Linking National Parks with its gateway communities for tourism development in Central America: Nindiri, Nicaragua, Bagazit, Costa Rica and Portobelo, Panama

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"Protected areas and national parks are becoming one of the most important forms of land use inCentral America. All the projections made by the World Tourism Organization seems to agree that by 2010Central America, maybe receiving between eight and ten millions tourists, a figure that is almost twice whatthe region is receiving today. A study was conducted base on 369 direct field surveys conducted in three CentralAmerican communities: Bagazit gateway community to Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica, Nindiri,gateway community to Volcan Masaya National Park, Nicaragua and Portobelo, gateway community to PortobeloNational Park, Panama. The study found that relative to the socio-demographic variables, that therewere no significance differences at the 95% probability level in all four variables, age, sex, education andmonthly income of the family. Educational level seems to be the socio-demographic variables affecting morethe state of relations. The perception variable being has taken into account in the decision that affects thecommunities and responsibility to help with community problems are present in two of the three models. Theperception variables related to tourism, feel trained to take care of the tourist and existence of businesses thatcan caters to tourist seem to be key elements in the community perception about the state of relation. Tourismrelated economic activities and community participation in park decisions are today and will be in the futureessential elements in the shaping of community/park relations in Central America as tourism becomes a majoreconomic sector in the region economy."