Socioeconomic impacts of the National Parks: An approximation to the Atlantic Islands National Park

Abstract

Alló,  M.,  Barrio,  M.,  Loureiro,  M.  (2010).  Socioeconomic  impacts  of  the  National  Parks:  An  approximation  to  the  Atlantic Islands National Park. Ecosistemas 19(2):112-124.

The creation of a protected area involves multiple positive impacts. In fact, it is well recognized the considerable boost that the establishment of a National Park has into depressed area. In this work, we analyzed the socio-economics impacts of Atlantic Islands National Park in its area of influence, noting a positive correlation between its creation and some important economic indicators. However, it is noteworthy that the  effects  are  not  only  those  that  can  be  observed  in  local  markets  but  many  others,  linked  mostly  to  biodiversity  and  cultural  heritage conservation.  To  go  into  these  aspects  in  depth,  we  analyze  the  results  provided  by  a  survey  carried  out  in  summer  2009,  where  we collected the perceptions of two types of stakeholders, residents and tourists.