27 August/ 2004
World
Bank Evaluates Environmental Impact of Tourism in Honduras
The World Bank and the Norwegian government will
be working jointly as part of a strategy to reduce poverty through
tourism development. They will be evaluating the environmental
and social impact that tourism is having on the Honduran North
Coast, the Bay Islands and the region surrounding the Mayan ruins
at Copan - the country’s three tourism focus points
for development.
According to preliminary figures obtained by the World Bank delegation,
significant investment is still required to improve basic services
and satisfy the demands of both local residents and tourists in
areas like wastewater treatment in the Bay Islands and on the
North Coast. Regional evaluations of tourism projects are also
necessary, says the delegation, as are efforts to strengthen micro-businesses
and train personnel in the sector.
The evaluation is aimed at encouraging sustainable tourism development
in Honduras. Changes made on the North Coast as a result of the
evaluation will be designed to serve as a model for tourism development
elsewhere in the country as well. The strategy also includes the
development of a National Plan for Ecotourism.
The Honduran government is the first in Latin America to create
and implement an environmental evaluation strategy as part of
its tourism development plan. Brazilian experts are currently
looking at ways to apply the Honduran model to their own tourism
sector.
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