ABSTRACT
In a manner not dissimilar to the Biodiversity Convention’s promotion of debate and disagreement, the creation and protection of national parks, biosphere reserves and other protected areas have often been at the core of conflicts over land in Third World countries. Thrupp (1990), for instance, views tourism development (particularly its emphasis on wilderness protection through the creation of parks and reserves) as largely serving the interests of the privileged upper-middle classes, mainly First World tourists and scientists.
