Volume: 13  Number: 5  Page: 456–467

Ecotourism as a Tool for Nature Conservation: The Role of WWF Greece in the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest Reserve in Greece

Eleni Svoronou1 and Andrew Holden2 1WWF Greece and 2Luton University, UK

This case study of the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest Reserve in north-eastern Greece is based upon the experiences of WWF Greece and their initiatives to establish an ecotourism project to enhance the conservation of threatened raptor species. Dadia is a bio-diverse region, notable for its raptors, whose numbers have been endangered by changes in agricultural practices introduced since the 1970s. Although designated a protected area in 1980 in an attempt to conserve the raptor species, WWF Greece realised that conservation would be unlikely to work without the support of local people. Restrictions placed on traditional economic activities, especially logging, after Dadia’s designation as a protected area, made local support especially problematic. The NGO therefore undertook to develop ecotourism as a means of combining economic progress with conservation. The case study emphasises the proactive role of WWF Greece in using tourism as a tool for species conservation and community development.

Keywords: ecotourism, Greece, raptors, WWF, conservation, non-governmental organisation

© 2005 E. Svoronou & A. Holden

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