Amazon Interactive
The Ecotourism Game
Limit tourism to current levels
Touristscontinue to come to Pangayacu, but only once or twice a month. Agriculturedominates the rest of the days. Since most people have growing families,they soon find they must clear more rainforest to plant coffee, rice, andother market crops. You clear another hectare, leaving forest on only one-fifthof your land. You and your neighbors continue hunting, but it seems thatmost of the animals which were once common are now scarce.
Word spreads among tourists that there is little forest tosee in Pangayacu. The flow of tourists to the community slows, and soonit is not worth the effort to feed and guide the few tourists who come.The community disbands the project. You return to your fields, not entirelysure why the project failed.
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| Very little of the land remains in primary forest. Few birds or animalscan survive in the small remnants. Your children will know the rainforestonly in your stories. | Income from tourism soon disappears. The Quichua focus on agriculture, butit is difficult to make money, and incomes drop. |
This is the end of the ecotourism game.
Would you like to see what happens if you expandand improve the tourist facilities?
