overview

Tourism in Hawai‘i is inherently Unsustainable

There are complex competing and cooperating interestsamong stakeholders that maintain an unsustainablestatus quo

Approximately 500,000 monthly visitors in 2009 despitethe economic recession (5 million Y-T-D)

2008 visitor expenditures of $11.4 billion

Sustainability framework allows for ecologicalrestoration and cultural respect through place-basededucation and activities for residents and visitors

Learning outcomes in Hawai‘i provide examples for othertourist destinations to improve sustainability

The global context:IUCN World Conservation Congress 2008

The Congress theme “a diverse and sustainable world” was the basisfor developing a compelling vision.

Innovative sustainable development initiatives are underway ingovernment, civil society and the private sector that are makinga difference and charting a new course for communities, nationsand planet.

These efforts demonstrate that in many different settings and inmany different sectors, integrated and longer-term approaches torestoring, protecting and sustainably using natural assets canlead to new livelihood and economic opportunities with renewedenvironmental vitality.

The challenge is how to scale-up and mainstream these encouraginginnovations and how to create the enabling conditions for moresustainable and equitable alternatives to flourish.

Bio-Cultural Diversity and Indigenous Peoples

EnergyForests Islands

Law and Governance

Marine

Markets and Business

MediterraneanProtected Areas

Rights and Conservation

Species

Water

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria Developed by UN agencies, tourism and environmental organizations

basic guidelines to promote best practices

direct travel agency and client attention to participating suppliersand destinations

encourage media to recognize sustainable tourism providers

help certification programs ensure that standards meet a broadly-accepted baseline

capacity building consultation and workshops

provide guidelines for education

Sustainable tourism literature review of research priorities

Consider current trends in economic, social, political andenvironmental conditions

reform mass tourism models

expand alternative forms of tourism and alternatives to tourism

Link tourism and sustainability with wider environmental andsocietal trends

adaptation to global environmental change

restoration of degraded ecosystem services

community resiliency and stewardship

Now that sustainability is mainstream, enough rhetoric, time to putconcepts into practice and avoid greenwashing.

What is sustainable tourism and who is it for?

Is it “alternative tourism”, i.e. ecotourism?

Is it responsible, in terms of environmental stewardship,socio-cultural values, and best practices?

Is it sustainability of tourism industry market share,community economic development, and/orenvironmental conservation and restoration?

Can mass tourism ever be sustainable?

Defining terms

Sustainable travel minimizes impacts on the environment and hostcultures, furthers economic development goals of destinationcommunities, and contributes to the conservation and/orrestoration of biological diversity. It is responsible tourism that isboth ecologically and culturally sensitive

Ecotourism encompasses conservation-focused tourism and covers awide variety of experiences – often a participatory experience inthe natural environment in support of conservation andcommunity economic development

Ecotravel promotes environmental conservation, internationalunderstanding and cooperation, political and economicempowerment of local residents, and cultural heritage

place of sustainable tourism/travel

Rural and urban

Core and periphery

Intact and degraded habitats

Natural and built environment

Marine and terrestrial

function of sustainable tourism/travel

Environmental conservation

Cultural integrity

Social equity

Educational

Profitable

image of sustainable tourism/travel

Authentic

Appropriate

Planning for Sustainable Tourism Report (DBEDT 2006)

Vision for sustainable tourism

Reflection of values (aloha, malama ‘aina)

Economic opportunity (fair wages, equity)

Environmental protection

Cultural respect

Reinforce tolerance of diversity

Nurture sense of place

Are we on this path?

total annual visitors to the State of Hawai‘I 1995-2006(7.6 in 2007 and 6.8 million in 2008)

total annual visitors by island

STEP has collaborated with faculty, graduate and undergraduatestudents interested in developing and acting on sustainablesolutions for the Hawaiian Islands.

Current and proposed project sites include the Hawaiian Islands,Japan, Okinawa, Mongolia and China and address issuesassociated with protected areas, stakeholder conflicts, capacitybuilding, poverty alleviation and others.

Funding from UHM Center for International Business EducationResearch, VCRGE Manoa Fund, Sea Grant College

http://www.hawaii.edu/envctr/ecotourism/

Purpose and DesignPurpose and Design

Engage tourism stakeholders in support of establishing the HawaiianIslands as a model of sustainable best practices

Facilitate participant exploration, co-design, assessment and decision-making on long and short-range research goals

Composed of modules and exercises that participants performed in largeand small groups

Facilitated roundtable discussion themes

Communicating to tourists and residents on host culture issues

Evaluation of planning issues and regulatory obstacles to alternativeforms of tourism, including volunteer tourism, educational tourism,community-based tourism, and alternative lodging

Review and proposal of curriculum at UHM and within UH system,including experiential learning approaches and internshipopportunities, to bridge the ecological/sustainability literacy gap ofresidents and visitors through collaboration with governmentalagencies and community organizations

Identify resource management concerns/strategies as they relate toand/or involve commercial activities, particularly community-driven initiatives and protected areas, both public and private inmarine and terrestrial ecosystems

What works to create a sustainable tourism destination?

healthy ecosystems and associated ecosystem services

watershed protection + coastal restoration = recreation destinations

Cultural integrity

respectful engagement = reduced conflict and resentment

Smart growth

affordable housing + public health and safety = effective infrastructure

food security

agricultural landscapes = keeps the country country

energy independence

alternative energy = minimizes economic leakage and cost of living

zero waste

reduce, reuse, recycle = green labor force

How might sustainable tourism be measured and monitored?

Faculty and student research projects 2008-2009

assess potential of eco-lodging in Hawai‘i (MA 2009 NREM)

scuba diving carrying capacity at Molokini (MA 2009 Geography)

Kailua Bay offshore island recreational use (MA Geography)

East Maui community-based tourism (EVS internship)

Maunalua Bay recreation study (proposed EVS internship)

Mongolia indigenous tourism (UHM grad candidate)

Japan ecotourism conflicts (BA EVS and Peace St)

Sustainable Accommodation Models:An Evaluation of Certification Criteria

Melanie SaucierUHM Natural Resources and Environmental Management

Problems

Hotels are the most energy-intensive sector of tourism industry

Hotels generally produce +1kg of waste per guest per day

A hotel room uses on average 220 gal of water per day

Rising criticism of existing tourism infrastructure & future plans for moredevelopment on Oahu

Solutions

Provide stakeholders with:

A review of international guidelines & standards for sustainability

A compilation of appropriate criteria for Hawai‘i

An architectural rendering/model of an ecolodge

A foundation for a certification program to measure sustainability

Social Carrying Capacity of SCUBA Diving on Molokini Bixler McClure

UHM Geography Department

Social Science field research techniques

Conduct literature review on survey methods

Distribute and collect surveys

Enter and analyze data; draw conclusions

Environmental Media

Literature review for using image technology inenvironmental research

Take pictures of divers/boats/snorkelers for use insurveys

Test effectiveness of different image presentations

Literature review of previous research

Search for and analyze previous research onSCUBA/snorkeling/boating impacts

Compare and contrast literature

Human Use of Offshore islets in Kailua Bay, OahuScott Burch

UHM Geography Department

How much use and who are the users? What are the impacts of use?

Identify educational contact pointsInvestigate relationship between users and contact points

Raising Awareness and Building Consensus for Tourism thatProtects Maunalua Bay, Oahu

Key activities to be conducted as part of the proposed project:

Identify current and potential recreation sites and createinstruments to survey stakeholders

Work with Malama Maunalua to ensure compatibility ofcommercial and non-commercial activities with resourcemanagement and ecological restoration, and identifypotential/likely hotspots of conflict between these interests

Assist stakeholder meetings toraise awareness, agree onstandards, chart future tourismdevelopment and resourceprotection, and develop monitoringmechanisms involving UHMstudents

Maui case study

1970s Maui became a major tourism destination

Subject of a six page essay in Time magazinedubbing Maui America’s Magic Isle

Dramatic increases in resident and visitorpopulations

1990s to 2008 Maui is regularly voted by Conde NastTraveler readers as the best island destination inthe Pacific

Community-based tourism in East Maui

Kipahulu ‘Ohana began as a project to create a living historyprogram to share with Haleakala National Park visitors in theearly 1970s.

An example of community collaboration and co-management.

The partnership enables residents to “earn a living in their ownbackyard” working in an area where jobs are scarce and landexpensive.

The relationship engages residents with research and recreationstakeholders, and despite periods of animosity and antagonism,the protected area status of Kipahulu District is considered anasset that distinguishes East Maui from other culturallandscapes in the Hawaiian Islands.

Residents are reconstituting the identity of Kipahulu as aHawaiian place with benefits to various stakeholders. Protectedarea status perpetuates a perception of significance that datesback centuries.

Kapahu Living Farm,Kipahulu District,

Haleakala National Park

Sustainable Community Development on Southern Islands of JapanYukari Akastuka

UHM Environmental Studies, Peace Studies

Problem statement

Tourism dependent economies and environment degradationdue to mass tourism conflicts with local needs.

Purpose

Identify common interests among stakeholders the role ofprotected areas and propose win-win situation for currentlycompeting interests.

Research question

How do different stakeholders perceive the significance ofprotected areas?

Proposed outcomes

Development of island sustainability and environmenteducation for island youth.

Iriomote, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Comparison of Tourism Resources in Yakushima and East Maui

yesdevelopingExisting tourist itinerary circuit

yesyesVaried accommodations available

yesyesGood food available

yesyesScenic setting

yesyesWater recreation sites

yesyesUnique appeal

yesyesAdditional cultural interests

yesyesDistinctive features of interest

highhighObservation of biodiversity

yesyesJourney easy and comfortable

Hana AirportYakushimaAirport

Domestic airport

:15 minutes from KahuluiAirport

1 hour from HonoluluAirport

1 hour fromKagoshima

Airport

Flight time from internationalairport

East MauiYakushima

Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism in Lake Hovsgol Province, Mongolia:Capacity Building Workshops for Stakeholders

Odonchimeg IchinkhorlooUHM graduate candidate

Goal: To promote sustainable tourism development throughstrengthening local and regional stakeholders’ capacity tonetwork and facilitate collaboration between private and publicsectors.

Rationale: The challenges for government, the tourism industryand communities are to effectively balance environmentalconservation and economic development. Tourism represents agrowing level of economic activity and rapid increases in thenumber of visitors threaten biological diversity andperpetuation of indigenous cultures.

Primary objectives concentrate on three key areas:

Discuss current challenges and issues within the region

Identify future opportunities to achieve successfuloutcomes

Establish priorities among stakeholders

Ecotourism in ChinaLi Yan-qin

Central University for Nationalities, Beijing, China

2009 named “Chinese Ecotourism Year”

“be a green traveler and experience eco-civilization”

promotion of eco-tourism and the concept of sustainable travel

direct tourism toward green alternatives through sustainabledevelopment goals.

Profile of ecotourists in China

Age: 18 - 34 years old, younger than mass tourists

Gender: male more than female

Education: college graduates(60%)

Expenditure: willing to spend more than mass tourists and havedisposable income

Note: Gov. Lingle leaves for China tomorrow for two weekpromotional trip

STEP research agenda in support of island sustainability

What are the roles of protected areas in the context ofresident, research, and recreation interests andactivities?

How do they inform future research, instruction andoutreach?

Contribute to sustainability literacy at UHM

Investigate alternative forms of tourism

voluntourism, educational tourism, agtourism, place-based tourism

Support internship opportunities and internationaleducation and exchanges

STEP outcomes

Stakeholder conferences April and October 2009

Faculty and graduate student mentoring and involvement ofundergrads on research projects

Project website with resources for stakeholders to access

Peer reviewed publications

Conference presentations and posters

Contributing to UHM as a center for sustainability

in partnership with East-West Center, Center for ResponsibleTravel, University of the Ryukyus, Hokkaido University,The International Ecotourism Society, UNESCO, WorldHeritage Centre

Can tourism in Hawai‘i be sustainable …

or will it be greenwashed?

thank you