In an age of record population figures and rampant environmental degradation Suriname enjoys an enviable situation. Suriname has the highest percentage of rainforest cover and one of the lowest population densities of any nation on Earth. Yet still, Suriname needs to grow its economy and increase the standard of living of its people. Bauxite mining and processing dominates the economy and generates around 75% of foreign exchange earnings. This is a precarious economic base, especially when the long-term future of aluminum appears weak. There is a pressing need to diversify the economy and to do so in a sustainable manner. Suriname’s unique cultural and natural assets are potentially powerful attractions that could provide the basis for sustainable specialty tourism development. Specialty tourism provides the opportunity to conserve Suriname’s natural and cultural resources while at the same time providing an important engine for economic growth and development Approximately 80% of Suriname is covered by dense tropical rainforest, more than in all of Central America. It is one of the least disturbed and least explored countries on the planet and is host to an abundant diversity of flora and fauna.…