Forest tourism and recreation case studies in environmental management

The demand for ecotourism and outdoor recreation is increasing and the pressures on land use are becoming more obvious, both in developed and developing countries. Forested land has traditionally been considered as of lower economical value than agricultural land, and the main output has been the production of timber. Yet a large part of the ecotourism experience and the recreational landscapes depends on the maintenance of forested land, and forests are crucial pockets of biodiversity conservation. Forests are part of the countryside that visitors enjoy, sometimes the purpose of the visit and other times just the setting for recreational activities, but little tourist revenue
reaches forest owners, despite the fact that this revenue is much needed.