THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND REWILDING PHENOMENON: Using ecological systems theory to identify factors impacting community resilience

This research employs ecological systems theory to identify factors that positively and negatively influence the impact of the tourism development and rewilding phenomenon on community resilience at a nature-based tourism destination. Unlike more common approaches to nature-based tourism development where natural resources are preserved and emphasized to attract tourists, rewilding entails the production of new tourism assets through wildlife reintroductions. To collect data for this phenomenological study, secondary sources were analyzed and 26 in-depth interviews with tourism and conservation stakeholders were conducted in Corrientes, Argentina where major tourism and conservation investments have occurred. The results revealed copious proximal and distal factors and three core themes that influence how the tourism development and rewilding phenomenon impact community resilience. The study contributes to research by presenting a conceptual framework illustrating how multi-level factors allow tourism and rewilding to influence community resilience depending on their compatibilities with tourism, conservation, and community priorities.