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Robert Fletcher: ‘Ecotourism can be a powerful tool for conservation and development’
Robert Fletcher studies how tourism and conservation can strengthen each other, particularly through ecotourism. ‘I explore ways to protect biodiversity, for instance, through basic income payments payments for ecosystem services, and how to make tourism more sustainable. At the same time, I look at how tourism can support conservation, and vice versa.’ On November 1, Fletcher was appointed Personal Professor in the Sociology of Development and Change group.
Fletcher grew up in California and worked for several years as a whitewater rafting guide and kayak instructor. When he returned to academia, he wrote his doctoral thesis on how ecotourism can contribute to sustainable development and conservation. “I wanted to explore how sustainability could truly be put into practice, and tourism seemed like a powerful tool. My experience as a guide inspired me to investigate this further.”
Research with impact
Fletcher finds it is important that research contributes to society. “I critically assess whether policies work and propose improvements where needed. The major challenges of our time, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, cannot be ignored. While I enjoy purely theoretical questions, I also focus on practical interventions to tackle significant problems.”
Broader networks
His appointment as professor means a great deal to Fletcher. “It is a recognition of the work I have done over the years. It also gives me the opportunity to expand my research, collaborate more widely, and develop new ideas.” His goal is to build broader networks focused on conservation and tourism, both in Europe and beyond.
Convivial conservation
Together with others, Fletcher developed a new approach to conservation called convivial conservation. “This is about bringing biodiversity and human communities together instead of separating them. We need to manage conservation areas more fairly and democratically, ensuring that people living nearby also benefit, for example, through economic opportunities. This often is not the case today.”
Fletcher is also interested in ideas like a basic income. “Instead of imposing externally designed projects, you can provide people with resources to decide what works best for them. I want to connect this approach to environmental goals, such as financing conservation and climate efforts through a ‘basic income for nature and climate.’”
Organized and relaxed
Fletcher has been living in The Netherlands for ten years and feels at home here. “The Dutch have found a great balance between being organized and staying relaxed. In some countries, things are too stressful due to over-organization, while in others, they are too chaotic. The Netherlands strikes a good balance.” Wageningen is also a great fit for him. “The university focuses on sustainability and environmental protection, topics that are very close to my heart. Moreover, the interdisciplinary way of working—where various fields collaborate—aligns perfectly with how I prefer to work.”
About Robert Fletcher
Fletcher earned his PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2005. He then worked in the United States and Costa Rica, where he researched ecotourism and other forms of conservation financing. Since 2014, he has been at Wageningen University & Research. In his spare time, Fletcher enjoys exploring The Netherlands by bike and practicing CrossFit.
His research examines the relationship between people and nature and how political and economic structures influence this dynamic. His broad interests include international development, tourism, climate change, and basic income. Fletcher has led international research teams and has published three books in addition to more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.