IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group

The priorities of the TAPAS Group are to contribute to the work of the IUCN and WCPA to: (1) conserve biodiversity, (2) generate knowledge, (3) build awareness and (4) improve governance and equity.

The objectives of the TAPAS Group are to:

• Strengthen the capacity, effectiveness and performance of protected area managers and policy makers and others in relation to sustainable tourism, through learning, exchange and the development of information and guidance.
• Provide an interactive forum for individuals working on protected areas and tourism, enabling strategic networking, communication, collaboration, inspiration, and partnerships.
• Provide strategic advice to protected area authorities, the tourism industry, and other stakeholders on the optimum approaches to sustainable tourism planning, development, management and monitoring in protected and natural area destinations.
• Build awareness and understanding of sustainable tourism and protected areas by developing and disseminating knowledge, including case studies and best practice syntheses.
• Enhance the level of tourism’s contribution to the goals of protected areas and protected area systems including biodiversity conservation, human well-being, resilience and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Support WCPA in accordance with its Terms of Reference for Specialist Groups and Task Force leaders and other IUCN Commissions and IUCN members as well as other networks and partners.
• Foster dynamic, innovative and sustainable solutions for financing and managing protected areas in relation to sustainable tourism.