09/29/2025
๐๏ธ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
That selfie you took on an idyllic white sand beach, in a sprawling city park, or atop a mountain range at sunset? Itโs more than just a photo of you. It reflects natureโs magnetic pull on people across the world and its role in fueling global tourism.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก, serving as a powerful engine for job creation and poverty reduction. Globally, the sector contributes over 10 percent of gross domestic product and supports 370 million jobs, more than half of which are filled by women and young people. This makes tourism one of the worldโs largest and fastest growing industries.
Tourismโs economic benefits are connected to environmental quality. Visitors often avoid polluted beaches, toxic air, and lifeless coral. Healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, on the other hand, can attract tourists and are also key to sustainable livelihoods on a livable planet.
By drawing on the value of landscapes and seascapes, wildlife, and natural heritage, ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐-๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ to align local economic development with conservation goals and a cleaner environment that benefits both local people and visitors. Ultimately, nature-based tourism is a triple win: It protects biodiversity, creates meaningful jobs, and generates strong economic returns.
This is not a niche industry. Nature-based tourism drives around 8 billion visits each year to protected areas, covering 17 percent of the worldโs land and 8 percent of its marine areas. These visits deliver substantial economic benefits, with local household income multipliers of approximately $2 to $5 for every tourist dollar spent.
In many countries, nature-based tourism makes up ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ. In 2018, for instance, it accounted for 8 percent of total employment in Uganda and estimates show it could provide 10 percent of total jobs in Lao Peopleโs Democratic Republic. Even the smallest investments can have an outsized impact. For example, $352,000 of financing in Madagascarโs Nosy Tanikely Marine National Park generated $23.2 million in economic benefits for surrounding communities.
Many of these jobs are high quality and centered around rural workers, helping countries diversify rural incomes, meaningfully engage local communities, and create stronger incentives for conservation and environmental risk management. Developing countries are increasingly capitalizing on this trend by investing in their natural assets, strengthening institutions, and building a skilled workforce.
To help accelerate these opportunities, the World Bank Group is supporting countries to take ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ. For example, in the Lao PDR, Amphai Mookchantai, the young owner of the Phosy Thalang hotel, received support to upgrade her facilities and expand her team and guide services into the adjacent Nakai Nam Theun National Park. This allowed her to double her business. Through such investments, local entrepreneurs and businesses can grow and enhance conservation-friendly tourism products.
Still, much more remains to be done. While the potential of nature-based tourism is immense, many countries face significant barriers, particularly when it comes to creating enabling policy foundations, attracting private investment, and managing natural capital and other assets.
Another key part of investing in nature involves investing in people. Market-led vocational training and education programs are essential to build a skilled workforce that can meet the growing demand for high-quality, nature-based tourism experiences.
Early engagement with the private sector is also critical, complemented by thoughtful regulatory reform. This approach ensures public investments align with market demand, while providing businesses with the stable and transparent rules they need to invest with confidence and manage operations sustainably.
Pollution and environmental degradation are also severely undermining tourism opportunities. As countries develop their tourism sectors, they are increasingly aware that natural capital cannot be taken for granted. Effective policies and practices to mitigate environmental risks play an essential role in this journey.
While nature-based tourism is just one part of a countryโs broader tourism strategy, it must be developed hand in hand with other sectors, including cultural and heritage tourism. Together, these interconnected elements can create ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ, one that entrepreneurs like Amphai are already helping to build.
Amphaiโs story is one that can be replicated. To fully unlock the potential of nature-based tourism, policy makers, private sector leaders, communities, and development partners must come together to form strong partnerships that expand opportunities, scale impact, and ensure that nature is a driver of smart, inclusive development.
โ๏ธ ๐๐บ ๐๐ถ๐ฆ๐ณ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ, ๐๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ต ๐๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐บ ๐ข๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ