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This article provides an in-depth analysis of the opportunities and paradoxes of nature-based tourism in the post-COVID-19 era. It explores governance and financial challenges, highlights international best practices, and outlines strategies for sustainable and responsible development.
Opportunities and Paradoxes of Nature-Based Tourism in the Post-Pandemic Context
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, nature-based tourism has emerged as one of the most promising sectors for recovery, responding to growing demand for open spaces, connection with nature, and avoidance of crowded urban centers. Rural areas, national parks, and ecological zones have increasingly become the preferred destinations for post-pandemic travelers.
However, recovery must not equate to a return to the “old normal.” As emphasized at an OECD policy forum in Trento, without a structural reform of policies, financing models, and governance frameworks, nature-based tourism risks repeating past mistakes—overexploitation, mismanagement, and the trade-off of environmental integrity for short-term growth.
The Profound Impact of COVID-19: Crisis or Catalyst?
Global tourism suffered an unprecedented decline during the pandemic, with international tourist arrivals plummeting by 60–80% in 2020. Yet, the crisis also served as a stress test for the resilience and adaptability of nature-based tourism. In many OECD countries, domestic tourism—accounting for 75% of the market—provided temporary relief.
Nevertheless, the collapse of international travel exposed structural vulnerabilities, prompting the critical question: Can tourism continue under a traditional growth paradigm, or must it be “built back better” with sustainability and resilience as guiding principles?
Policy Responses: Beyond Short-Term Support
During the initial phase of the crisis, governments primarily focused on emergency financial aid. As destinations gradually reopened, strategic shifts occurred—toward domestic market development, safety certification, and restoration of traveler confidence. Notably, New Zealand leveraged the crisis as an opportunity to reimagine its entire tourism system.
The key takeaway is that nature-based tourism must be integrated into a multi-level policy ecosystem. A sound policy framework not only enables short-term recovery but also lays the groundwork for long-term governance—through green infrastructure, low-carbon transition, and institutional coordination.
Nature-Based Tourism: Opportunities and Management Challenges
Tourism contributes significantly to local economies, job creation, and the conservation of protected areas. However, if poorly managed, it also accelerates biodiversity loss, increases waste, overburdens infrastructure, and disrupts local livelihoods.
Post-pandemic surges in nature-based travel have overwhelmed national parks and reserves—many of which operate with limited infrastructure and insufficient management capacity. Thus, urgent action is required to develop tourism models that balance visitor experience, environmental protection, and community well-being.
Sustainable Tourism and Biodiversity: An Inseparable Duo
The pandemic heightened global awareness of the intricate interdependence between humans and nature. While the absence of tourists allowed ecosystems to regenerate, communities reliant on tourism faced severe income loss. This dual reality underscores the need for a new model that reconciles conservation and development.
Initiatives like the “Future of Tourism” Coalition and “Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency” have called for a paradigm shift: prioritizing quality over quantity, safeguarding biodiversity, and redefining economic success. Under this model, nature-based tourism is not exploitation, but partnership—where nature reciprocates value in an equitable and enduring way.
Tourism Governance: Toward Inclusive and Evidence-Based Approaches
One of the sector’s long-standing weaknesses lies in fragmented governance systems. Decisions are often centralized, while local communities—those most affected—have limited voice. The TourNet project highlights the need to restructure governance through multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral, and evidence-based frameworks,
including:
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Clarifying roles, responsibilities, and feedback mechanisms across levels;
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Legally empowering local communities to co-manage resources and co-create policies;
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Promoting public–private–community partnerships, rather than the conventional “state-led, business-operated, community-excluded” model.
Conservation Finance: The Imperative of Diversification
COVID-19 exposed the fragility of conservation models reliant on public funding and visitor fees. Budget cuts and declining tourist numbers left many protected areas vulnerable to collapse.
The long-term solution lies in diversifying financial mechanisms, such as:
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Attracting private investment in conservation initiatives;
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Establishing benefit-sharing mechanisms with local communities;
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Encouraging innovative funding models including pre-paid tourism, local conservation funds, and voluntary visitor contributions.
TourNet: A Post-Pandemic Transformation Model Based on Evidence
Led by the OECD, the TourNet project exemplifies action-oriented post-pandemic thinking. Centered on three pillars—impact, governance, and finance—it aims to deliver practical, scalable models for nature-based tourism that are both sustainable and implementable.
By leveraging case studies, peer learning platforms, and policy dialogues, TourNet moves beyond theory to enable systemic transformation. Its outcomes can inform strategies, develop impact indicators, and provide actionable guidance to other regions.
A Golden Opportunity—and a Shared Responsibility
Tourism cannot return to business as usual—especially in nature-based contexts where the balance between ecosystems and human activity remains delicate. The pandemic has served as both wake-up call and recalibration moment. Failing to act now risks deeper repercussions from climate change and biodiversity loss.
From local to global levels, from policymaking to community action, a shared vision is essential—one that ensures economic recovery does not compromise ecological integrity, and that tourism becomes a means for humans to live in harmony with natural systems, rather than at their expense.
