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Establishing protected areas (PAs), such as the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji, is a common conservation strategy, but because PAs restrict some kinds of economic activity, it's widely thought that they hinder economic development. This perception is driven in part by the fact that economic assessments often don't capture the indirect effects of tourism linked to PAs. But Hasita Bhammar et al. found that tourism associated with the Mamanuca Islands boosts local demand for goods and services in other economic sectors, resulting in increased income from retail in nearby areas.