Chumbe Island Coral Park (Tanzania) as a model of an exemplary ecotourism enterprise

ABSTRACT

Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd. (CHICOP) is the first financially self-sustaining marine protected area in the world, which was also established and managed as a privately protected area (PPA). Its model of operations and income provides unique and environmental friendly activities based on ecotourism principles. To establish whether CHICOP can be treated as an exemplary model for other ecotourism enterprises, this study – based on the core criteria of ecotourism – analyzed available source materials and verified them empirically by means of a diagnostic survey and observation. The results clearly indicate that CHICOP's numerous undertakings are characterized by a high regard for the natural, social and cultural environment, with an emphasis on ethical conduct and dedication to the Park's educational function. Multiple prestigious awards, commitment of workers, recognition from local communities and positive feedback from returning tourists provide additional confirmation that CHICOP has succeeded in meeting its objectives in a sustainable manner.

KEYWORDS:

• ecotourism
• Zanzibar
• CHICOP
• ecotourism enterprise
• marine ecotourism

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Ms. Ulrike Kloiber, Conservation and Education Manager and Marine Biologist at CHICOP; Ms. Sibylle Riedmiller, the Founder of CHICOP; Ms. Vikki Ott, the Project Manager; and Ms. Eleanor Carter, the Alternate Director, for providing theoretical information, allowing unlimited access to data and assisting in the preparation of this publication. We would like to express our respect to all CHICOP team members who have created this enterprise. We hope that the provided information will be useful to various stakeholders and help in creating more successful ecotourism enterprises.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.