ABSTRACT
Protected areas attract millions of visitors each year. This will increase as the world becomes more crowded and beautiful natural areas become rarer and more sought after. Tourism can have benefits for protected areas. The areas can be used to educate people about conservation. The economic value of tourism from protected areas can benefit local communities and act as leverage for political support. But, of course, large numbers of visitors affect the environments of protected areas and the communities who depend upon them. Protected area managers are required to balance the demands for a quality visitor experience with the need to protect the environment. Managers of protected areas need to be aware of the trends in tourism and their implications for management (Eagles, 2004).
