TOURISM

1
TOURISM FOR NATURE DEVELOPMENT
This presentation has been prepared as part of
the publication Tourism for Nature
Development A Good Practice Guide. The CBD
endorses the use and modification of these
presentation materials for non-commercial
purposes. If modifying the presentation
materials, photograph credits should be
maintained.
2
OVERVIEW
?

• INTRODUCTION
• Tourism, biodiversity and poverty alleviation
• Ecosystem goods services
• Environmental impacts of tourism
• Tourism, development and poverty alleviation
• Some current trends in tourism
• GOOD PRACTICES
• Policy and strategy tools
• Legal and normative tools
• Measuring, reporting, auditing, monitoring and
  evaluation
• Economic, financial and market-based
  instruments
• Capacity building
• Promotion, marketing and communication
• RESOURCES
• References

3
Tourism, biodiversity poverty alleviation
i

• Biodiversity is a vital asset to the tourism
  industry.
• A clean environment is each tourists
  expectation, and many tourists will not return to
  polluted or degraded destinations.
• Developing counties are receiving an increasing
  share of a growing international tourism market.
• Developing counties control the largest
  proportion of global biodiversity, and many
  tourism attractions in developing counties are
  closely linked to biodiversity.

INTRODUCTION
4
INTRODUCTION
i

• Tourism, biodiversity and poverty alleviation
• Developing countries are receiving an
  increasing share of a growing international
  tourism market. The market share of developing
  countries has grown to 40 of worldwide
  international arrivals up from 34 in 2000.
•  

International Tourism Income (in billion US)  
  1990 2000 2006 Growth rate
World 264 474 733 177
High Income Countries 221 352 511 131
Developing Countries 43 122 222 416
5
Ecosystem goods and services
i

• The tourism industry is dependent on the healthy
  production of a wide variety of ecosystem
  services.
• Tourist activities in coastal areas often focus
  on diverse marine resources such as coral reefs,
  whales, and birdlife, and require clean water for
  activities such as swimming and scuba diving.
• National parks are often located in forested and
  mountainous areas and rely on the services of
  ecosystems to provide visitors with recreational,
  educational, and cultural experiences.  

INTRODUCTION
6
INTRODUCTION
i
ECOSYSTEM GOODS AND SERVICES ECOSYSTEM GOODS AND SERVICES
Provisioning Services   ? Food, Fiber and Fuel ? Genetic Resources ? Biochemicals ? Fresh Water Cultural Services   ? Spiritual and religious values ? Knowledge system ? Education and inspiration ? Recreation and aesthetic value
Regulating Services   ? Invasion resistance ? Herbivory ? Pollination ? Seed dispersal ? Climate regulation ? Pest regulation ? Disease regulation ? Natural hazard protection ? Erosion regulation ? Water purification Supporting Services   ? Primary production ? Provision of habitat ? Nutrient cycling ? Soil formation and retention ? Production of atmospheric oxygen ? Water cycling

• Ecosystem goods and services
• The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reports that
  the demand for recreational use of landscapes is
  growing areas are being increasingly managed for
  tourism.
• Tourism/recreation services were measured to be
  in good condition, though there are concerns that
  tourist activities may reduce the capacity of
  ecosystems to continue to provide these services.

MEA (2005)   
7
Environmental impacts of tourism
i

• Tourism can have a variety of negative impacts on
  biodiversity, particularly when carried out
  without management standards designed to protect
  natural assets.
•  Infrastructure / facilities Tourism development
  usually requires some form of infrastructure,
  which can result in significant alteration or
  destruction of natural habitats.  
• Resource depletion Tourism development may
  concentrate local resource use in smaller areas
  and / or undermine local resource management
  systems.
•  Water pollution New infrastructure developments
  often lead to increased sewerage pollution. This
  can have severe negative impacts on coastal
  biodiversity, particularly in areas with coral
  reefs.

INTRODUCTION
8
Environmental impacts of tourism
i

• Tourism activities The activities of tourists
  and operators can lead to negative impacts on
  local environments. Coral reefs can be damaged by
  careless divers, boats, or by entrepreneurs who
  sell pieces of coral as souvenirs.
• Waste Tourism produces 35 million tonnes of
  solid waste yearly, roughly equivalent to that of
  the country of France.
•  Climate change Carbon dioxide emissions from
  the tourism sectors transport, accommodation and
  other activities are estimated to account for 4
  to 6 of total global emissions, approximately
  equivalent to the total emissions of Canada,
  Brazil and South Korea combined.

INTRODUCTION
9
Positive impacts of tourism
i

• Sustainable tourism can also result in positive
  impacts for biodiversity conservation, while also
  delivering social and economic benefits to host
  communities.
•  Revenue raising for local communities Tourism
  is an opportunity for business development and
  job creation.
• Education and awareness raising Tourism can
  help promote conservation by raising awareness
  amongst visitors through well-designed
  interpretation programmes.
•  Economic incentives for habitat protection
  Tourism can bring economic value to natural and
  cultural resources.
•  Sustainable land management Tourism can be a
  force for more sustainable land management by
  providing additional or alternative forms of
  livelihood.

INTRODUCTION
10
Tourism, development poverty alleviation
i

• Tourism generates jobs and business
  opportunities for the host population, and can
  help reduce or eliminate poverty.
• In 2004, total tourist arrivals to the 49 Small
  Island Developing Nations was estimated at just
  over 27 million people, compared to approximately
  11 million people in 1988. This translates into a
  cumulative increase of 145 per cent over the
  16-year period or 9 per cent per annum.
• UNWTO ST-EP (Sustainable TourismEliminating
  Poverty) is implementing 75 projects and has an
  additional 100 projects under development.

INTRODUCTION
11
Some current trends in tourism
i

• There is an increasing awareness at the level of
  governments of the social, economic and
  environmental importance of the tourism sector,
  and of the impacts it causes on destinations.
• Globally, the responsibilities of governments in
  tourism development have tended to become more
  decentralized, with many mandates being gradually
  devolved to local levels of governance.
• There is an increased awareness, on the part of
  tourists, of the need for sustainability.
  Tourists are becoming more interested in
  addressing negative impacts of tourism (e.g.
  environmental degradation of destinations).

INTRODUCTION
12
Some current trends in tourism
i

• There are clear and growing threats to basic
  tourism attractions pristine beaches, healthy
  coral reefs, and megafauna / charismatic species.
• Tourism has traditionally been a source of
  financing for protected areas, and this
  contribution is growing.
• Many destinations have set up Local Agenda 21
  processes to ensure that tourism is integrated
  into sustainable development plans, and the CBDs
  ecosystem-based approach has been applied in many
  sustainable tourism destinations, to ensure that
  the needs of all players are considered.

INTRODUCTION
13
Policy and strategy tools
gtgt Sustainable tourism development policies and
strategies

• Tourism policies and strategies reflect the ways
  and means to achieve the goals and milestones for
  sustainability.
• Policies often refer to institutional setups
  that allow governance of tourism development.
  Policies may not be site-specific and may apply
  across all of a countrys area.
• Strategies are more action-oriented and often
  linked to a destination or region.
• Examples Tourism policies, inter-ministerial
  and inter-agency cooperation mechanisms, revenue
  retention schemes for parks, training for
  professionals / communities.

GOOD PRACTICES
14
CASE STUDY

• National Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan
  (Bulgaria)
• Two-year, multi-stakeholder consultation process
• 12 regional associations were established to
  develop regional action programmes, in line with
  the National Strategy. These action programmes
  then directed the development of the National
  Action Plan.
• Some key outcomes
• Support for business development and marketing
  through training, assistance packages, quality
  assurance and branding.
• Legislative changes made so that tax revenue
  generated from tourism remains in the
  municipality and must be directed to
  tourism-related infrastructure.

GOOD PRACTICES
Source UNEP and UNWTO 2005  
15
Policy and strategy tools
gtgt Sustainable Tourism Destination Plans

• Destination Plans are usually site- or
  destination-specific and describe a future state
  and process (e.g. required human resources,
  infrastructure, etc.) to achieve a desired
  vision.
• Destination Plans can include the following
  elements
• ? Inventory of attractions, equipment, and other
  factors affecting a destination
• ? A strategic analysis of strengths, weaknesses,
  threats and opportunities in relation to the
  destinations competition
• ? An examination of market trends and resident
  needs/expectations, and human resources / labour
  
• The plan requires extensive consultation,
  comprehensive collection of information and an
  understanding of resources, social and political
  dynamics, influence of interest groups.

GOOD PRACTICES
16
CASE STUDY

• Master planning as an effective tool for
  destination management (Croatia)
• Development of local-level destination plans
  with mid-term goals have been identified as a key
  factor to the success of Croatias tourism
  sector.
• Local destination plans were developed with the
  involvement of a broad network of stakeholders.
• The plans have focused on the means by which
  competitiveness can be increased (e.g. product
  plans, investment plans, and action plans).
• Have taken a pragmatic, implementation-oriented
  approach (e.g. the Istrian destination plan
  realized 50 of its investments within the first
  3-years of its implementation.

GOOD PRACTICES
Source Cizmar and Lisjak 2007  
17
Policy and strategy tools
gtgt Sustainable Tourism Projects

• Sub-components of the destination plan may be
  packaged as specific sustainable tourism
  projects, as a strategy to facilitate
  fundraising, management and evaluation.
• A governance structure needs to be set up for
  each project, taking into account the mandates,
  capacities and interests of different agencies
  and players.
• The full participation of local players must be
  integrated in a project from the outset,
  recognizing their motivations, goals, and
  expectations.
• Consistent capacity building to address the
  limitations of local institutions needs to be
  factored in from the design phase to ensure that
  significant components of projects live on.

GOOD PRACTICES
18
CASE STUDY

• Gudigwa cultural village (Botswana)
• The NGO Conservation International (CI) and the
  Bugakhwe Conservation Cultural Trust initiated
  the Gudigwa community-based eco-cultural tourism
  project (northern Botswana) in 1999.
• The project aimed to establish a commercially
  viable camp which would allow visitors to
  experience the cultural richness of the local San
  community.
• The camp was a commercial failure under CIs
  management, despite providing some positive
  social impacts.
• Lesson learned Early involvement of private
  sector professionals is essential to ensure value
  chain linkages and operational integrity.

GOOD PRACTICES
Source Conservation International 2008  
19
Legal and normative tools

• Legal and normative tools constitute the enabling
  environment that facilitates the development of
  sustainable tourism, and include some of the
  following
•  ? Tourism laws (specifying conditions and
  requirements for licensing operation of hotels,
  tour operations and services).
• ? Requirements and norms regulating
  environmental impact assessments.
• ? Zoning and land-use, construction laws / codes
  that affect tourism development.
• ? Environmental Impact Assessments.

GOOD PRACTICES
20
CASE STUDY
Land Use Management Zoning Regulations (Egypt)

• In 2001, the Tourism Development Authority
  initiated a land use management planning and
  zoning process for the Southern Red Sea region.
• The Land Use Management Plan that was developed
  was based on a recognition that resources and
  sites within the region have different capacities
  to accommodate various tourism activities.
• Five different management zones proposed,
  corresponding to differing grades of sensitivity.
  
• Zoning regulations led to the modification and
  in some cases cancellation of development plans
  in some zones.
•  

GOOD PRACTICES
Source UNEP and UNWTO 2005  
21

• Measuring, baseline information, reporting,
  auditing, monitoring and evaluation

• This tool includes
• Development of indicators and measurement
  systems to determine acceptable levels of impact
  from tourism.
• Identification and collection of baseline
  information to serve as reference for monitoring
  programmes.
• Establishment of goals and references through
  benchmarking. By comparing how problems have been
  solved at other sites, and by taking into
  consideration the particular circumstances of
  each destination, an action plan for improvements
  can be implemented.
• A critical component of any strategy is the
  concept of carrying capacity and limits of
  acceptable change.

GOOD PRACTICES
22
CASE STUDY
Environmental management indicators for
ecotourism (China)  

• Visitation rates to Chinas 42.84 km² Tianmushan
  Nature Reserve nearly doubled over the 1990s to
  52,160 people.
• An environmental management programme was
  established using the Pressure-State-Response
  (PSR) model.
• In total, forty-five indicators were developed,
  designed to monitor the state of tourist
  destinations, the impacts of tourism activities,
  and the effectiveness of management measures.
• The programme acknowledged the influence of
  tourism activities on the ecosystem as a whole,
  including areas beyond the reserve boundaries.
• Two key issues restricting tourism development
  were vegetation damage by hikers, and water
  supply shortage.
•  

GOOD PRACTICES
Source Li 2004  
23

• Economic, financial and market-based instruments

Economic, financial and market-based instruments
include some of the following ? Concessions for
tourism operations in parks ? Incentives for
sustainable tourism (e.g. tax incentives) ?
Implementing or modifying taxes, charges and fees
to redirect tourism flows ? Provision of sound
visitor management infrastructure ? Sustainable
tourism certification ? Awards and marketing
support to pioneers ? Voluntary reporting,
guidelines / codes of conduct.
GOOD PRACTICES
24
CASE STUDY
Certification for Sustainable Tourism (Costa
Rica)  

• The Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST)
  programme rewards socially and environmentally
  responsible businesses.
• Certification is awarded by an independent
  commission to businesses that can demonstrate,
  upon external audit, compliance with established
  sustainability criteria.
• The CST has proven to have had a positive effect
  on Costa Ricas tourism industry, as it
  establishes a set of credible, objective
  standards for sustainability.
• As a government-led initiative, the CST
  programme has the advantage of being
  free-of-charge to participating business, while
  also maintaining high technical and ethical
  standards.

GOOD PRACTICES
Source UNEP and UNWTO 2005  
25
Capacity Building
Capacity building may include  ? Networks of
specialists, distance education tools, virtual
conferences and webinars ? Establishment of
destination management / marketing organizations
with a social and environmental focus ?
Development of a standard curriculum on
sustainable tourism for training/education
institutions ? Establishment of
Public-Private-Partnerships and tourism trade
associations ? Professional development tools
for small and medium enterprises (e.g. business
incubators, special credit lines, and marketing
support).
GOOD PRACTICES
26
CASE STUDY
Train-the-trainers workshops (Brazil)  

• Conservation International in partnership with
  other NGOs and the Ecoplannet Institute held a
  series of train-the-trainer workshops in Brazil
  in 1994.
• 35 tourism professionals were trained to be
  interactive instructors / facilitators of 5-day
  ecotourism workshops.
• Key outcomes
• Between 1994 and 2004, 55 workshops were held in
  Brazil, with more than 600 participants.
• Approximately 80 new products (e.g. tours,
  eco-lodges, attractions) have been designed with
  the workshop methodology.
•  

GOOD PRACTICES
Source Hillel 2009  
27
Promotion, marketing and communication

• Most travelers are still unaware of the
  potential impact their consumer choices can have
  on the sustainability of tourism.
• Sustainability sells if the message is
  well-presented, and pricing is competitive,
  customers are inclined to prefer providers that
  benefit destinations.
• Interpretation techniques can be employed by
  tourism providers to communicate natural and
  cultural heritage values, create a sense of place
  and awareness, and to offer a quality tourism
  experience.
• Governments can steer strategic planning in
  tourism towards sustainability by targeting its
  marketing investment (e.g. the Costa-Rican
  government uses its tourism marketing investment
  preferentially on businesses recognized by its
  CST label).

GOOD PRACTICES
28
CASE STUDY
Tour operators initiative (TOI) for sustainable
tourism development (Mexico)  

• With the support of related UN agencies, TOI is
  an international alliance of tour operators
  engaged in advancing the UN goal of sustainable
  development.
• TOI signed a cooperation agreement in 2006 with
  the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to support
  biodiversity conservation in areas of high-volume
  tourism.
• Outcomes In Riviera and Costa Maya (Mexico),
  TOI and its partners contributed to the drafting
  of the National Tourism Law, specifically
  focusing on coastal conservation and responsible
  tourism in protected areas, and recommended rules
  for Siting, Design and Construction at the
  Yucatán Peninsula, formally approved in February
  2009.  
•  

GOOD PRACTICES
Source UNWTO 2009  
29
RESOURCES
?
gtgt Tourism Guidelines, Manuals and Reference
Materials
(SCBD) Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity. 2004. Guidelines on
Biodiversity and Tourism Development.
www.cbd.int/doc/publications/tou-gdl-en.pdf
  (SCBD) Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity. 2007. Managing Tourism
Biodiversity Users Manual on the CBD Guidelines
on Biodiversity and Tourism Development.
www.cbd.int/tourism/guidelines.shtml   UNEP and
WTO. 2005. Making Tourism More Sustainable A
Guide for Policy Makers. www.unep.fr/scp/publicat
ions/details.asp?idDTI/0592/PA   UNEP. 2008.
Sowing the Seeds of Change An Environmental and
Sustainable Tourism Teaching Pack for the
Hospitality Industry. www.unep.fr/scp/publications
/details.asp?idDTI/1043/PA   IUCN. 2008.
Biodiversity My Hotel in Action. A Guide to
Sustainable Use of Biological Resources.
www.toinitiative.org/fileadmin/docs/ActivityRepor
ts/press_rel/iucn_hotel_guide_final.pdf  
30
RESOURCES
?
gtgt Tourism Guidelines, Manuals and Reference
Materials
  UNEP. 2005. Forging links between protected
areas and the tourism sector How tourism can
benefit conservation. www.unep.fr/scp/publications
/details.asp?idDTI/0591/PA   UNEP. 2003.
Tourism and Local Agenda 21 The role of local
authorities in sustainable tourism. http//www.une
p.fr/scp/publications/details.asp?id3207  
  Note A complete list of references for this
presentation can be found in the accompanying
booklet Tourism for Nature Development A Good
Practice Guide. Photo credits Slide 1, top to
bottom - Flickr.com/unwiredben stockphoto.com
Flickr.com/Martha de Jong-Lantink
Flickr.com/Travelling Pooh. Slide 2, top Michael
Sheridan.  
31
For more information, please contact Secretariat
for the Convention on Biological Diversity  

•  
• 413 Saint Jacques Street, Suite 800
• Montreal QC ,
• Canada H2Y 1N9
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail secretariat_at_cbd.int
• Web www.cbd.int

  Technical support for this project has been
provided by UNEP and UNWTO. Financial support
has been provided by the French Ministry of
Foreign and European Affairs.