Ecotourism in Madagascar - Responsible Tourism: Critical Issues for Conservation and Development - page 24

A specific approach for ecotourism development has been initiated from the
International Finance Corporation (IFC) together with the concerned Ministries,
the National Park Authority (ANGAP) and USAID's MIARO programme in mid
2007. They have put in place a task force for the development of a concession
policy for Madagascar's protected areas, namely within the national parks, similar
to those existing in South Africa, Tanzania, etc. It is the first time that the
Malagasy Government has decided to provide the private sector with concessions
to establish their business inside the National Parks. This is a big step for
Madagascar, showing once again its desire for ecotourism development, and the
government is working with ther IFC and Conservation Corporation Africa
(CCAfrica), as an experienced and successful private sector ecotourism player.
This step will give Madagascar the potential to promote itself among the globally
known ecotourism destinations such as South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana,
Costa Rica, Belize, Brazil and Australia.
In addition to this programme the national and international private sector is
looking forward to setting up or extending their business activities to ecotourism,
because it has proved to be profitable in Madagascar, with most tourists (55 per
cent in 2007, Ministry of Environment, Water, Forestry and Tourism, 2007)
coming for nature experiences. But lacking awareness and training, the majority
of the Malagasy tourism private sector do not follow or practise even the basic
principles of ecotourism: conservation of nature, benefiting local communities
and providing a rich interpretive experience for tourists. Only a very limited
number of ecotourism operators (tour operators, agencies and lodges) have made
an attempt to specialize in this niche and provide authentic ecotourism tours or
projects which satisfy the international criteria for ecotourism:

• Boogie Pilgrim, a notable ecotourism operator, has been working for a

number of years with the NGO Fanamby to create a community tourism site
in an area of forest near the capital.

• Somacram, another tour operator, is training people in six villages around

Antananarivo to develop a tourism product.

• Tsara Guest House has set up an association in Fianarantsoa to support

cultural heritage, as well as supporting a number of local NGOs.

• The hotels Princesse Bora Lodge and Spa and Bungalows de Vohilava have

established a partnership with the international whale protection association,
Megaptera, giving tourists the opportunity to take part in scientific whale
observation.

The following paragraphs present two of the above projects in more detail.

Tour operator 'Boogie Pilgrim' and NGO 'Fanamby'
Boogie Pilgrim has been active in ecotourism activities around Madagascar for
nearly 10 years (e.g. Mananara Lodge, Anjozorobe, Ecolodge 'Bushhouse', Canal
de Pangalanes, 'Tsara Camp', Andringitra) and works together with the NGO
Fanamby.