Measuring the Local Economic Impacts of Nature-Based Tourism in Madagascar

This study examines the crucial relationship between Madagascar's protected areas and tourism, estimating the economic impact on these sites and their surrounding communities. It highlights the lack of data on the economic implications of nature-based tourism, which hinders the ability of tourism authorities, protected area managers, and the government to optimize the economic value of protected areas. The study introduces the Protected Area Tourism Local Economy-Wide Impact Evaluation (LEWIE) "Lite" tool to address this knowledge gap. LEWIE-LITE quantifies both direct and indirect impacts of tourist spending on local economies, aiding in policy formulation on tourism impacts, park spending, community revenue sharing, and complementary policies for protected areas