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The international environmental policy and the tourism industry
Mia Tarhanen, M.Sc.,HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied sciences, Finland
ContentI) Justification: environmental impactII) History of Sustainable Tourism; from
international environmental policymaking´s point of view
III)UNWTO: the development of climate change policy in tourism industry
IV)EU: the environmental actions towards more sustainable tourism
V)Finland in environmental actionVI)Macro level: the environmental policy of a
tourism sector company & Group working: from policy to practice; practical solutions
Tourism - a special relationship with sustainable development
How can places of great natural beauty, or wildlife, be preserved once tourists start visiting in their thousands, bringing with them the need for services and development?
Is it possible to have a guilt-free holiday? Can you visit a place without damaging it in
some way? What are the environmental impacts of
tourism?
Tourism spreads quickly around the world
Some tour operators realize that the industry relies on natural and cultural diversity as well as security of the destination to attract customers.
Sustainable tourism, therefore, is crucial not only for the people and environment in destination countries, but for the survival of the industry itself.
The only sustainable solution however - people staying at home - is not a feasible alternative since in many developed countries holidaying is seen as a basic right rather than a privilege.
The International Ice and Snow Festival, Harbin, China A winter fantasyland featuring
ice and snow everything: an ice church, an ice bar, a giant snow Buddha, an ice lighthouse, and a mini Great Wall of Ice.
But!!! “This is the worst year ever,”
“The Festival is usually much bigger. It was too warm, so there wasn’t enough time to prepare [the sculptures].”
China’s heating up! The diminished Ice and Snow
Festival is just one small effect of unsettling warming weather trends already being seen.
This is the warmest winter northeastern China in more than 50 years.
What Spain will look like in the future, in a world transformed by climate change. The Guardian recently introduced us to a
series of images, produced by artists Pedro Armestre and Mario Gómez, for a new project by Greenpeace.
Increased frequency of coral bleaching events is expected as a result of global climate change
A bleaching event, likely caused by high sea water temperatures, affected these staghorn corals in Tumon Bay Marine Preserve, Guam.
History of Sustainable Tourism Sustainable tourism is a paradigm that
evolved as a reaction to criticism of tourism's unprincipled growth in Europe in the 1970s.
Among the first who wrote about the negative environmental impacts of tourism was a Swiss researcher Jost Krippendorf.
The researchers Mathieson and Wall (1982) defined sustainable tourism in terms of economical, physical and social impacts.
- the carrying capacity which will determine the level of impact, e.g. the number of visitors who can visit a particular area without affecting the area physically
History of Sustainable Tourism
During the late 80´s the sustainable development approach was adapted as part of tourism development
The concept of sustainable development, a generic term, was defined by Brundlandt Commission:
“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
From Rio to Johannesburg: New Paths for International Tourism Rio Conference was the starting point Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on
Environment and Development, and the Statement of principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests were adopted by more than 178 Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 1992.
Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally in every area in which human impacts on the environment.
From Rio to Johannesburg: New Paths for International Tourism In1992 Rio Earth Summit, was made a little
reference to the environmental and social impacts of tourism.
Since Rio, international concern about the sustainability of tourism has grown steadily.
Countries have endorsed declarations on a wide range of related topics
- including tourism and sustainable development - the social impact of tourism - tourism and biodiversity - tourism and ethics
From Rio to Johannesburg: New Paths for International Tourism In 1996,,the World
Tourism Organization, the World Travel & Tourism Council, and the Earth Council released their own action-plan, Agenda 21
The focus was in an effort to integrate tourism into broader sustainability discussions
From Rio to Johannesburg: New Paths for International Tourism The Year of EcoTourism In 2002 UNWTO had dedicated the year for Eco
Tourism. Some 500 delegates from 100 countries selected four
themes for the International Year of Ecotourism 2002. The four themes were
ecotourism policy and planning the regulation of ecotourism the marketing and promotion of ecotourism monitoring the costs and benefits of ecotourism.
Environmental sustainability and empowerment of local communities were listed as "cross-cutting issues".
From Rio to Johannesburg: New Paths for International Tourism Tourism was also be an important topic at the
upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg
From Rio to Johannesburg: New Paths for International Tourism The Tourism Industry Many tourism businesses are beginning to take positive steps to
become more environmentally and socially responsible Priorities for Action: Restructure management and operations along environmental
lines, including reducing consumption of water, energy, and other resources and improving management, handling, and disposal of waste.
Accelerate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, practices, and management tools to the developing world, including desalination plants and other water-saving systems, renewable energy technologies, and ecologically sound chemical management practices.
In Practice Under the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators'
voluntary code of conduct, the 40 member tour operators are required to land no more than 100 people per site at a time and to make sure that visitors do not disturb wildlife.
Europe's Blue Flag Campaign eco-labelling of high environmental standards and safe, sanitary facilities.
From Rio to Johannesburg: New Paths for International Tourism Government Governments will need to play a proactive role in
supporting the growth of sustainable tourism. Priorities for Action: Encourage tourism planning authorities at the national,
regional, and local levels to incorporate key social and environmental goals.
In 1997, the Council of Europe recommended that member governments limit tourism development to a level compatible with ecological capacity
Develop regulations and policies that support smaller-scale tourism initiatives that are actively planned and managed by local communities.
In Practice The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan practices an official
policy of "high-value, low-volume" tourism. It accepted only 7,500 visitors in the year 2000, at a cost of $250 each per day.
From Rio to Johannesburg: New Paths for International Tourism Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and
International Institutions Non-governmental players have played an important role
in generating much of the pressure for more sustainable tourism.
International institutions such as the World Bank and UNEP have also stepped up their support for sustainable tourism, including engaging in efforts to create benchmarks for sustainable tourism that will make it easier for governments and businesses to measure progress.
Priorities for Action: Discourage unsustainable and inappropriate tourism
developments. Help raise awareness of tourism's negative impacts
through information campaigns and training. Encourage tourists to engage in environmentally and
culturally sensitive behavior
Djerba Declaration 2003 on Tourism and Climate Change The participants
gathered at the First International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, held in Djerba, Tunisia, April 2003, convened by the World Tourism Organization, upon an invitation of the Government of Tunisia
Djerba Declaration 2003 on Tourism and Climate Change Agree the following:
1. To urge all governments concerned with the contribution of tourism to sustainable development, to subscribe to all relevant intergovernmental and multilateral agreements, especially the Kyoto Protocol, and other conventions and similar declarations concerning climate change and related resolutions that prevent the impacts of this phenomenon from spreading further or accelerating;
2. To encourage international organizations to further the study and research of the reciprocal implications between tourism and climate change, including in the case of cultural and archaeological sites, in cooperation with public authorities, academic institutions, NGOs, and local people; in particular, to encourage the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to pay special attention to tourism in cooperation with WTO and to include tourism specifically in its Fourth Assessment Report;
3. To call upon UN, international, financial and bilateral agencies to support the governments of developing, in their efforts to address and to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and to formulate appropriate action plans;
4. To request international organizations, governments, NGOs and academic institutions to support local governments and destination management organizations in implementing adaptation and mitigation measures that respond to the specific climate change impacts at local destinations;
5. To encourage the tourism industry, including transport companies, hoteliers, tour operators, travel agents and tourist guides, to adjust their activities, using more energy-efficient and cleaner technologies and logistics, in order to minimize as much as possible their contribution to climate change;
Djerba Declaration 2003 on Tourism and Climate Change 6. To call upon governments, bilateral and multilateral institutions to
conceive and implement sustainable management policies for water resources, and for the conservation of wetlands and other freshwater ecosystems
7. To call upon governments to encourage the use of renewable energy sources in tourism and transport companies and activities, by facilitating technical assistance and using fiscal and other incentives;
8. To encourage consumer associations, tourism companies and the media to raise consumers' awareness at destinations and in generating markets, in order to change consumption behaviour and make more climate friendly tourism choices;
9. To invite public, private and non-governmental stakeholders and other institutions to inform WTO about the results of any research study relevant to climate change and tourism, in order for WTO to act as a clearing house and to create a database on the subject and disseminate know-how internationally; and
10. To consider this Declaration as a framework for international, regional and governmental agencies for the monitoring of their activities and of the above mentioned action plans in this field.
From Davos to Bali: A Tourism Contribution to the Challenge of Climate Change Davos Declaration (Davos, Switzerland, 3
October 2007) Conclusions of the Ministers’ Summit on
Tourism and Climate Change (London, United Kingdom, 13 November 2007)
Resolution on Tourism and Climate Change (UNWTO General Assembly, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, 23-29 November 2007)
Statement by Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of UNWTO, on the occasion of the UN Conference on Climate Change (Bali, Indonesia, 12 December 2007)
Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Davos, Switzerland, 2007
The Conference reunited stakeholders from across the sector to review developments and re-chart the future
The Davos Declaration acknowledged the reality of climate change and its strong interrelationship with tourism.
It acknowledged the need for a long term strategy for the sector to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in line with other sectors.
Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Davos, Switzerland, 2007 The Conference agreed that: climate is a key resource for tourism and the sector is highly
sensitive to the impacts of climate change and global warming, many elements of which are already being felt. It is estimated to contribute some 5% of global CO2 emissions.
tourism - business and leisure - will continue to be a vital component of the global economy, an important contributor to the Millennium Development Goals and an integral, positive element in our society.
the tourism sector must rapidly respond to climate change, within the evolving UN framework and progressively reduce its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) contribution if it is to grow in a sustainable manner; this will require action to:o mitigate its GHG emissions, derived especially from
transport and accommodation activities;o adapt tourism businesses and destinations to changing
climate conditions;o apply existing and new technology to improve energy
efficiency;o secure financial resources to help poor regions and countries.
Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Davos, Switzerland, 2007The Conference calls for the following actions.1) Governments and International
Organizations: Incorporate tourism in the implementation of
existing commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol,
Implement concrete, simultaneous actions for mitigation, adaptation, technology and financing,
Introduce education and awareness programs for all tourism stakeholders – public and private sector – as well as consumers.
Develop regional and local climate information services tailored to the tourism sector
Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Davos, Switzerland, 2007
2) Tourism Industry and Destinations Take leadership in implementing concrete
measures in order to mitigate climate change and to reduce risk to travellers, operators and infrastructure due to dynamic climate variability and shift.
Promote investments in energy-efficiency tourism programmes and use of renewable energy resources, with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of the entire tourism sector.
Raise awareness among customers and staff on climate change impacts and engage them in response processes.
Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Davos, Switzerland, 2007
3) Consumers: Tourists should be encouraged to consider the
climate, economic, societal and environmental impacts of their options before making a decision and, where possible to reduce their carbon footprint, or offset emissions that cannot be reduced directly.
Tourists should also be encouraged to opt for environmentally-friendly activities that reduce their carbon footprint as well as contribute to the preservation of the natural environment and cultural heritage.
Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Davos, Switzerland, 20074) Research and Communications Networks: Encourage targeted, multi-disciplinary research
on impacts of climate change in order to address regional gaps in current knowledge, develop tools for risk assessment and costbenefit analyses with which to gauge the feasibility of various responses.
Include environmental and climate specific subjects in the study curricula of tourism training programmes and extend these to broader educational systems.
Raise awareness on tourism’s economic role as a tool for development, and present information on causes and effects of climate change based on sound science, in a fair, balanced and user-friendly manner.
London and Cartagena, November 2007 Subsequent to the Davos conference, the issues
related to climate change and tourism, were further discussed at a
- Ministerial Meeting held in London on November 2007 and
- UNWTO General Assembly held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, November 2007.
The following points were underscored: The urgent need for the tourism sector:
- to adapt to climate change conditions; - to mitigate greenhouse emissions - to help to transfer new technologies especially through the
clean development mechanism and to make efforts to secure financial resources to assist developing countries which are especially vulnerable to climate change.
UN Climate Change summit in Bali, December 2007
UNWTO, in cooperation with other international Organizations, its member States and partners from the private sector will maintain “climate change and tourism” as a priority on its agenda, and has adopted for the 2008 World Tourism Day and the related year-long campaign the theme “Tourism: responding to the challenge of climate change”.
Launch of Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria 2008 1/2 The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria were
launched by the United Nations Foundation, UNWTO, UNEP and the Rainforest Alliance at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2008.
The new criteria were developed to offer a common framework to guide the emerging practice of sustainable tourism.
http://www.unwto.org/media/news/en/press_det.php?id=2851
Launch of Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria 2008 2/2 the criteria focus on four areas experts
recommend as the most critical aspects of sustainable tourism: maximizing tourism’s social and economic benefits
to local communities; reducing negative impacts on cultural heritage; reducing harm to local environments; and planning
for sustainability. The GSTC Partnership is developing educational
materials and technical tools to guide hotels and tour operators in implementing the criteria.
Sustainable Tourism in EU European Union’s so called Green Book in 1995 was the first attempt that stated
that tourism is one of the rare industries that is made for to the realisation of sustainable development in practice.
From 1998, DG Enterprise, in co-operation with DG Environment, has been helping to identify and analyse best practices and methods in sustainable tourism.
-It Co-operates also with the European Community Network for Environmental Travel & Tourism (ECoNETT) and with LIFE.
In 2005 the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) identified an agenda of 12 aims for sustainable tourism.
The EU Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) has three key objectives: economic prosperity; social Equity and cohesion; and environmental protection.
Taking each of these in turn, while reflecting on the above 12 aims, the following aims for the sustainability of European tourism are proposed: 1. Economic prosperity: a) To ensure the long term competitiveness, viability and
prosperity of tourism enterprises and destinations. b) to provide quality employment opportunities, offering fair pay and conditions for all employees and avoiding all forms of discriminations.
2. Social equity and cohesion: a) To enhance the quality of life aof local communities through tourism and engage them its planning and management. b) To provide a safe, satisfying and fulfilling experience for visitors, available to all without discrimination by gender, race, religion, diability or inthe other ways.
3. Environmental and cultural protection: a) To minimise pollution and degradation of the global and local environment and the use of scarce resources by tourism activities. b) To maintain and strenghten cultural richness and biodiversity and contribute to their appreciation and conservation.
EU included aviation in emission trading system 1/2 The European Parliament voted in favour of including
aviation in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) from 2012.
Under the new directive greenhouse gas emissions from flights to, from and within the EU will be included in the system.
Greenhouse gas emissions from international air transport are increasing faster than from any other sector in the EU
"This agreement will enable the aviation sector to make a fair contribution to Europe's climate change targets as many other sectors are already doing."
The directive is part of a comprehensive approach to addressing aviation emissions, which also includes more research into greener technologies and improvements in air traffic management through the creation of a 'Single European Sky'.
EU included aviation in emission trading system 2/2 Aviation currently account for about 3% of total
EU greenhouse gas emissions, but they are increasing fast – by 87% since 1990.
Someone flying from London to New York and back, for example, generates roughly the same amount of emissions as the average person in the EU does by heating their home for a whole year.
On current trends, aviation emissions are likely to more than double from present levels by 2020. This rapid growth contrasts with the success of many other sectors of the economy in reducing emissions.
Task
The sustainable issues have been discussed over 20 years.
Can you find any practical results of these attempts as a travel consumer?
Sustainable Tourism in Finland
Finnish Tourist Board (FTB) noticed the need of sustainability and started in 1993 a programme “Towards Sustainability Tourism in Finland (YSMEK)”, which covered an eco audit experiment in ten tourist enterprises and suggestions for further measures, and guidelines how sustainability can be fulfilled.
A report on continuation programme YSMEK 2: Environmental management system for hotels and restaurants was published by FTB in 1997.
Finland is the promised land for events and therefore a publication that handles the environmental matters to be considered when organizing an event was the next action Finnish Tourist Board took (1999).
Today the environmental aspects of tourism are part of the Q1000- national quality system coordinated by FTB.
The corner stones of success in tourism “– ethical values – quality of operations- take into consideration the environment and local cultures.“
Helsinki Declaration, January 2009
Over 70 stakeholders of tourism industry made a commitment for the sustainable tourism development in Helsinki
Helsinki Declaration is a Finnish response for the UNWTO´s work The aim is to adapt to climate change conditions and to mitigate
greenhouse emissions The signed stakeholders represented the variety of tourism
indutry from education to travel agencies and from air traffic to cruise operators & from accommodation to program services
The declaration launched a process which will monitored every year
The next step will be a similar declaration for the international stakeholders who co-operate with Finnish travel industry
VI)Macro level: the environmental policy of a tourism sector company
Group working: from policy to practice; practical solutions
On a macro level: Environmental policy
An environmental policy is a written statement outlining an organisation's mission in relation to managing the environmental effects and aspects of its operations
states the environmental aims and principles of an organisation
should recognise organizations impact on environment
States the communication forms
On a macro level: Environmental policy Basic rules to follow to ensure the policy is
clearly written and concise: - keep the statement short - a sheet of A4- the statement is meant for everyone to see,
so make sure it's easy to read and understand - the statement must be realistic, achievable
and relevant to an organisation's activities and practices
- demonstrate commitment to making the policy work and get the statement signed, dated and endorsed by the MD, Chief Executive or other senior manager.
On a macro level: Environmental policy There is no standard content for an EP,
although policies normally contain the same themes:
- a commitment to continuous improvement- recognition of compliance with relevant
environmental legislation as a minimum level of performance
- the education and training of employees in environmental issues
- the monitoring of progress and review of environmental performance on a regular basis (usually annually)
Task Please work in groups of 5 Read and evaluate the environmental policy
you got:- What areas/themes of environmental
management are contained to the policy?- Is there something missing? - Consider practical solutions for the daily
routines how the employees can implement the policy in their work
- What do you think to be the most important reasons if the policy doesn´t work in the practice?
Coconut Court Beach Hotel http://www.greenstop.net/downloads/Coconut.pdf
The Royal Garden Hotel http://www.royalgdn.co.uk/environmental_policy/
WEXAS Travel Management http://www.wexas.com/corporate-travel/corporate-environmental-policy.html
The Co-operative Travel Management http://www.co-operativetm.co.uk/environment/
Medical Tourismhttp://www.healism.com/medical_tourism/about_us/environmental_policy/
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