オーストラリアにおけるエコツーリズム認証制度（NEAP）の仕組みと特徴について

概要

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NEAP (National Ecotourism Accreditation Program) in Australia started in 1996. This is the first ecotourism accreditation program in the world. In this study, the system and characteristics of NEAP have been clarified. The study was conducted mainly through worldwide literature research and perusal of the official website. In addition, field survey and interviews were conducted for 10 days from March 3rd to 12th in 2010. Development of NEAP was initiated by Ecotourism Association of Australia together with related industries and the government. NEAP is a program which accredits accommodation facilities, tours, and attractions in nature areas, based on a standard established by NEAP itself. Four hundred and twenty-three quality ecotourism products have been accredited as of January 2010. The increasing number of accredited ecotourism products has been contributing to raise consciousness among the tourism related industries. As a result of study on benefits of NEAP, the system where environment conservation translates to economical profitability has been revealed. The relationship with economy is important for ecotourism, which strives for sustainable developments. On the other hand, it was revealed that there were cases where understanding about NEAP was lacking, based on field study results and interviews with tourists. Also, some facilities had problems with facility maintenance related to environmental consciousness.