Science and Tourism with a focus on biodiversity

Organization: Tourism operators, local communities and park wardens

What we found: Any member of society can be a tourist, and this makes tourism an excellent platform for connecting with different audiences. Using tourism as a channel for science communication has great potential for long term improvement of the culture of science worldwide.

What we did: Two projects have been launched with funding from the Innovation for Competitiveness Fund (FIC), leading to the creation of innovation models within two of the Coquimbo Region’s most important tourist attractions: La Higuera (Punta de Choros and Caleta Los Hornos) and Ovalle (Fray Jorge Biosphere Reserve). In both cases, training was provided to create or update the narratives used by tourism operators during their excursions. For example, coastal boat operators were given the “Manual del Botero”, or Boatman’s Manual, which enables them to provide information about the endemic species visible along the route and explain their importance to biodiversity.

Visit the Fray Jorge Science and Tourism Program website