Amazon Interactive
The Ecotourism Game

Limit tourism to current levels

Tourists continue to come to Pangayacu, but only once or twice a month. Agriculture dominates the rest of the days. Since most people have growing families, they soon find they must clear more rainforest to plant coffee, rice, and other market crops. You clear another hectare, leaving forest on only one-fifth of your land. You and your neighbors continue hunting, but it seems that most of the animals which were once common are now scarce.

Word spreads among tourists that there is little forest to see in Pangayacu. The flow of tourists to the community slows, and soon it is not worth the effort to feed and guide the few tourists who come. The community disbands the project. You return to your fields, not entirely sure why the project failed.

Very little of the land remains in primary forest. Few birds or animals can survive in the small remnants. Your children will know the rainforest only in your stories.

Income from tourism soon disappears. The Quichua focus on agriculture, but it is difficult to make money, and incomes drop.

This is the end of the ecotourism game.

Would you like to see what happens if you expand and improve the tourist facilities?