{"id":907,"date":"2026-04-13T14:04:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T20:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu\/christinacavaliere\/?page_id=907"},"modified":"2026-05-11T17:06:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T23:06:48","slug":"tourism-and-conservation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu\/christinacavaliere\/tourism-and-conservation\/","title":{"rendered":"Tourism and Conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere’s career is deeply rooted in critical tourism studies<\/a> and biocultural conservation<\/a> , informed by extensive field-based global experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The global tourism system relies on biocultural diversity and destination distinctiveness. Yet, tourism is often an unjust and extractive force that is detrimental to social-ecological communities. However, when tourism is planned and managed with justice, sustainability, and regenerative principles at the forefront of destination stewardship, it can serve as a conduit for biocultural conservation. Tourism can also directly and indirectly contribute to the creation and management of global protected areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Cavaliere\u2019s research and teaching engages the critical examination of the intersection of tourism and conservation through key areas of consideration including tourism impacts to conservation areas, financial strategies for tourism to support protected areas, the role of training and education in conservation and tourism, political influences, adaptive management strategies, issues of wildlife equity, along with capacity building, justice and environmental intersectionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is a tenured Associate Professor at Colorado State University and an internationally recognized scholar in biocultural conservation. She brings several decades of experience examining tourism and conservation challenges across communities, academic institutions, non\u2011profit organizations, multilateral agencies, and the private sector. Her conservation social science <\/a>research investigates how extractive economic systems reshape community identities and influence biocultural diversity. She has developed theoretical and applied intervention models through innovative critical ecofeminist<\/a> and posthumanist<\/a> frameworks that center biocultural diversity and wildlife equity<\/a>. Her research highlights the importance of emotion, affect, and sensory experiences as legitimate yet often overlooked forms of socio\u2011ecological reflexivity and knowledge. This transdisciplinary work offers new approaches for understanding how communities depend on naturescapes and how these relationships can inform more inclusive and resilient biocultural conservation strategies that support community well\u2011being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her work critically examines the impacts of extractive capitalism<\/a> and tourism on biocultural diversity, providing nuanced understandings of how communities form and sustain identity through relationships with place. Her biocultural conservation research contributes tools for analyzing sensory and affective dimensions of place\u2011based knowledge\u2014dimensions frequently excluded from conventional conservation discourse. This work is especially relevant to protected areas, which serve as bioregions for exploring adaptive strategies that integrate ecological restoration, cultural resilience, and community participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her previous research has informed policy critiques related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)<\/a> and the Global Biodiversity Framework<\/a> (GBF). In alignment with the UN 2030 Agenda, she foregrounds biocultural identity and inclusive engagement through the development of guidelines that promote equity, cultural integrity<\/a>, and sustainability. Dr. Cavaliere\u2019s insights into participatory models and subjugated knowledges inform deliberative governance structures and shared stewardship strategies, including steering committees and stakeholder networks central to effective destination management. She has served in advisory roles for non\u2011profit organizations, private sector partners, and multilateral entities. Her critical analysis of neoliberal tourism models identifies pathways for regenerative, community\u2011led sustainable business that align with the Kunming\u2011Montreal GBF. Her scholarship provides both theoretical depth and practical guidance for advancing international environmental mandates and fostering intersectional, socially just, and ecologically resilient outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Cavaliere brings place\u2011based insight and global expertise in social\u2011ecological systems thinking and biocultural conservation<\/a> strategies to her projects. Her research integrates critical ecofeminist and posthumanist perspectives to examine how communities relate to and shape naturescapes, particularly amid extractive economic pressures<\/a> and climate <\/a>change. Grounded in empirical fieldwork and participatory methodologies, her work contributes to transdisciplinary and intersectional conservation goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her research directly analyzes how biocultural identity and community engagement influence social\u2011ecological resilience and biodiversity conservation. She critiques dominant extractive tourism models and proposes community\u2011centered alternatives<\/a> that align with international conservation frameworks and promote justice and adaptive capacity. By foregrounding affective<\/a>, sensory, and emotional dimensions <\/a>of place\u2011based knowledge\u2014often excluded from mainstream conservation science\u2014her work expands the analytical scope of critical conservation frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through qualitative fieldwork and participatory research, Dr. Cavaliere has identified key social drivers <\/a>that shape ecological recovery and community well\u2011being. Her work provides empirical evidence on how regenerative tourism can enhance inclusive access to lands, strengthen adaptive capacity, and improve biodiversity outcomes.<\/a> Her involvement in establishing shared governance structures within international conservation initiatives\u2014such as steering committees and cross\u2011sectoral partnerships\u2014offers real\u2011world examples of metagovernance in practice. She examines how local decision\u2011making aligns with global frameworks such as the SDGs, the former Aichi Targets, and the Global Biodiversity Framework, contributing insights into policy coherence and implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Cavaliere\u2019s interdisciplinary research bridges environmental, social, and political dimensions through a critical biocultural lens. Her frameworks integrate resilience, biocultural conservation in marine and terrestrial protected areas, and governance by recognizing the interdependence of ecological systems and cultural identities. Her applied work in biocultural conservation and governance provides grounded perspectives on how multilevel coordination can reflect both global mandates and local realities. Her critique of neoliberal tourism paradigms and her proposals for regenerative, community\u2011led alternatives emphasize equity, biocultural diversity, and social\u2011ecological well\u2011being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To see a comprehensive list of Dr. Cavaliere’s research click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Christina T. Cavaliere’s career is deeply rooted in critical tourism studies and biocultural conservation , informed by extensive field-based global experience. The global tourism system relies on biocultural diversity and destination distinctiveness. Yet, tourism is often an unjust and extractive force that is detrimental to social-ecological communities. However, when tourism is planned and managed … <\/p>\n

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