Economic impacts of tourism in protected areas of Brazil

Protected areas (PAs) are globally considered as a key strategy for biodiversity conservation and provision of ecosystem services. Economic impact analyses generate quantifiable estimates of the tourism interdependencies which provide a tangible understanding of effects on local and regional economies. Federal PAs of Brazil are the object of the research based on the Money Generation Model2 (MGM2) methodology along with modifications to address particular issues in a developing country context. The significance of this research is to assist managers, inform policy-makers, conservation and commercial stakeholders, local communities, and the public at large of the value that PAs serve for conservation as well as engines for benefit-sharing. Results identified that each dollar Brazil invested in the PA system produced $7 in economic benefits. Also, the total economic contributions generated more than $1.3 billion in total sales, $342 million in personal income, $473 million in value added to the GDP, and supported 43,602 jobs nationally. The study reinforced the view that economic impacts of tourism influences PAs as well as indirectly to other businesses and the local communities.