

Abstract

Several ecotourism initiatives have been developed in La Altagracia province in order to diversify the touristic options in the area. To follow this trend, the government and the private sector have undertaken co-management of the Laguna Bavaro to provide new activities in the area. The Laguna Bavaro offers a large number of nature tourism alternatives that will serve as a complement to the sun and beach type of tourism. At the request of the La Altagracia Tourism Cluster we conducted a rapid assessment of the Refuge to determine ecotourism potential and make recommendations on how to implement ecotourism activities while at the same time protecting the biodiversity and mitigating any negative effects from ecotourism.