Publication: Measuring the Local Economic Impacts of Nature-Based Tourism in Madagascar
Loading...
Published
2025-02-19
ISSN
Date
2025-02-19
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This study examines the crucial relationship between Madagascar's protected areas and tourism, estimating the economic impact on these sites and their surrounding communities. It highlights the lack of data on the economic implications of nature-based tourism, which hinders the ability of tourism authorities, protected area managers, and the government to optimize the economic value of protected areas. The study introduces the Protected Area Tourism Local Economy-Wide Impact Evaluation (LEWIE) "Lite" tool to address this knowledge gap. LEWIE-LITE quantifies both direct and indirect impacts of tourist spending on local economies, aiding in policy formulation on tourism impacts, park spending, community revenue sharing, and complementary policies for protected areas.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2025. Measuring the Local Economic Impacts of Nature-Based Tourism in Madagascar. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/42835 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Zambia : Economic and Poverty Impact of Nature-based Tourism(Washington, DC, 2007-12)This study estimates the contribution of nature-based tourism in Zambia to economic growth and poverty reduction as well as to the sustainability of the management of the wildlife estate. The Zambian Government has identified tourism along with agriculture, mining and manufacturing as the most important sectors for economic development in its various planning documents, including the 2007 Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP). This report is organized into three sections: chapters two and three characterize the tourism industry and the economic impact of nature tourists. Using a variety of sources of information, the two chapters profile the tourism industry in Zambia and analyze the barriers to growth. The chapter four investigates the welfare of communities living in game management area (GMAs) around national parks. These communities are the most likely to suffer from wildlife conflicts and/or benefit from economic activities in and around the parks. A household survey compares the welfare of communities living in GMAs with ordinary rural communities. The chapter five analyzes the performance of Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) during its first five year of existence, and explores the current state of the management of the wildlife estate and its potential to contribute to economic growth through tourism.Publication Measuring the Local Economic Impacts of Nature-Based Tourism in Uganda(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-29)This study addresses the critical connection between Uganda’s protected areas and tourism and estimates the economic impact of tourism on these sites and their surrounding communities. The primary audience of this report is decision-makers such as the ministry of tourism, protected area management authorities, local authorities, and task teams supporting nature-based tourism. In Uganda, where tens of thousands of tourists visit protected areas annually, there is little information on the economic implications of nature-based tourism. This hinders the ability of tourism authorities, protected area managers, and the government to optimize the economic value of protected areas and their associated benefits.Publication Promoting Nature-Based Tourism for Management of Protected Areas and Elephant Conservation in Sri Lanka(Washington, DC, 2010-06)Sri Lanka's ten-year development framework aims at accelerating economic growth while ensuring a path of sustainable development and prioritizing conservation of the country's natural heritage. It is in this context that this policy note seeks to examine the scope for enhancing protection of Sri Lanka's natural assets through nature based tourism as an instrument for conservation with a specific focus on elephant conservation. This study identifies development opportunities that increase tourism revenues and offers an assessment of the human/elephant conflict, which is the primary impediment to long term elephant conservation.Publication Nature Tourism, Conservation, and Development in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2003)The book provides an evaluation of, and policy advice on key environmental, social, and economic issues concerning the development of nature tourism. Using KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa as a case study, it highlights both the benefits, and trade-offs I promoting, an managing sustainable nature-tourism development, and it assesses how policy can enhance nature tourism's contribution to economic growth, poverty reduction, and conservation. The book's contributors explore three key issues. First, they consider the importance of moving beyond development of a wildlife industry, to the creation of a true nature tourism economy, that supports biodiversity conservation. Second, they explore the role of the private sector in contributing to equitable development, and job creation, while generating conservation finance. Third, they consider alternative pricing, and other market mechanisms that can help make nature tourism more viable, and growth-oriented. Ultimately, the authors argue, economic development, equity, and conservation objectives can be balanced.Publication Economic and Statistical Analysis of Tourism in Uganda(Washington, DC, 2013-07)The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities (MTWA) instituted a sample survey of tourists exiting Uganda in 2012-the Tourism Expenditure and Motivation Survey (TEMS). This survey collected data on tourist expenditures, duration of stay, tourist activities, sites visited, levels of satisfaction, and suggestions for improvements in the sector. The purpose of this report is to present the results of the economic analysis of tourist expenditures, and the associated statistical analysis, to inform government decisions on how to increase the contribution that tourism makes to the growth of the Ugandan economy. The economic analysis of tourism based on the TEMS survey focuses on the impact of tourist expenditures on the economy. The scope is therefore limited to the impact of tourism exports, but these exports are important contributors to the development of the Ugandan economy, increasing foreign exchange earnings, and improving the balance of payments. The data show that leisure and cultural tourists spend 30 percent to 100 percent more than other types of tourists per visit to Uganda. This substantial difference in spending makes these tourists an attractive target in government efforts to increase the economic contribution of the tourism sector and reinforces the importance of strengthening the marketing of Ugandan tourism. The TEMS survey estimates that roughly 500,000 foreign tourists spent at least one night in Uganda in 2012, and nearly 75,000 of these were leisure or cultural tourists. In 2013 more than one million nonresidents visited Uganda, and it is estimated that about half of them of them stay at least one night. Tourists' overall satisfaction with their trip to Uganda is high. However, local transport in Uganda and insufficient visitor information are the most frequently cited sources of dissatisfaction and suggested areas for improvement.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Mongolia Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-22)Mongolia’s development prospects are uniquely challenged by both the impacts of climate change and the global shift toward a low-carbon economy. The country’s efforts toward decarbonization pose significant challenges given the structurally high-emission intensity of its economy. While challenging, climate action also presents Mongolia with opportunities to achieve important development benefits. The effects of climate risks and the shift away from coal will have diverse impacts across different regions, communities, and socioeconomic levels. The report assesses the critical interconnections between Mongolia’s development ambitions and climate change action and identifies ways to transition to a more economically diversified, inclusive, and resilient development path. It highlights key climate and transition risks affecting Mongolia’s future development and presents a pathway to enhance climate mitigation and adaptation. The report also makes a case for strengthening policies to enhance resilience to climate change and ensure a just transition, particularly for the most vulnerable. The report is structured as follows: section 1 gives introduction. Section 2 delves into the linkages between development and climate in Mongolia and presents model-based findings on the economic and poverty impacts of climate change under different scenarios. Section 3 covers four in-depth sectoral analyses. The first two mainly focus on adaptation to climate change in the agriculture and water sectors. The third considers prospects for the extraction sector, while the fourth sectoral analysis focuses on decarbonizing power and heat generation. Section 4 shifts the focus to how the government can boost resilience for climate-vulnerable populations. Section 5 outlines options for mobilizing private and public financing and private investments to support the green transition. Section 6 examines the existing institutional and governance structure for climate action and presents recommendations to improve its effectiveness, and section 7 concludes with a framework for prioritizing the policy actions outlined in this report.Publication Jobs in a Changing Climate: Insights from World Bank Group Country Climate and Development Reports Covering 93 Economies(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-05)The World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs) provide a crosscutting look at how countries’ development prospects, and the job opportunities they offer to their people, can be threatened by climate impacts and supported by climate policies. Climate change and policies affect jobs through impacts on productivity, energy and material efficiency, and physical, human, and natural capital. They can also transform employment opportunities, especially through complementary measures that help workers and firms adapt to and benefit from new technologies and production practices. Prepared by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), CCDRs integrate country perspectives, climate science and economic modeling, private sector information, and policy analysis to assess how countries can successfully grow and develop their economies and create jobs despite increasing climate risks and while achieving their climate objectives and commitments. Each CCDR starts from the country’s development priorities, opportunities, and challenges, and is developed in close consultation with governments, businesses, and civil society, ensuring the recommendations reflect national priorities. By combining evidence on adaptation, resilience, and emissions pathways, CCDRs highlight where climate action can reinforce development and job creation, and where targeted policies are needed to manage risks and smooth labor market transitions. Taken together, these elements can help create local jobs, ensure economic transitions are just and inclusive, and equip workers and firms to navigate the disruptions and opportunities of a changing climate and changing technologies.Publication Kyrgyz Republic Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-03)This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) on the Kyrgyz Republic aims to support the country’s development goals amid a changing climate. The CCDR considers two policy scenarios up to 2050: the business-as-usual (BAU) and high-growth scenarios. As it quantifies the likely impacts of climate change on the Kyrgyz economy between now and 2050, the report highlights key government actions to best prepare for and adapt to climate impacts (referred to as “with adaptation” measures), with a particular focus on the time horizon up to 2030. The CCDR also outlines a path to net zero emissions by 2050 (referred to as “with mitigation” measures, “decarbonization,” or, simply, “net zero 2050”), highlighting associated development co-benefits.Publication Comoros Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-06-18)The Union of the Comoros (The Comoros) has significant vulnerability to climate change-related risks but has considerable opportunities to strengthen preparedness and resilience against these challenges. According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index, the Comoros is the 29th-most vulnerable country to climate change and the 163rd most ready to adapt (out of 191). The Comoros archipelago is exposed to many natural hazards that adversely affect the country’s natural capital, people, and physical infrastructure. In 2014, the economic cost of climate-related disasters was estimated at 5.7 million dollars annually, equivalent to 9.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Between 2018 and 2023, as many as 11 tropical depressions or cyclones impacted the country, with Cyclone Kenneth causing the greatest damage, equivalent to 14 percent of GDP, resulting in total economic growth falling from 3.6 percent in 2018 to 1.9 percent in 2019. More than 345,000 people (40 percent of the population) were affected by the cyclone, with 185,000 people experiencing severe impacts and 12,000 people displaced. However, there is an opportunity for the country to grow more robust and shock-responsive, and to establish pre-positioned funding mechanisms to enhance future crisis response efforts. For the Comoros, adaptation and climate-resilient development are the key climate change focus areas, with the country projected to face 836 million dollars 2050 in additional costs due to climate-related impacts. Current plans to adapt to the impacts of climate change in the Comoros include efforts to improve water management, strengthen coastal protection, and develop climate-smart agriculture practices. Given the country’s reliance on its natural resource base for economic growth and mobility, protection of these resources from climate change will be essential for promoting resilient growth and development. In addition to growing the adaptive capacity of the country’s natural resource sectors, strategic economic diversification will be important to help minimize future climate impacts, and development activities will need to be undertaken in such a way as to attract low-carbon co-benefits. The Union of the Comoros is committed to addressing climate change through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and national priorities. The country’s NDC (which was revised in 2021 for a ten-year horizon) sets ambitious targets, with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 23 percent by 2030. The country also plans to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in its energy portfolio, reaching 33 MW by 2030. This will not only promote low-carbon development but also reduce the country’s dependency on imported oil and coal, which currently make up 95 percent of the energy mix. Additionally, the Comoros has declared its intention to increase CO2 removals by 47 percent by 2030, compared to BAU.Publication Guinea-Bissau Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-23)Guinea-Bissau is endowed with a wealth of natural resources, with the highest natural capital per capita in West Africa (US3,874 dollars per capita), which could be leveraged for sustainable and resilient growth. However, Guinea-Bissau faces significant development hurdles, such as high poverty rates, political instability, and economic challenges, including an over-reliance on cashew nuts. Rural poverty has increased, and the nation's infrastructure, education, and health care systems are underdeveloped. Climate change poses a severe threat, potentially impacting agriculture, fisheries, and infrastructure. Without adaptation, it could lead to a significant cut in real GDP per capita (minus 7.3 percent by 2050) and increase in poverty (with up to over 200,000 additional poor by 2050, that is, 5 percent of the expected population, in the worst scenario). The country's low greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise, mainly due to agriculture and land-use changes, with deforestation being a major contributing factor. Although Guinea-Bissau is a low emitter, it has high mitigation ambitions, targeting a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Nationally Determined Contribution outlines significant climate actions, with initiatives focused on forest conservation, sustainable agriculture, and community development. However, the country's political instability, institutional weaknesses, and limited financial resources pose challenges to implementing these climate commitments, which depend heavily on external funding. The financial sector's underdevelopment and vulnerability to external shocks limit its ability to support green investments, though reforms could enhance resilience. Guinea-Bissau must consider its climate financing as development financing and vice-versa, engage the private sector, and integrate climate goals with national development plans to ensure a sustainable future. Concessional climate financing is vital due to the underdeveloped financial sector and the government’s limited borrowing capacity. Addressing Guinea-Bissau's vulnerability to climate change and its structural issues requires a cohesive approach that integrates development and climate strategies. This could involve improving governance, diversifying the economy, protecting natural capital, developing human capital, and investing in sustainable agriculture and infrastructure. The transition to a more sustainable and inclusive development pathway that supports economic growth is possible, but requires focusing on key strategic sectors, enhancing institutional capacity, and creating the conditions to mobilize finance. As a highly vulnerable country, there are myriad needs in the different sectors; however, to be more efficient and effective, Guinea-Bissau should prioritize actions in a few sectors, especially actions on biodiversity, agriculture, and social protection. Low carbon development, especially in energy and forestry sectors, could provide cost-efficient solutions and attract climate finance, including from the private sector, which will support the overall development agenda.