Paper short abstract:

Indigenous communities are affected to various degrees by eco-conservation, reaching from the prohibition to hunt and gather to eviction, and even to lethal consequences, although alternative solutions, in line with UN standards, are at hand.

Paper long abstract:

The Panamaian government adopted a regulation of the Canal Zone’s US administration, according to which, for the purpose of conservation, indigenous peoples were forbidden to hunt and gather, and applied it to the entire country. Thus, the indigenous peoples are forced to gain income otherwise, which usually means that they have to receive paying tourists. - In Uganda, the EU has supported the re-education of the Batwa people, who were evicted from the national parks in the east of the country. But the idea of utilising the Batwa to be at display for tourist did not work out; when the temporary allowance of the EU ceased, there were cases of starvation, and Batwa women have become constant victims of rape. - The Halong Bay just off Hanoi had been home to a unique culture living of fishing and inhabiting the caves of the karst rocks that protrude above the water, as well as floating huts. In 1994, the bay was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 2014, its indigenous inhabitants were forced to resettle to houses provided onshore by the government, in order to make way for tourism. - However, eco-conservation does not need to collide with indigenous rights and the protection of traditional culture. Under strict observance of UN standards, coexistence of indigenous culture and conservation, along with visitors, is not only possible, but can even contribute to the maintenance of culture and to cross-cultural understanding, as the Tourinfo project has exemplified.