Scientific ecotourism experiences in Spain

The main non-profit foundations that work directly in conservation and recovery programmes for endangered species and their habitats in Spain have come together to create a new tourist experience in our country: Experience Scientific Ecotourism in Spain (EECE).

This consists of getting to know, observing and giving value to the most emblematic species of fauna that motivate nature trips in Spain. The aim is to identify the protected areas where these species live through the interpretation of the conservation programmes and the tourist services attached to the experiences, which are provided by a selection of local tourist companies that comply with good sustainability practices.

The best EECE will integrate all public facilities and private tourism services in a model designed ad hoc to produce positive impacts on the protected areas where these programmes are carried out, as well as on the local resident population, increasing the involvement of tourists in a practical way in the conservation of these species and their habitats.

The six entities of this grouping are: Fundación para la Conservación del Quebrantahuesos, Fundación Oso Pardo, Fundación Aquila, Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre, Fundación Global Nature, Fundación para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad y su Hábitat. They have a national scope and develop their conservation and research programmes on a multi-regional basis, becoming guardians or custodians of the species and protected areas that form part of the basic resources of ecotourism; as well as acting as communicating and awareness-raising agents, thanks to the power of the conservation stories they are the protagonists of. With this project, they have become the unifiers of the public and private tourism services offered in the protected areas through the Experiences of Scientific Ecotourism in Spain.