Benefits of scientific tourism in a mega-diverse forest landscape: Case of the Kichwa community in San José De Payamino, Ecuadorian Amazon

Abstract

This document analyses the benefits of scientific
tourism (ScT) at a community level from a social,
economic, environmental and cultural points of view. The
research was carried out at the Timburi Cocha Biological
Station (TCBS) within the Kichwa community of San José
de Payamino, located in the buffer zone of the Sumaco
Napo Galeras National Park (SNG-NP) in the Sumaco
Biosphere Reserve (SBR) and is part of one of the world’s
Andean-Amazonian biodiversity hotspots. We employed
the methodology of scientific observation, household
survey and interviewing community leaders and leaders of
the two main academic entities involved with the TCBS.
The results show that the activities of ScT has contributed
to the San José de Payamino community with an annual
average ranging from 3474 to 5000 USD in the last eight
years. In addition to other economic, social, environmental
and cultural benefits as a result of the involvement of
community members in the different activities carried
out by the EBTC. The “Community Leaders” revealed
“high” weights on issues related to: a) respect for ancestral
knowledge; b) respect and conservation of NRNs; c)
empowerment or respect for cultural identity; d) respect for
the Kichwa language and; d) participation of community
members in the activities carried out in the EBTC, while; e)
mutual learning obtained a “medium” weighting. Finally,
the document presents recommendations to improve the
benefits of the TCi activities carried out in the EBTC, as
well as to contribute to the sustainable development and
conservation of the community’s natural resources.