INTRODUCTION

Wildlife-related research is the foundation of wildlife management and especially of tourism development. Research provides vital information that generates, in potential tourists, an interest in and a desire to see wildlife, and adds value to the tourism products offered by wildlife managers and tour guides.

Ecotourism has come to be an illusive term. It is often so loosely applied that, at times, it can mean everything or nothing about the tourist experience on offer. In this chapter ecotourism is defined as that kind of tourism which is nature-based but which is also designed to impart understanding and learning about the culture and history of a given environment. Local communities benefit while at the same time care is taken not to alter the integrity of the ecosystems.

Based on this definition of ecotourism, I argue that to understand and learn more about a given ecosystem, long-term research is essential. This is particularly crucial for the understanding of those natural processes that take a long time to manifest themselves. I also point out that particularly valuable tourist sites, such as those that allow visitors to see primates, have followed in the wake of long-term research programs.

It is commonly believed among local people in Uganda that big mammals such as chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) are dangerous and therefore should be killed. However, due to the information about these animals resulting from established research projects and the educational outreach that accompanies them, attitudes based on such false beliefs have changed.