Stephen McCool of the University of Montana provided important consultation during the development of these ideas in early co-authored papers on this subject. Anna Baez kindly provided information on national park use in Costa Rica. Bruce van Stuudeline of Ontario Parks provided current information on this agency's advanced booking system for lodging.
Key Principles and Directions for Tourism in Protected Areas: A Review of Existing Charters, Guidelines and Declarations
Introduction
The link between tourism and protected areas is becoming increasingly important as tourism activities rely more heavily on, and recognize the importance of the health of, natural and cultural heritage. Protected areas are also becoming more interested in the role of tourism in supporting conservation initiatives; thus tourism is an important and critical component to consider in the establishment and management of protected areas. At the World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa, September 2003, the World Commission for Protected Areas (WCPA) recognized this link, initiating the workshop known as Workshop Stream II - Building Broader Support for Protected Areas. The purpose of the workshop was to address issues and challenges associated with tourism as a vehicle for conservation and support. One of the main recommendations workshop participants proposed follows the need for tourism to respect the primacy role of conservation for protected areas.
The role of the tourism sector in sustainable development and the need to minimize tourism impacts generally has long been recognized and numerous guidelines, charters and declarations have been produced to guide and promote sustainable tourism practices. Some of these guidelines relate directly to tourism in protected areas, others address the issues and challenges associated with sustainable tourism generally. Combined, the guidelines that exist to date offer some key areas for action.
A recently published review of existing international guidelines relating to sustainable tourism highlights the need for a fully integrated approach to the management of sustainable tourism and biodiversity (Mayer and Garbe, 2001). Prepared for the Workshop on Biological Diversity and Tourism, Santo Domingo during 4-7 June 2001, the Myer and Garbe review analyses and identifies common sustainable tourism principles. The review reveals that existing guidelines specifically relating to tourism and biodiversity focus mainly on protected areas and the requirements of protected area managers. Furthermore, the analysis found that all principles and guidelines examined contain extensive common and complementary elements, although guidance in terms of implementing the principles was seen to be lacking. Many of the guidelines were also criticized on the basis that they have been produced with minimal research and or supporting data.
CAB International 2007. Tourism and Protected Areas: Benefits Beyond Boundaries (eds R. Bushell and P.F.J. Eagles) 44
Jasmine Foxlee Chapter 4
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Building on the Meyer and Garbe review of sustainable tourism guidelines, this survey reviews international sustainable tourism guidelines as they apply to tourism in protected areas (Table 1). Although it is recognized that many countries have produced their own set of national guidelines and documents specifically addressing sustainable tourism1, this chapter is concerned primarily with those produced with an international focus or an intended use internationally. The aim of this review is to identify the key principles and directions for tourism in protected areas currently promoted in international sustainable tourism guidelines.
Guidelines for Tourism in Protected Areas
Sustainable tourism guidelines reflect the need to prevent further damage to the world's natural and cultural heritage and increase the benefits that tourism can create for local communities, indigenous communities and conservation. Targeting tourism operators, protected area managers, governments, as well as tourists themselves, guidelines for sustainable tourism typically evolve out of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, international agencies like IUCN, ICOMOS, WTO and UNEP, and in some cases by the tourism industry itself.
The profile for sustainable development was raised significantly in the global agenda during the 1992 United Nations Rio Earth Summit. Since this time, key international guidelines for sustainable tourism have emerged. In 1992 Tourism Concern published Beyond the Green Horizon: Principles of Sustainable Tourism (1992). Three years later, the Charter for Sustainable Tourism was prepared at a World Conference on Sustainable Tourism in Lanzarote, Spain. Although not specific to tourism in protected areas, the principles outlined in these two documents represent important concepts and ideals that in later guidelines operate as foundation points.
In 1997, some of the international guidelines for sustainable tourism began to directly address the relationships between tourism, biodiversity, heritage conservation and protected areas. Documents like the Berlin Declaration on Biological Diversity and Sustainable Tourism (1997) and the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas (1997) set out principles for achieving sustainable tourism outcomes that focused more explicitly on conservation outcomes. Following these, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) released the International Guidelines for Activities Related to Sustainable Tourism Development in Vulnerable Ecosystems (2001), which has since been updated and revised to form the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development (2004). These guidelines set out a ten-step process for managing tourism in sensitive areas, and specifically target protected area managers and governments. Supporting these declarations and guidelines are the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series. The most recent of this series, Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: guidelines for planning and management (2002), offers a detailed set of actions concerning the implementation of sustainable tourism practices. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Conservation International (CI) have similarly released a document titled Tourism and Biodiversity: Mapping Tourism's Global Footprint (2003). Based on two years of research, the document reveals the impacts of tourism and provides guidelines to governments, businesses, donor organizations and local communities for supporting more sustainable development.
Key Principles and Directions for Tourism in Protected Areas 45
In response to a growing interest and concern for cultural heritage ICOMOS also initiated the International Cultural Tourism Charter (2002). In contrast to some of the earlier sustainable tourism guidelines the set of principles promoted by ICOMOS specifically address the relationships between tourism and places or collections of heritage significance, including cultural landscapes.
A selection of charters, declarations and guidelines have also arisen out of the tourism sector. These include Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry (1995), the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (1999) and the Tour Operators' Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development Statement of Commitment to Sustainable Tourism (2000). Together these documents demonstrate a commitment from the tourism industry to achieve sustainable tourism outcomes, many of which apply to protected areas.
Some documents examined in this review have evolved out of workshops and conferences, in which various agencies, organizations and stakeholders have made contributions. Such documents include WTO's Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (1999), UNEP 's Principles for the Implementation of Sustainable Tourism (2000), the Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism (2002) and the Cairns Charter on Ecotourism (2002).
Conferences like the International Conference on Sustainable Tourism in Small Developing States (SIDS) (1998), and the Asia-Pacific Ministers Conference (1997) similarly developed statements of action for sustainable tourism, many of which relate to tourism in vulnerable ecosystems. More recently, the Ministers of Tourism of the countries of Asia endorsed the Hue Declaration on Cultural Tourism and Poverty Alleviation to address concerns and possibilities associated with cultural tourism in Asia.
With direct reference to protected areas, the Durban Accord (2003) and accompanying action plan (2004) took form following the collective action and concern of 3000 participants at the Vth World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa. Urging a greater commitment from the international community to acknowledge the role of protected areas in sustainable development initiatives, the Durban Accord compliments the broader principles and recommendations associated with sustainable tourism in the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (2002). Also relevant are the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that evolved out of the United Nations Millennium Summit of 2000. Looking at sustainable development at a much broader level than other guidelines the MDG's provide the shared vision of a much improved world, setting goals such as poverty alleviation, better world health and the environmental sustainability at their core.
A position paper on tourism prepared by WWF-International (2001), and a discussion paper by DANTE titled Red Card for Tourism? (2002) have also been included in the review as documents offering a slightly different perspective on sustainable tourism. Both documents have evolved out of NGOs, putting emphasis on the role of tourism in conservation, and the role of tourism in poverty alleviation.
Table 1 lists 24 different international charters, guidelines and declarations relevant to tourism and protected areas. The section that follows highlights key principles and directions presented in the various guidelines reviewed. In some cases the principles are quoted in whole; others are summarized.
46 Key Principles and Directions for Tourism in Protected Areas
Key Principles and Directions for Tourism in Protected Areas 47 Table 1: International Charters, Guidelines and Declarations relevant to tourism and protected areas.
Document (Date) Beyond the Green Horizon: Principles of Sustainable Tourism (1992)
Charter for Sustainable Tourism (1995)
www.insula.org/tourism/charte.
htm
Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry (1995)
The Berlin Declaration on Biological Diversity and Sustainable Tourism (1997)
www.insula.org/tourism/pagina _n4.htm
The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas (1997)
www.eco-tour.org/info/
w_10168_de.html
Male Declaration on Tourism & Sustainable Development (1997)
www.eco-tour.org/info/
w_10194_de.html
Conference on sustainable tourism in Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and other islands (1998)
http://www.uneptie.org/pc/touris m/documents/lanzarote-e.pdf
Guiding Agencies Tourism Concern
International Scientific Council for Island Development WTTC, WTO, Earth Council
CBD, UNEP, WTO, IUCN
Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe
WTO, Asia-Pacific Ministers
Conference
UNEP, WTO
Target Audience Tourism sector;
government;
international institutions; local communities;
experts; practitioners Countries,
institutions, decision- makers, experts, organizations, tourists
Travel and tourism industry
Tourism sector;
government;
international institutions; local communities;
environmental groups Protected area mangers; tourism industry; tour operators and transport companies
Countries; civil society; national, regional and international organizations Countries
AOSIS, UNEP, WTO
Main Focus
• Principles, guidelines and measures for achieving sustainable tourism
• General principles for sustainable tourism practice
• A commitment to sustainable development
• Sets out objectives, measures and case studies of best practice
• Biodiversity and sustainable tourism
• General and specific guidelines putting primary objective of conservation first
• Guidelines to help develop high quality sustainable tourism in protected areas
• Commits signatories of the charter to strategy formulation and action plan
• General guidelines for sustainable
development of tourism
• Programme of action for Sustainable Tourism in SIDS
48 Key Principles and Directions for Tourism in Protected Areas
Table 1 (cent.): International Charters, Guidelines and Declarations relevant to tourism and protected areas.
Document (Date) Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (1999)
http://www.world-tourism.org/
code_ethics/eng.html
Development of Approaches and Practice for Sustainable Use of Biological Resources - Tourism (1999)
Statement of Commitment to Sustainable Tourism (2000)
http://www.toinitiative.org/about/
statement_of_commitment.htm
Position Paper on Tourism (2001)
http://www.wwf.org.uk/filelibrary /pdf/wwf_tourism_position_pap er.pdf
Principles for Implementation of Sustainable Tourism (2001)
http://www.uneptie.org/pc/touris m/policy/principles.htm
Red Card for Tourism?
Ten Principles and Challenges for a Sustainable Tourism Development in the 21st Century (2002)
Guiding Agencies WTO
IUCN-WCPA
Tour Operators Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development
WWF- International
UNEP
The Network for Sustainable Tourism Development (DANTE)
Target Audience Destinations;
governments; tour operators;
developers; travel agents; workers; and travellers themselves
Tourism organizations
Tourism industry
Government; tourism industry
Government;
business and industry
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD);
international community
Main Focus
• Principles for responsible, sustainable and universally acceptable tourism
• Commitment to implementation of principles
• Guiding principles for sustainable tourism
• Measures, objectives and policies for achieving sustainable tourism
• Principles and guidelines for environmentally and socially responsible tourism
• Policy and objectives
• Guidelines covering broad issues related to tourism planning and management
• Three pillars of sustainable
development, public welfare, economy and environment, in relation to tourism development.
• Issues relevant to WSSD
Key Principles and Directions for Tourism in Protected Areas 49 Table 1 (cent.): International Charters, Guidelines and Declarations relevant to tourism and protected areas.
Document (Date) Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism (2002)
http://www.world-
tourism.org/sustainable/ecotour ism2002/eng.pdf
World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) - Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (2002)
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/
documents/WSSD POI PD/En glish/POIToc.htm
Cairns Charter on Ecotourism (2002)
http://www.ecotourism.org.au/
cairnscharter.asp
International Cultural Tourism Charter (2002)
Guiding Agencies UNEP, WTO, Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourisme Quebec
UN Commission on Sustainable Development
Ecotourism Australia
ICOMOS
Target Audience Governments;
tourism industry;
NGOs; local and indigenous communities;
academic and research institutions
All levels of government
Indigenous communities; local communities;
government and inter-governmental organizations; NGOs;
ecotourism
businesses; financial institutions and development agencies; training, education and research organizations A wide variety of conservation and tourism bodies
Main Focus
• Recommendations for improving ecotourism on a global scale
• Discusses various approaches needed to enhance tourism
product and create conservation, socio- cultural and economic benefits
• Sets out actions for achieving sustainable development
including actions for implementing sustainable tourism practices
• Ecotourism and protected area management partnerships
• Principles to guide the presentation and management of cultural tourism
• Basis for dialogue between conservation interests and the tourism industry
• To encourage the formulation of plans and policies for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage
50 Key Principles and Directions for Tourism in Protected Areas
Table 1 (cent.): International Charters, Guidelines and Declarations relevant to tourism and protected areas.
Document (Date) Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) (2002)
www.undp.org/mdg/
Tourism and
Biodiversity: Mapping Tourism's Global Footprint (2003)
VthlUCN World Parks Congress
Recommendations (2003),
Recommendation # 12.
www.iucn.org/wpc2003
Durban Accord (2003) and Action Plan (2004)
www.iucn.org/wpc2003
Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development (2004)2
http://www.biodiv.org/doc/public ations/tou-gd l-en .pdf
Guiding Agencies United Nations Development Programme
UNEP, Conservation International (Cl)
lUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas
lUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas
CBD
Target Audience Government
Governments;
business; local communities; donor organizations
Tourism organizations;
protected area managers;
conservation organizations and others
Governments;
protected area managers; tourism operators and others
Government; private firms and proponents of tourism projects and activities
Main Focus
• A set of eight goals to provide a shared vision of a much improved world including the need to eradicate extreme poverty, improve health and ensure environmental sustainability
• Sets out guidelines for supporting sustainable tourism development
• Charts a positive way forward for tourism
• Specific
recommendations concerning tourism as a vehicle for
conservation and support of protected areas
• Increased dialogue and partnerships between tourism and protected area managers
• Statement and call for commitment and action for the benefit of protected areas so that their benefits can be conserved and equitably shared.
• Pledge to facilitate understanding and collaboration
• Guidelines related to sustainable tourism activities in vulnerable terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems of major importance for biological diversity and protected areas
Key Principles and Directions for Tourism in Protected Areas 51 Table 1 (cent.): International Charters, Guidelines and Declarations relevant to tourism and protected areas.
Document (Date) Steps to Sustainable Tourism (2004)
Hue Declaration on Cultural Tourism and Poverty Alleviation (2004)
Guiding Agencies Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage
WTO, Ministers of Tourism of the countries of Asia
Target Audience Tourism operators;
local government;
tourism organizations;
heritage managers;
communities and others
Governments and tourism operators
Main Focus
• Sets out an approac to help develop appropriate long-term solutions for tourism at places of heritage significance
• The potential fo tourism to alleviate
poverty and support conservation
Common Policy Directions and Principles
The numerous principles presented in declarations, charters and guidelines for sustainable tourism follow similar themes. The common themes are summarized as:
Policy, Legislation and Enforcement - procedures for ensuring tourism activities have a minimal impact on natural and cultural resources.
Planning and Management - appropriate planning for tourism, integrated management, impact assessment, flexibility and monitoring.
Vulnerable Ecosystems - recognizing that some environments are more vulnerable than others and that there are limits of acceptable change.
Partnerships and Cooperation - involving local and indigenous communities, sharing the benefits of tourism and sharing the task of conservation.
Incentives and Sensitive Marketing - encouraging and supporting best practice and acknowledging the need for responsible, inclusive and sensitive marketing.
Research and Information Exchange - creating open networks for research and communication between stakeholders.
Raising Awareness - raising industry, government and tourist awareness of conservation and sustainable tourism through education and interpretation.
Capacity-building - supporting sustainability through staff training and the provision of resources.
Ethical Tourism - the role of tourism in promoting well-being and health, overcoming poverty, and addressing gender equity and fair trade issues.
These themes are discussed in more detail below. Taken together, they point toward a set of key principles for achieving sustainable tourism as they exist in various charters, declarations and guidelines to date. In their original form the principles represent steps on a path towards sustainability. When drawn together, the principles discussed in this review support a more holistic view of sustainability, recognizing the need for socio-cultural, economic and environmental sustainability.
52 Key Principles and Directions for Tourism in Protected Areas
Policy and legislation
It is important that tourism is balanced with broader economic, social and environmental objectives at the national, regional and local level. Where protected areas are concerned this requires tourism to be developed in a manner that is consistent with protected area management objectives. Support must be provided for sustainable tourism through policy development, and in some cases legislative control and enforcement will be necessary to ensure the conservation and protection of natural and cultural heritage.
Policy and legislative mechanisms able to be utilized by governments and managers of protected areas include:
Policies and, where appropriate, legislation, environmental economic instruments and incentives should be developed to ensure that tourism activities meet the needs of nature and biological diversity conservation, including mobilizing funding from tourism (CBD1997, Berlin Declaration, Principle 1.6).
Mechanisms, including policies and legislation should be introduced to ensure the flow of benefits [from tourism] to local communities (CBD 1997, Berlin Declaration, Principle 2.8).
Review legislation and controls. This review could explore approval and licensing procedures for tourism development and activities, incentives for sustainable tourism, the application of economic instruments for the management of tourism and biodiversity, and the planning and siting of tourism facilities (CBD 2004, Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development, Section B.4).
Provide support through policy development and commitment to promote sustainability in tourism and related activities (UNEP 2001, Principles for Implementation of Sustainable Tourism, Principle 1.1).
Future development of tourism policies should include a more decentralized approach to planning and management that is underpinned by greater participation of local authorities and people in the decision-making process and greater attention to fostering partnership arrangements between entrepreneurs and local peoples, landholders and/or communities (IUCN 1999, Approaches and Practice for Sustainable Use of Biological Resources - Tourism).
Support implementation of sustainable tourism through an effective legislative framework that establishes standards for land use in tourism development, tourism facilities, management and investment in tourism (UNEP 2001, Principles for Implementation of Sustainable Tourism, Principle 2.4).
Regulation and enforcement
Regulation and enforcement mechanisms able to be utilized by governments and managers of protected areas include:
Tourism-related pollution and exploitation must be carefully controlled and regulated (WWF-International 2001, Position Paper on Tourism).
Develop regulatory mechanisms for internalization of environmental costs in all aspects of the tourism product (Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism 2002).