Biological Diversity and Tourism: Development

of Guidelines forSustainable Tourism inVulnerable Ecosystems

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

ForewordThe rapid and often uncontrolled growth of tourism, while contributing to

economic growth, also has a major impact on the environment and traditionalcultures. In order to promote sustainable tourism, the Conference of the Parties tothe Convention on Biological Diversity in 2000 accepted an invitation to participate,with regard to biological diversity, in the international work programme onsustainable tourism development under the Commission on SustainableDevelopment process. The primary mandate in the invitation was to contribute tothe development of a set of international guidelines for activities related tosustainable tourism development in vulnerable ecosystems. To assist in the deve-lopment of such guidelines, the Secretariat was requested, inter alia, to convene aninternational workshop.

The Workshop on Biological Diversity and Tourism was subsequently held inSanto Domingo in June 2001. The Workshop resulted in the “Draft InternationalGuidelines for Activities Related to Sustainable Tourism Development in VulnerableTerrestrial, Marine and Coastal Ecosystems and Habitats of Major Importance forBiological Diversity and Protected Areas, including Fragile Riparian and MountainEcosystems”. Although the primary focus of the guidelines is vulnerable ecosystemsand habitats, they are also appropriate for tourism and biological diversity in allgeographical locations and tourist destinations. The draft Guidelines (the full textis available on the Convention website at http://www.biodiv.org), were submitted tothe Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) at itsseventh meeting and, in accordance with SBSTTA recommendations, have beenforwarded to the tenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development andto the World Ecotourism Summit and its preparatory meetings.

The guidelines are an evolving tool and their development and furtherrefinement an ongoing process; they should and could be adapted to differentrealities and ecosystems. This brochure is an attempt to retain and diffuse the coreset of principles and elements proposed by the draft international guidelines. It wasconceived as a practical tool providing technical guidance to policy makers andmanagers with responsibilities covering tourism and/or biodiversity, whether innational or local government, the private sector, indigenous and local communities,non-governmental organizations and other organizations, on ways of workingtogether with key stakeholders involved in tourism and biodiversity.

Finally, in order to reflect the true richness of local biological and naturalresources, as perceived, described and interpreted by indigenous and localcommunities, the brochure is illustrated with images of biological diversity asportrayed in native art. We hope that, in this way, the reader will gain an image oftourist destinations and the value and beauty of their biological diversity that isdifferent from that conventionally conveyed in tourism-related materials.

Hamdallah ZedanExecutive Secretary, CBD

The CBD guidelines focuson making tourism

and biodiversity moremutually supportive.

IntroductionTourism is one of the world’s fastest growing

industries, but while bringing pleasure and incomesto millions, tourism is also putting more and morestress on fragile ecosystems. Its social, economicand environmental effects are immense andcomplex, not least because tourism often involvesvisits to sites of natural and cultural importance.Tourism is also a fiercely competitive global market,with incentives for putting short-term earningsbefore long-term environmental health.

Sustainable tourism can generate jobs andrevenues, thus providing an incentive for preservingnatural areas. It can also raise public awareness ofthe many products and services provided by naturalecosystems and biological resources and respect fortraditional knowledge and practices. Sustainabletourism clearly has the potential to reconcileeconomic and environmental concerns and give apractical meaning to sustainable development.

The CBD guidelines focus on making tourism andbiodiversity more mutually supportive, engaging theprivate sector and local and indigenous communities,and promoting infrastructure and land-use planningbased on the principles of conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity. They set out what theproponent of a new tourism investment or activityshould do to seek approval, how the authoritiesshould manage the approval process, and how tosustain the transition to sustainable tourism througheducation and capacity building.

4 Governments need toestablish a managementprocess for tourismactivities that engages all stakeholders.

Sustainable tourism proposalsGovernment agencies, private firms and other

proponents of tourism projects and activities shouldbe required to submit proposals through a formalnotification process. They should provide full andtimely advance notice to relevant authorities and allinterested stakeholders – including indigenous andlocal communities – in order to receive “priorinformed approval”.

The required information could include theproject’s geographical location and a description,proximity to human settlements, and the applicablelaws and regulations. The proposed activities andhow they may affect social and economicconditions of local communities should be analyzed.The ecology of the site and its surroundings and theplants, animals, and ecosystems that could beaffected should be analyzed, as should any possibletransboundary implications.

All of this information should be made availableto the public for comment. After reviewing theproponent’s notification, the authorities may ask foradditional information or ask other agencies to conduct further research. The final step will be to approve the project, with or without conditions,or reject it.

The government’s roleGovernments need to establish a management

process for tourism activities that engages allstakeholders, including the private sector,indigenous and local communities, and non-governmental organizations. This process willnormally be at the national level, but can also be

The ecology of the siteand its surroundings andthe plants, animals, andecosystems that could be affected should beanalyzed.

undertaken at the local or community level. Aconsultative process should be established to ensureeffective dialogue and information sharing amongstall stakeholders and partners.

The CBD guidelines set out a 10-step managementprocess:

1)Gather baseline information. This information isessential for taking decisions and assessing theirconsequences. It should include local andnational data on current socio-economic andenvironmental conditions, including trendswithin the tourism industry and how these areaffecting local communities. Information is alsoneeded on biodiversity destruction and resources,including sites of particular cultural orenvironmental importance, and national,subnational and local action plans and reports onbiodiversity and sustainable development. Bothscientific information and traditional knowledgeshould be gathered.

This information should be collected from the fullrange of stakeholders and compiled on the basisof the ecosystem approach (under which speciesand landscapes are viewed primarily as an integralpart of their encompassing ecosystem). Thegovernment needs to assign a multi-disciplinaryteam of experts to collate and synthesize theinformation and consult with stakeholders. Theteam can draw on such international resources asthe Convention’s clearing-house mechanism andon networks such as the World Network ofBiosphere Reserves, World Heritage sites and theRamsar wetlands sites.

6 Once a project isapproved, any damage to biodiversity must beavoided or minimized.

2)Develop an overall vision. Based on the reviewof baseline information and on the country’ssustainable development plans, a long-termvision for sustainable development should beelaborated. The vision can be expressed as a set ofeconomic, social, and environmental goals.Depending on the country’s priorities, these goalscould set targets or standards in such areas asland-use zoning, ecosystem functioning,biodiversity conservation and sustainable use,poverty alleviation, and the participation ofindigenous and local communities.

3)Set specific objectives. To help realize this vision,the government will need to set shorter termobjectives. These may include clear targets andtimetables in order to ensure that any tourismdevelopment has acceptable environmentalimpacts while meeting real market demand.Examples may include adopting legal and othermeasures needed for establishing and supportingconservation areas, setting aside a certain amountof land to meet the requirements of the biospherereserve concept, strengthening protected areanetworks, employing economic policy tools andencouraging the private sector to actively supportconservation efforts. Targets may be eitherperformance based or process based.

4)Review legislation and controls. Measures forland-use planning, environmental assessment,building regulations and tourism standards mayhave to be developed or updated. This reviewcould explore approval and licensing proceduresfor tourism development and activities, incentivesfor sustainable tourism, the application ofeconomic instruments for the management oftourism and biodiversity, and the planning andsiting of tourism facilities. It could also addresswhat is needed to increase land-managementand ownership by indigenous and localcommunities and to improve decision-making onissues related to tourism development.

The vision can beexpressed as a set of economic, social, andenvironmental goals.

5)Assess the potential impacts of new projects.Before a proposed tourism development or activityproceeds, the environmental, social, cultural, andeconomic effects – both positive and negative –should be comprehensively assessed. Options formanaging potential effects should also beexplored. Experts can evaluate the adequacy ofimpact assessments submitted by projectproponents. If the information or assessment isnot up to standard, then further studies may needto be undertaken. Indigenous and local commu-nities should be fully involved in impactassessments, which should also take advantage oftraditional knowledge.

Negative environmental impacts can involve land-use change, consumption or destruction of localnatural resources, damages and alterations tohabitats and ecosystems, contamination andpollution, production of waste and the introductionof alien invasive species and pathogens. Socio-economic and cultural impacts should also beconsidered, including social degradation of localcommunities and changes in traditional practicesand lifestyles and in incomes and jobs. Positiveimpacts can include the generation of revenues formaintaining natural areas, financing neededinfrastructure and services, creating jobs andwealth, and diversifying the economy.

6)Manage the environmental impacts. Once aproject is approved, any damage to biodiversitymust be avoided or minimized. To be sustainable,tourism should be managed within the carryingcapacity and limits of each ecosystem and site.Critical issues can include siting, traffic flow,behavior controls, safeguards for the mostecologically sensitive areas, and limitations onnumbers of visitors and their impacts.

Pollution and waste can be prevented andminimized. Facilities, services and technologies canbe designed according to the principles of eco-efficiency and cleaner production. Measures can be

8 Management must beadaptive, accept the need for some “learning-by-doing”, and monitor and respondto ongoing feedback.

taken to ensure the conservation of landscapes andnatural and cultural heritages. Contingency planscan be prepared for environmental emergencies.Best practices and lessons learned can be shared,education and public awareness promoted, localcommunities involved, appropriate behaviorsencouraged.

7) Ensure decision-making is transparent andaccountable. Affected local and indigenouscommunities and other stakeholders must beconsulted and involved, and approached for priorinformed consent. Formal legal mechanisms areneeded for approving tourism developmentproposals, notifying the public about the decision,and monitoring compliance with the agreedconditions.

8) Implement the decision. The project developer oroperator will be responsible for complying with allthe conditions set and must notify the designatedauthority of any failure to do so. Any revisions orchanges to an approved project, includingadditions or variations of activities, must beapproved by the designated authorities. Localstakeholders should be given an ongoingopportunity to express their wishes and concerns tothose managing tourism facilities and activities,based on clear, adequate and accessibleinformation. For their part, governments ordesignated authorities will need to monitorcompliance. Communities and other interestedstakeholders may also monitor compliance andreport their findings to the designated governmentauthorities.

9)Monitor impacts and compliance. Developers andoperators of tourism facilities and activities shouldbe required to report periodically. A monitoring andreporting system should be put in place prior to thestart-up. Indicators to cover all aspects ofbiodiversity management and sustainable tourism,

Affected local andindigenous communitiesand other stakeholdersmust be consulted andinvolved.

including socio-economic and cultural aspects,should be identified and monitored both nationallyand for individual sites.

Monitoring should cover efforts to protectendangered species, keep out alien invasive species,comply with national and international rules onaccess to genetic resources, and prevent theunauthorized removal of genetic resources. Alsovital are general environmental and biodiversityconditions and trends and tourism trends andimpacts. Management measures may need to beadjusted, as appropriate, where adverse impacts onbiodiversity and ecosystems are detected.

10) Pursue adaptive management. The complex anddynamic nature of ecosystems and our lack ofcomplete knowledge or understanding of theirfunctioning means that decisions cannot simply betaken and forgotten. Non-linear processes, timelags between cause and effect, and generaluncertainty cloud the picture. Management mustbe adaptive, accept the need for some “learning-by-doing”, and monitor and respond to ongoingfeedback.

Adaptive management should take theprecautionary principle fully into account. There isalso a need for flexibility in policy-making andimplementation. Long-term, inflexible decisionsare likely to be inadequate or even destructive.Ecosystem management should be envisaged as along-term experiment that builds on its results asit progresses.

Implementing adaptive management in relationto tourism and biodiversity will require the activecooperation and close interaction of tourismmanagers and biodiversity managers. Adaptivemanagement can also be undertaken by all thosewho have management control over any specificsite, including local government, indigenous andlocal communities, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and other organizations.

10 Sustainable tourism alsoneeds to be supported by capacity-buildingactivities.

Ensuring a permanent transitionTo work effectively over time, the procedures

outlined above need to be supported by long-termpublic education and awareness raisingcampaigns. These campaigns should inform bothprofessionals and the general public about theimpacts of tourism on biological diversity and aboutgood practices in this area. They should be tailored forvarious audiences, including tourists, tourismdevelopers and operators, and policy-makers andgovernment officials. The private sector could play anactive role in promoting awareness.

Sustainable tourism also needs to be supported bycapacity-building activities. Such activities shouldaim to strengthen the capacities of governments andall stakeholders for implementing the CBD guidelineson sustainable tourism. They can be carried out at thelocal, national, regional and international levels.Building capacity can include strengthening humanresources and institutional capacities, transferringknow-how, developing appropriate facilities, andtraining on biodiversity, sustainable tourism, impactassessment and impact-management. Tourism andenvironmental professionals need a wide range ofskills, and local communities need decision-makingabilities, skills and knowledge in advance of future tourist in-flows. Information exchange and collaboration regarding sustainable tourismimplementation through networking and partner-ships between all stakeholders affected by, orinvolved in tourism, including the private sector,should be encouraged.

For more information please contact:

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

393 St Jacques ouest, Suite 300 Montreal, Quebec Canada H2Y 1N9

Phone: + 1 (514) 288 2220Fax: + 1 (514) 288 6588E-mail: secretariat@biodiv.org Web site: www.biodiv.org

© Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, January 2002Conception and design by CRI CommunicationsImages courtesy of © NOVICA www.novica.comPublished by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.Reproduction of this publication for educational purpose or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged.

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