Contribution of the World Tourism Organization to the World Summit on Sustainable Development

(Johannesburg, 2002)

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page The World Tourism Organization and the World Summit on Sustainable Development 3

Sustainable Development of Tourism: Report of the Secretary-General 5

Sustainable Development of Tourism: Policy Report 11

Actions in Assisting Developing Countries to Implement Agenda 21 Undertaken by the World Tourism Organization Since 1992 21

Activities Undertaken by The World Tourism Organization Promoting the Sustainable Development of Tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other Islands 49

WTO Secretary-General Speeches at the: - Third UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (Brussels, Belgium, 17 May 2001) 53 - Launching Ceremony of The International Year of Ecotourism 2002 (New York, 28 January 2002) 57

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WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 3

The World Tourism Organization and the World Summit on Sustainable Development

Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August – 4 September 2002

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), convened by the United Nations, will measure progress made by governments, private sector actors and civil society as a whole since the First Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It will also identify new challenges and solutions towards a more sustainable and equitable social and economic development. The WSSD will certainly be the largest ever gathering of all types of stakeholders from all over the world to address pressing issues that affect the world’s nations in different degrees, such as extreme poverty, globalization, environmental degradation, health, access to markets, etc. such as extreme poverty, globalization, environmental degradation, health, access to markets, etc.

Preparations for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development started in 2001 at the national, regional and international levels. The World Tourism Organization, as well as other international agencies, have been cooperating with the UN Secretary- General and the Division of Sustainable Development in these preparations. Among other activities, WTO has prepared a number of documents for the UN, some of which have been widely distributed by the UN Secretariat while others have served as a basis for consolidated documents that the UN Secretary-General is presenting to the WSSD.

Sustainable development refers to achieving the right balance between social, economic and environmental goals. According to the results of the WSSD preparatory meetings, “the overarching goal in the social field is poverty eradication to strive for halving the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day”. “The overarching goal in the economic field is changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production”, while in “the environmental field, the overarching goal is sustainable management of natural resources for development”.

In all these three areas tourism can make a substantive contribution, provided adequate attention is given to it by governments, the private sector, local communities as main actors, and the international system of development agencies. Similarly, all these social, economic and environmental imperatives are taken care of in the WTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, which received support from the United Nations General Assembly at its last session (A/RES/56/212, November 2001), after being approved by consensus by all WTO Member States.

The contribution that tourism can make to poverty alleviation, to conservation of the natural and cultural heritage, and to overall sustainable development can be substantial. This is especially so in developing countries, where natural resources and landscapes are still relatively untouched and where few other economic activities have a sustainable development potential, from an economic or environmental perspective. Furthermore, tourism has proved to be in many countries a much more sustainable development option than intensive agriculture, forestry, extractive mining or other primary activities.

The economic importance of tourism is now widely recognized, thanks to the possibility of evaluating it by means of the Tourism Satellite Accounts developed by WTO. Its

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 4 environmental implications, both positive and negative, are also evident and can be better controlled if adequate planning and monitoring techniques are systematically applied. The social impacts of tourism also need to be mastered, in order to avoid destroying the social fabric and values of traditional societies. In the latter two areas, WTO has prepared and disseminated numerous guidelines, planning techniques, codes of practice and other tools over the last decade, but these need to be more intensively and extensively applied.

Multistakeholder partnerships and initiatives to speed up the implementation of Agenda 21 are likely to become one of the major outcomes of WSSD, and tourism stakeholders can find a good opportunity in the Summit to establish such partnerships. This is specially relevant in tourism, which is an activity that involves a wide range of social, environmental and economic stakeholders.

This is why tourism should be strongly considered in the WSSD debates, both for its potential positive and negative impacts, and for the need for concerted actions to enhance the former and minimize the latter.

2002 is a special year for the sustainable development of tourism, and not only because of WSSD, but also because it has been designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Ecotourism. The World Tourism Organization has taken a leading role in organizing, coordinating and/or supporting activities for this Year, at the national, regional and international levels. The main event of this International Year will be the World Ecotourism Summit (Quebec, Canada, 19 – 22 May 2002), serving as a global forum for all stakeholders involved in or affected by ecotourism. The results of the World Ecotourism Summit will be an important contribution to WSSD.

In this document, WTO is pleased to provide to the international community in general, and not only to those directly involved in tourism activities, some of the documents it has prepared in connection with the forthcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development, together with relevant recent speeches of the WTO Secretary General. Further information on WTO’s participation at the WSSD can be obtained by consulting: www.world-tourism.org or contacting WTO Section on Sustainable Development of Tourism: [email protected] General information about the Summit can be found in : www.johannesburgsummit.org

Madrid, March 2002

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Sustainable development of tourism1

Report of the Secretary-General

Commission on Sustainable Development acting as the preparatory committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development Organizational session

30 April-2 May 2001

Contents Paragraphs Introduction...... 1 I. Trends in tourism ...... 2–6 II. Incorporation of sustainability in tourism development ...... 7–16 III. Issues for further consideration...... 17–19

1 The present report was prepared by the World Tourism Organization as task manager for the area of sustainable development of tourism, with contributions from other United Nations agencies and international organizations. The report is a brief factual overview, which intends to inform the Commission on Sustainable Development on key developments in the subject area.

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Introduction

1. While tourism was not the subject of a chapter in Agenda 21,1 the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21,2 adopted by the General Assembly at its nineteenth special session in 1997, included sustainable tourism as one of its sectoral themes. The Programme recognized that tourism was one of the largest industries in the world and one of the fastest growing economic sectors.3 It noted that the expected growth in the tourism sector and the increasing reliance of many developing countries, including small island developing States, on that sector as a major employer and contributor to the economy highlighted the need to pay special attention to the relationship between environmental conservation and protection and sustainable tourism. The present report examines trends and developments in sustainable tourism and identifies issues for future consideration.

I. Trends in tourism

2. Tourism has been one of the major economic and social phenomena of the twentieth century. From an activity enjoyed by only a small group of relatively well-off people at the beginning of the century, it had become a mass phenomenon in the more developed countries by the 1970s and has now reached wider groups of people in most nations. 3. In 1999, the number of international tourist arrivals reached 664 million, while receipts from international tourism were $455 billion. During the 1990s, international arrivals grew at an average annual rate of 4.2 per cent, while international tourism receipts, at current prices and excluding international transport costs, had an average annual growth rate of 7.3 per cent. Domestic tourist movements are much higher than international tourist arrivals, though more difficult to quantify. 4. Tourism, a sector that integrates a wide range of economic activities, is now regarded as the world’s largest industry. In 1998, 7.9 per cent of the worldwide export value of goods and services came from tourism, surpassing such leading industries as automotive products and chemicals. Tourism is already the largest sector of international trade in services. For many nations, in particular most small island developing States, but also some bigger and more economically diversified countries, tourism has become the main sector of economic activity, or at least the main source of foreign exchange earnings, and in most countries it is an important source of employment. 5. In addition to strong overall expansion, the development of tourism is characterized by continuing geographical spread and diversification of tourist destinations. While in 1950 the top 15 tourist destinations, all in Western Europe and North America, attracted 97 per cent of the world’s total arrivals, by 1999 this figure had fallen to 62 per cent, with market shares increasing for developing countries and economies in transition, particularly in South-East Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Africa, with the exception of a few countries in North Africa, remains a less visited destination, with only 2.5 per cent of total international arrivals. 6. Some key qualitative development trends in tourism include: increased market segmentation; development of new forms of tourism, especially those related to nature, wildlife, rural areas and culture; and introduction of new programmes in traditional

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 7 package tours. Consumers’ motivations and behaviour are increasingly characterized by a more selective choice of destination, greater attention to the tourism experience and its quality, and a greater sensitivity to the environment, traditional culture and local people at the destinations.

II.Incorporation of sustainability in tourism development

7. As a result of the rapid expansion of the tourism sector, traditional and emerging tourism destinations are facing increasing pressure on their natural, cultural and socio- economic environments. There is now a recognition that uncontrolled growth in tourism aiming at short-term benefits often results in negative impacts, harming the environment and societies, and destroying the very basis on which tourism is built and thrives. 8. Even before the 1990s, some negative impacts of tourism were addressed by some Governments and international organizations, including precarious conditions of employment, child exploitation and prostitution, degeneration of traditions and cultural values, and environmental damage to tourist sites and natural settings. Such adverse environmental impacts are caused by over-consumption of resources, pollution and waste generated by development of tourism infrastructure and facilities, transportation, and tourist activities themselves. It was also recognized that tourism had the potential to bring economic benefits to host communities and serve as a tool for poverty alleviation, conservation of natural and cultural assets and other benefits, provided it was properly planned and managed with a long-term vision. 9. The principle of sustainable tourism was proposed as early as 1988 by the World Tourism Organization, with sustainable tourism “envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems”. 10. Host societies have become progressively aware of the problems of unsustainable tourism, and sustainability concerns are increasingly being addressed in national, regional and local tourism policies, strategies and plans. In addition, some tourists are now demanding higher environmental standards from tourist services, as well as a greater commitment to local communities and economies. 11. Although tourism was not included in Agenda 21, the recognition of the importance of sustainability in tourism by the key stakeholders, including Governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the international tourism private sector, resulted in the formulation of Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry4 in 1995. Many tourism-based communities have formulated their own Agenda 21s at the local level. 12. A multi-stakeholder Working Group on Tourism was called for by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its seventh session.5 The Working Group was tasked with coordinating the implementation of the international work programme on sustainable tourism development adopted by the seventh session of CSD. This Working Group is an innovative mechanism for collaborative efforts by major groups, Governments and international organizations to enable sustainable tourism development. The first meeting of the Working Group was convened by the World Tourism Organization in Costa Rica (January 2000), where members identified 11 priority issues covering a wide variety of aspects of sustainable tourism development. Further progress has been slow owing to lack of funding.

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13. There has been gradual but increasingly widespread application of environmental management techniques in tourism companies and establishments, in particular hotels. There has also been increasing use and popularity of voluntary approaches such as certification systems, eco-labels, environmental awards and codes of conduct. The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism was introduced by the World Tourism Organization in 1999 following over two years of consultation with the industry and was approved by the member States of the World Tourism Organization. It has been submitted to the Economic and Social Council for consideration at its substantive session of 2001 (see E/2001/3). 14. A set of sustainability indicators on tourism has been developed and tested in a number of countries under the initiative of the World Tourism Organization.6 These indicators are now beginning to be used at some destinations. Further work is required to improve existing know-how and methodologies for the definition, adaptation and application of indicators to monitor the social, economic and environmental impacts of tourism. Further work is also required to apply indicators in a larger number of countries. 15. Many tourist destinations are in mountain and coastal regions in different climate zones from those of tourists’ home countries. Tourists are therefore less familiar with natural disasters in those areas, for example, avalanches in ski resorts, hurricanes in the Caribbean islands and temperature extremes causing sunstroke or frostbite. It is important that tourism development in such areas include public information, monitoring and forecasting with respect to such emergencies. 16. Ecotourism is a small but rapidly growing niche market. Ecotourism activities have been expanding rapidly over the past two decades worldwide and further growth is expected in the future. Ecotourism generally involves travel by small groups to natural areas with the main motivation being the observation and appreciation of nature, and includes educational information on local ecosystems, cultures and sustainability issues. It also attempts to minimize negative impacts upon the nature and sociocultural environment. As one of the tools to control and manage ecotourism activities, it often involves fees for entry to protected natural areas, with at least part of the fees dedicated to the conservation of the area. The International Year of Ecotourism in 2002 will offer an opportunity to review ecotourism experiences worldwide, in order to consolidate tools and institutional frameworks that ensure its sustainable development in the future.

III. Issues for further consideration

17. Tourism is expected to continue to grow in the future owing to population growth, improved living standards, improvement and expansion of transportation systems, increasing free time and other factors. According to forecasts by the World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals are likely to almost triple over the next two decades, with nearly 1.6 billion tourists visiting foreign countries by the year 2020. This will further increase the pressure on the natural, cultural and socio-economic environments of popular destinations. More intensified efforts to address sustainability in tourism development are required. 18. Along with tourism in general, ecotourism and other forms of environmentally friendly tourism are expected to continue growing rapidly. This will also require specific planning, management and infrastructure to protect the natural sites of interest,

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 9 which are often ecologically fragile. Availability of finance and capacity-building may hold a key to the sustainable development of this subsector. 19. Small island developing States face particular challenges. Tourism is often seen as a promising growth sector in countries with a natural environment appealing to tourists, especially in view of the constraints that those countries may face in respect of developing alternative sources of foreign exchange through exports. However, rapid development of tourism can cause significant social disruptions and increase environmental and ecological pressures. The fragile ecosystems of small island States, and their generally more limited scope for pursuing alternative development strategies, make concerns for the environmental and ecological impact of tourism particularly acute. Integrated and environmentally and culturally conscious tourism planning should be developed to make tourism compatible with the conservation of major ecosystems and with the preservation of the historical-cultural heritage.

Notes

1 Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex II. 2 General Assembly resolution S-19/2, annex. 3 Ibid., para. 67. 4 Prepared jointly by the World Tourism Organization, the World Travel and Tourism Council and the Earth Council. 5 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1999, Supplement No. 9 (E/1999/29), chap. I, sect. C, decision 7/3, para. 10. 6 See A Practical Guide for the Development and Application of Indicators of Sustainable Tourism (World Tourism Organization, 1996).

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WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 11

Sustainable Development of Tourism

Policy Report (Prepared by WTO for the UN Division of Sustainable Development, May 2001)

1. General assessment of the effectiveness of policies developed by governments, international organizations and agencies, and major groups.

A. At national level

Since the Rio Earth Summit, sustainability has become the central issue in tourism development policies throughout the world. Although the World Tourism Organization had been promoting environmentally friendly and culturally sensitive tourism policies, including methodological approaches for implementation since the mid-1980s, the Rio Summit clearly meant a turning point in the level of awareness about sustainable practices in tourism among governments and major groups.

In general terms, the need for a systematic planning approach in tourism has become a standard and widely accepted procedure. Tourism policies and strategies recommended by international organizations, and formulated by national, regional and local government authorities have been increasingly addressing environmental and sustainability issues.

In a number of countries, policies for sustainable tourism have been integrated into a wider national environmental and sustainability policy or strategy, while in most cases where a national strategy and policy for sustainable tourism development exists, it is defined specifically.

From a survey of nearly 50 nations reporting to the United Nations on their policies and approaches towards promoting sustainable development, including in the tourism sector, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. The definition of a global environmental policy and associated strategy at the national level seems, for most countries, to be a key, basic element for ensuring a sustainable development of tourism. 2. However, the national tourism administrations of many countries regret the fact that such environmental policies, laws and related regulations are often formulated without taking into account the needs of, and potential offered by the tourism sector. 3. Thus, only in a few cases tourism is integrated in the national development planning process. 4. Sustainable tourism development policies, strategies and guidelines, and/or long-term tourism master plans including sustainability principles have become quite common in most developing and newly independent nations. In some cases, such plans are being formulated at sub-national level (i.e. for provinces, counties or even smaller territorial units). 5. Most countries report increased sustainability awareness among at least two main actors in the tourism process: public authorities and the private sector.

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Frequently, this new awareness has been the result of specific awareness-raising programmes which have reached also other segments of the population, such as students and local communities. 6. An accelerated decentralization process has taken place during the 1990s in the public decision making, planning and regulating processes concerning tourism and its sustainability concerns. In a few cases, a tourism-inspired Local Agenda 21 has been successfully formulated and implemented. 7. The above has, in many countries, facilitated the process of involving major groups in all stages of tourism development and management, and in some cases even in the monitoring of its impacts. If local communities are not directly represented (i.e. via elected officials), NGOs assume the role of representing community and environmental interests. 8. The tourism industry, which is almost entirely in private hands, is regularly consulted by tourism public authorities on specific planning or regulatory issues when such plans and regulations exist; serious efforts have been made by some governments for the industry to get involved in, and committed to sustainability issues. 9. Plans and sustainability guidelines appear to be more common in respect of the ecotourism segment of the industry, and in some cases it is wrongly thought that this is the only segment requiring such guidelines. 10. Coastal areas, islands and natural parks have received special attention in some countries, given their vulnerability and the high concentration of tourism infrastructure in these areas. Spatial or physical planning is mentioned as a tool to facilitate the sustainability of tourism in very few cases only. 11. The hotel industry in particular has generally accepted the need for introducing environmental management systems in their operations. In some cases, it has not been necessary to set up regulations to this purpose, since it is the industry itself which has introduced such systems voluntarily and by its own initiative (e.g. the case of large hotel chains, or independent hotels via a trade association). 12. Only a few countries or regions within countries, mainly in the developed world, have established valid and effective indicators to measure progress towards sustainability in tourism. 13. Tourism certification systems and ecolabels, among other voluntary initiatives have been officially adopted or supported by national or local governments in a number of countries. The effectiveness of such systems, or the level to which they are clearly recognised and respected by consumers have not been reported. 14. There is an incipient effort to introduce sustainability issues in tourism education and training programmes in quite a number of countries. 15. Only a small number of nations and individual destinations recognise the links between offering sustainable tourism products and market competitiveness. 16. The more developed nations have made substantive progress in advancing knowledge in the field of sustainable development and management of tourism. A survey conducted by the World Tourism Organization among its Member States showed that, in recent years, over 100 research projects had been undertaken in 47 countries on sustainable tourism development issues, mostly in Europe and the Americas. Another bibliographical survey by WTO recorded nearly 500 titles of books and journals written in the late 1990s on the specific subjects of sustainable tourism development, carrying capacities in tourism,

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environmental and socio-cultural impacts of tourism, sustainable planning guidelines for tourism, etc. 17. The appearance of regional and sometimes inter-regional cooperation networks, either of a general nature or tourism-specific (e.g. in the Caribbean, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean, European Union, etc.), has favoured the dissemination of sustainable practices in tourism

The above facts refer to a wide range of developed and developing countries in all continents. They clearly demonstrate the changing orientation in tourism development and management, the recognition of sustainability principles by tourism stakeholders and the increasing regulatory activities by governments. However, it is difficult to assess globally the effectiveness of these policies in preserving the natural and cultural environments, while ensuring a balanced economic growth with an appropriate distribution of benefits; this is due to the great variety of environmental, social and economic conditions found among regions and countries.

It can be concluded that substantive progress has been made in terms of: a) increased awareness on sustainability issues among all tourism stakeholders, especially among public administrations; and b) availability of hard and soft technological solutions to overcome the negative environmental and socio-cultural impacts of tourism.

Notwithstanding the above, it is known that sustainable tourism approaches, policies and plans are not always consistently followed and applied by all nations, at all tourism destinations and by all actors in the tourism process. There are many factors that prevent a more systematic application of declared policies and the implementation of tourism development plans, the most important of which seem to be:

1. The generalised weakness of the national tourism administration in most countries, in terms of both, institutional and financial capability; 2. The lack of integration of the tourism sector into global development plans; 3. The absence of specific sustainable tourism development strategies; 4. The horizontal nature of the tourism sector, depending on many inputs and touching on many activities that are under the responsibility of many government departments, and the associated lack of coordination; 5. The fragmentation of the tourism industry, and the overwhelming presence of many micro, small- and medium-size companies; 6. The lack of technical know how, particularly in developing countries and LDCs, or the insufficient transfer and application of existing technologies; 7. A continued lack of awareness among the local stakeholders, particularly among the private operators, on the need to ensure sustainable practices in tourism; 8. The shortage of finance for building the appropriate infrastructure needed to prevent negative environmental impacts (e.g. Waste and water treatment plants); 9. The shortage of finance for effectively monitoring the tourism industry performance; 10. The shortage or a total lack of human resources to plan, implement and manage the tourism industry and its monitoring by public authorities;

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11. Continued and sometimes growing pressure from hotel and estate developers on coastal areas for building additional accommodation infrastructure; 12. The absence or insufficiency of data and data sources to allow a continuous application of indicators of sustainability in tourism; 13. The proliferation of voluntary initiatives and ecolabels, and the lack of stringent procedures and standards of many of them, creating confusion and affecting their credibility among consumers; 14. The lack of adequate, ad-hoc legislation, regulatory norms and compliance mechanisms and, as a consequence of it, a shortage of supervisory tools at the disposal of tourism public authorities, local authorities and other public administrations.

In conclusion, it can be stated that in spite of the two positive factors concluded earlier in this report (increased awareness and availability of technological solutions), the level of application of policies and of soft and hard technologies for ensuring a sustainable development and management of tourism is still limited, due to the factors indicated above.

B. At international level

International organizations have played a major role in promoting sustainability in tourism. The World Tourism Organization has produced a number of publications containing methodological procedures, planning and management guidelines, criteria for setting up standards and indicators, that are both of a general nature or specific for some type of destinations or for different regions of the world.

These principles and techniques have been disseminated by different means, including electronic media, conferences, ad-hoc country missions, training seminars and others. Several thousand tourism authorities and officials, as well as local authorities have been the immediate beneficiaries of these activities, while the final beneficiaries are expected to be the local populations at the destinations hosting tourists, and the tourists themselves.

It is, however, difficult for WTO or for any other international organization, to really assess the level of application of the recommendations issued from its work. This is particularly difficult in tourism due to the fact, mentioned earlier in this report, that the responsibility of implementing plans, strategies and specific guidelines in tourism falls within the field of competence of many actors, from both the public and private sectors.

Some international tourism organizations at the regional level, which often combine public and private sector members, (e.g. the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Baltic Tourism Commission, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, etc.) have also adopted sustainability as one of their priority areas of activity, and have undertaken technical work in favour of their members.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNESCO, the Secretariat of the Convention of Biological Diversity, the World Bank, among others at the global level, as well as UN-ESCAP, UN-ECLAC, the European Union, OECD, the Association of Carib bean States, the Southern Africa Development Community,

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 15 the Association of Baltic States, some regional financial institutions, and other international agencies at the regional level have also embarked upon a variety of programmes to promote a more sustainable tourism sector. UNEP in particular has launched a number of initiatives to promote the use of environmental technologies by tourism enterprises and, through their International Seas Programme, to evaluate the impacts of tourism in coastal areas.

Joint action by WTO and UNEP in several fields –such as tourism in small island developing states, sustainable behaviour by tour operators (i.e. the Tour Operators Initiative), tourism in natural parks and protected areas- has permitted to put together public national and local administrators responsible for tourism and for the environment, as well as private tourism operators, thus stimulating cooperation and coordination amongst them. Similarly, joint actions and publications by WTO and UNESCO have promoted higher sustainability levels in the development and management of tourism at cultural heritage sites.

The growing involvement in, and concern for the sustainability of tourism demonstrated by many international agencies over the last decade, in addition of course to those with a specific brief in tourism such as WTO, has certainly been positive. In parallel, at the international, national and local levels there has been a growing understanding of the fundamental need for multi-stakeholder dialogues and decision-making processes.

The imperative of assuring a more sustainable tourism industry and, at the same time, increasing the contribution of tourism to sustainable development, is now a widely accepted challenge and any action by international agencies in this direction is positive. This has also served to involve a wider number of stakeholders, including the private sector, the local authorities, and NGOs. However, the risk of dispersed action and low effectiveness in the use of scarce public international resources is also evident.

The need for a more concerted action by the entire international system of agencies, and ideally including the bilateral aid agencies too, is pressing. It has already been mentioned that tourism touches on many other sectors of activity; its sustainability, therefore, has economic, environmental and socio-cultural components that refer to a complex network of suppliers of public and private goods and services. Independent action by one agency on only one of such aspects is unlikely to yield significant results, in terms of making the whole tourism industry more sustainable. Only coordinated international action, especially in the case of assistance provided to developing countries, can ensure that all aspects of tourism are being coherently addressed.

At the international level, the 7th session of the UN-CSD (1999) served as a global forum for multi-stakeholder discussion on sustainability issues in tourism. However, it did not succeed in effectively promoting a more concerted action by the many intergovernmental agencies and major groups involved. The lack of resources and the absence of a clear mandate have probably been the two main reasons for such failure.

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2. Examples of policies that have made a tangible difference in the sustainable development of tourism.

Several types of policies, programmes and projects in tourism can serve as examples of how tourism can be made more sustainable and better contribute to sustainable development in a particular location.

A first example relates to the involvement of local, usually indigenous communities in conservation programmes by linking them to commercial tourism operations which serve to generate income, thus addressing at the same time the environmental and socio- economic dimensions of sustainable development. In some countries (e.g. Brazil, Namibia, Uganda, Venezuela), specific tourism programmes have been established in order to help indigenous communities. Ad-hoc legislation has been approved to enable these communities to derive direct benefits from wildlife management and tourism development.

Governments assist community members in organising themselves into associations with two linked objectives: nature conservation and tourism-related activities, the latter allowing them to generate much needed income. In co-operation with NGOs, governments provide training to conservation staff and they share experiences gained in tourism initiatives in other regions or countries, sometimes with external technical or financial assistance.

Local populations within or near National Parks are also encouraged to create networks of tourist micro-enterprises, as well as other type of businesses supporting tourism, such as the production and marketing of handicrafts, local food services, agricultural crops to cater for the tourists’ demand, etc. For these populations, tourism represents a valuable and sometimes unique alternative source of income to export-oriented or subsistence agriculture, or an equally appreciated additional one.

Governments and NGOs provide support in different forms: with technical and managerial assistance; with the publication of tourist maps and guides, indicating the location of various services provided by the local tourist network; with international promotion of the destination, etc. They also help in providing or improving some basic infrastructure, such as electricity, sanitation, maintenance of roads and pathways used by tourists, etc.

The valorisation of natural parks or protected areas, via a profitable activity for local communities such as tourism, also serves to ensure a better co-operation between farmers and the authorities. Environmental legislation is no longer considered as a limitation to their freedom and economic development. And for authorities, eco-tourism is used as a tool for nature conservation.

Although these programmes have been successfully implemented in several countries, their global impact is still limited. In order to achieve greater significance for both, enhancing the quality of life of indigenous communities and contributing to nature and wildlife conservation, these programmes need to be replicated in a wider scale and further supported by governments, NGOs and international and bilateral cooperation agencies. Support is needed in various areas: for capacity building and enhancing managerial abilities; for international marketing and promotion, ideally in a cooperative

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 17 manner; for awareness-raising and education of local communities on conservation matters and on the risks of overdeveloping tourism; investment finance for improving the basic infrastructure required by tourists; finance for monitoring and control programmes, etc.

A second example refers to the establishment of some kind of certification scheme or eco-label by a public authority, either at the regional level (e.g. the Blue Flag in Europe), the national level (e.g. Costa Rica, France) or at regional or local level (e.g. Austria, Italy, Spain).

These schemes have served to stimulate companies or even municipal authorities to introduce environmental and other sustainable-related improvements in their tourism infrastructure and/or in their daily operations. By granting a certificate or a label recognising the compliance with, or the achievement of higher sustainability standards than those established by existing regulations, tourism destinations and tourism companies place themselves in a better competitive position vis-à-vis the consumer.

The consumers, on their part, get stronger guarantees, backed by public authorities, that the tourism services they are receiving comply with sustainability principles and that they are, directly or directly, contributing to make the destinations they are visiting more sustainable. Finally, these schemes, when rigorously run, serve to generate further awareness among all stakeholders on the need to raise the level of sustainability of tourism development and operations.

3. Options and opportunities to accelerate the implementation of sustainable development objectives in the tourism sector

The achievement of sustainable development objectives in the tourism sector in the short and medium term does not seem to be an impossible challenge. A major step has already been given, basically since the Rio Earth Summit, and this is the creation of a now widespread awareness about the need for tourism to be more sustainable if it is to survive for future generations, and if it is to effectively contribute to socio-economic development in a sustainable manner.

This awareness is present at both ends of the market. Among consumers, who are now requesting higher degrees of sustainability at the destinations they visit and in the practices of the service providers that cater for their needs. And among suppliers, who are now more aware of the fact that their long term success is dependent upon the sustainable use of the tourism assets upon which they build their supply: pristine natural sites, cultural sites and living traditional cultures.

There is a need for further awareness-raising action, nonetheless, to deepen and extend the commitment to sustainability, especially among the so-called mass tourism segment. Mass tourism operators are frequently tempted to discard sustainability concerns for the sake of getting a bigger market share, based on price competitiveness. They are often followed, or even encouraged by the corresponding local authorities, who see tourism as a rapid solution to unemployment problems or as a simple way to give international notoriety and some kind of prestige to their town.

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Similarly, mass tourists are often not made aware of the implications of their travel and tourism purchasing patterns or of their behaviour at the destinations they visit. Awareness-raising campaigns, through a variety of educational and information mechanisms including internet, guiding, information leaflets, etc. have proved to be quite effective to this purpose.

Such measures will contribute to ensure that all segments of the tourism industry and all tourists –and not only those related to ecotourism, cultural tourism and similar niche markets- are concerned with the long term environmental sustainability of natural and cultural areas, and the cultural and economic sustainability of the communities they use, either as tourists or as providers of tourist services.

A second step already given on the way to higher sustainability standards in tourism is the development of suitable hard and soft technologies, specific for the sector and the type of companies operating within it. There is today a strong body of knowledge and an impressive array of research institutions advancing knowledge and generating know- how in respect of sustainable tourism practices. This work has to be continued and supported by governments, the private sector and the international community. One way to support it is by bridging the gap between the creation of knowledge and its practical application to concrete, varying situations.

The latter is perhaps the main challenge ahead: How to encourage the application of the existing knowledge into the actual planning and development of tourism destinations done by public administrators, and into the day-to-day operations of tourism companies.

Several ways can be suggested to face this challenge.

Firstly, by making a greater effort in adapting existing methodological and technological knowledge to the specific situations prevalent at every region, country and province, down to the very local level. Each tourism destination has its own features, assets, problems and risk areas; each can define its own tourism strategy, according to the desires of its inhabitants. Solutions that have worked in one location may not necessarily work elsewhere. A process of adaptation to local needs of existing planning, management and monitoring techniques in tourism is needed, and this has to be done with a prior condition: understanding the needs and desires of the local people.

International and bilateral assistance agencies can play a major role in transferring and adapting tourism know-how from one country to another. In doing so they have to possess a thorough understanding of the local culture and as wide as possible a knowledge of sustainable tourism development experiences from around the world that can provide partial examples of what can and cannot be done.

Secondly, by providing the public authorities, specially at the local level, with stronger mechanisms to monitor the enforcement of existing legislation that has an effect on the sustainability of tourism. Since legislation may refer to many aspects concerning tourism development and management and under the responsibility of a diversity of public bodies, it is important to provide the tourism administration with sufficient authority and technical capabilities to be able to collect the relevant data and coordinate this monitoring process. One example of such mechanisms is the use of sustainability

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 19 indicators for tourism, which have already been put in place in some countries and localities but still need to be further applied.

Strengthening the public tourism administration, either at the national or local level, is a key element in the process towards a more sustainable tourism sector and a better integration of tourism into national sustainable development policies.

Thirdly, if no such comprehensive or detailed legislation exists, or if current economic policies continue to promote deregulation of economic activities, then public administrations should at least be equipped with instruments to monitor the compliance with self-imposed standards, voluntary initiatives and other certificates or eco-labels adopted voluntarily by private companies. Furthermore, there is a clear need for some type of consolidation of existing voluntary schemes referring to sustainability in tourism, in order to provide clarity to consumers and raise the level of credibility of existing valid schemes. International organizations have an irreplaceable role to play in this field, by setting up the minimum requirements that such schemes should contain to make them acceptable to governments and consumers. The possibility of establishing a global, independent accreditation body for certifiers, ecolabels and similar schemes related to sustainability in tourism should also be considered.

In both cases, there is a strong need for capacity building at the local level, involving municipal authorities, local businessmen and their trade associations, local NGOs and also local communities, to allow them to participate in an informed manner in the supervisory and monitoring processes of tourism. Capacity building should also facilitate and make possible the participatory process needed for the formulation of Local Agendas 21 in those localities where tourism is or can be the key economic sector.

Fourthly, financial support to the myriad of micro, small- and medium-sized tourism businesses that exist throughout the world is needed to encourage them to implement sustainable management methods or to introduce into their infrastructure the latest and most suitable environmentally friendly technologies. Making sustainable technologies and management techniques more easily accessible to tourism SMEs will also result in a higher degree of economic sustainability, since it is this type of locally-owned companies who ensure a fairer distribution of economic benefits derived from tourism and avoid international financial leakages.

Fifthly, a better coordination is needed in the work carried out by the international system of agencies and bilateral sources of assistance. Not infrequently, several aid agencies are working simultaneously in the same country or region, in parallel fields of activity and without communication between them. Coordination of technical and financial assistance in tourism is fundamental to ensure coherent results and a sustainable development of tourism. Isolated actions in favour of sustainability are normally short-lived or, even if they survive, do not have a significant impact on the global level of sustainability at the destination.

Integrated and unified action by the United Nations system of agencies under a clear leadership, but involving of course all the specialised agencies required to cover every aspect of tourism and all the sustainability implications, would result in faster, more efficient and more long-lasting effects.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 20

In conclusion, translating the sustainability awareness already developed among tourism stakeholders into practical applications that generate visible and substantive results, requires leading action by national and local governments and by the tourism industry, with the assistance of international organizations and bilateral agencies. These actions can be supported and stimulated by NGOs and the academic world, but the ultimate responsibility will be with the two main actors.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 21

Actions in Assisting Developing Countries to Implement Agenda 21

Undertaken by the World Tourism Organization since 1992

SUMMARY

The present document has been prepared by the World Tourism Organization for the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), at the request of the Division for Sustainable Development of the United Nations. It highlights the main actions undertaken by the World Tourism Organization in promoting the implementation of Agenda 21 among all its Member States, but especially in developing countries.

During the past decade, the World Tourism Organization has undertaken numerous initiatives -such as technical studies, research projects and subsequent edition of special publications, cooperation for development missions and projects, seminars and technical meetings-, to help promoting a more sustainable tourism development among all its Member States. These efforts have also intended to increase the contribution of tourism to sustainable development in general.

This report presents the main activities undertaken and provides a complete set of information about main measures adopted by the World Tourism Organization to promote an increasingly sustainable tourism sector worldwide.

December 2001

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 22

CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background

B. The Role of the World Tourism Organisation in Promoting Sustainable Development of Tourism

II. ACTIONS BY THE WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION

A. Agenda 21 for the Travel & Tourism Industry

B. WTO Studies and Publications on Sustainable Development of Tourism

C. Cooperation for Development 1. Africa 2. Americas 3. Asia 4. Europe 5. Middle East

D. Training Seminars and Technical Meetings (1994 – 2001) 1. Africa 2. Americas 3. East Asia and the Pacific 4. Europe 5. Middle East 6. South Asia

E. The International Year of Ecotourism

APPENDIX 1: GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS FOR TOURISM

APPENDIX 2: CORE INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 23

I. INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND

The Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development at its first session invited the organisations of the United Nations system and other relevant international organisations to provide for its consideration at the second session information on actions they have undertaken in assisting developing countries to implement Agenda 21.

The World Tourism Organization -an intergovernmental body entrusted by the United Nations with the promotion and development of tourism- is the leading international organisation in the field of travel and tourism, serving as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how. It has, among others, the responsibility of assuring the implementation of the Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry worldwide, and specially among all its 138 Member States.

B. THE ROLE OF THE WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION IN PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM

Through tourism, WTO aims to stimulate sustainable economic growth and job creation, provide incentives for protecting the environment and heritage of destinations, and promote peace and understanding among all nations of the world. The transfer of tourism know-how to developing countries is one of the World Tourism Organization´s fundamental tasks.

The sustainable development agenda has come to occupy an outstanding position in WTO’s programme of work. Reflecting the priority assigned to this, the World Tourism Organization created a Section on Sustainable Development of Tourism in its Secretariat in 1998 and a political committee of Member States representing all regions of the world was set up. It is currently chaired by Costa Rica.

As an executing agency of the United Nations Development Program, UNDP, WTO contributes decades of experience in tourism to the sustainable development goals of nations throughout the world. Acting upon request from member governments, WTO identifies needs, locates the world´s leading experts, and carries out all types of technical assistance for tourism development.

All WTO technical cooperation projects are based on the policy of sustainability, ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism development are not offset by damage to the environment or to local cultures. WTO projects also attempt that local communities share in the planning process and in the prosperity achieved through increased tourism.

Working hand-in-hand with its member governments, donor agencies and private sector, WTO´s objective in the field of sustainability, is to make sure that economic benefits generated by new tourism developments will be environmentally and socially sustainable, and will be evenly distributed among local peoples.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 24

II. ACTIONS BY THE WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION

A. AGENDA 21 FOR THE TRAVEL & TOURISM INDUSTRY In 1996 the World Tourism Organization, the Earth Council and the World Travel & Tourism Council, representing large multinational tourism and travel companies, joined together to launch an action plan entitled "Agenda 21 for the Travel & Tourism Industry: Towards Environmentally Sustainable Development" - a sectoral sustainable development programme based on the Rio Earth Summit results. Agenda 21 specifies actions that industry can take to bring about sustainable development and ways in which governments can facilitate this process. The Agenda 21 for travel & tourism industry, aims to help government departments with responsibility for the travel & tourism, national tourism administrations (NTA’s), representative trade organizations and travel & tourism companies fulfil their potential to achieve sustainable development at local and national levels. It lays out the key objectives for achievement by the year 2005. Implementation of its recommendations will go some way towards harnessing the power of tourism to: - create economic value for resources whose conservation would otherwise be seen as having no financial value; such resources include wildlife, natural areas, built heritage and cultural heritage; - provide incentives and means for environmental enhancement of areas such as city centres and old industrial sites, including the creation of employment in these areas; - establish essential infrastructure such as water treatment plants, for residents as well as visitors; this may in turn, stimulate other economic activities; - use communication opportunities with customers and host communities to pass on the message and practices of sustainable development; - provide environmentally sound growth alternatives for developing countries and island states, which can help them attain sustainable development patterns; - lead other industries in the adoption of business practices that contribute toward sustainable development by asking suppliers to provide environmentally benign products and exchanging information and ideas on sound environmental management. After the launch of this document, the three organisations conducted a five-year series of regional seminars designed to increase awareness of the conclusions and to adapt the programme for local implementation.

B. WTO STUDIES AND PUBLICATIONS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM

One of WTO’s most important functions is to serve as a permanent source of information for its Members and the world community. WTO fulfils this task in part through its extensive programme of research and publications, including electronic media.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 25

1. The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism1

In October 1999, the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, held in Santiago, Chile, approved the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism which sets a frame of reference for responsible and sustainable development of world tourism.

The code includes nine articles outlining the “rules of the game” for destinations, governments, tour operators, developers, travel agents, workers and travellers themselves. The tenth article involves the redress of grievances and marks the first time that a code of this type has a mechanism for enforcement.

The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism is an essential tool to help minimise the negative impacts of tourism on the environment and cultural heritage while maximising the benefits for residents of tourism destinations. Therefore, a resolution in support of WTO’s Global Code Ethics for Tourism was considered by the United Nations General Assembly on 19 November 2001.

The World Tourism Organization General Assembly held in Seoul, Korea and Osaka, Japan, in September 2001, approved the creation of a World Committee on Tourism Ethics which is envisaged to act as a global observer to: monitor adherence to the code; gather information on its implementation and any non-compliance; interpret the code’s principles; and evaluate the principles proposing development and amendments as needed. The Committee will also have the responsibility for setting up a system of conciliation to settle any disputes.

2. Guide for Local Authorities on Developing Sustainable Tourism

This guide presents concepts, principles, and techniques for planning and developing tourism and includes sections on managing environmental and socio-economic impacts at the local level. It also contains numerous examples of sustainable tourism best practices readily adaptable to the particular conditions and levels of development of each destination. It is mainly intended for local authorities, whose responsibility in shaping tourism development is increasing; it also helps private developers and managers.

3. Guide for Local Authorities. Supplementary Volumes

Supplementary volumes of this Guide are available for Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa, containing numerous examples of application of sustainability principles in each region.

4. Indicators of Sustainable Tourism2

Indicators are essential tools for monitor environmental and socio-economic impacts of tourism development and measure the level of success in achieving development objectives, forming an integral part of the planning process in all stages.

1 The full text of the Global Codes of Ethics for Tourism can be consulted in Appendix 1 2 Further details on Indicators of Sustainable Tourism can be consulted in Appendix 2

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 26

A Task Force of international experts was established by WTO in 1993 aiming at defining a set of useful sustainability indicators in tourism. In the following years these indicators were tested through pilot projects at local destinations in Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Argentina and USA, among others. The results were published as “ A practical guide for the development and application of indicators of sustainable tourism” in 1996.

Based on this guide, regional workshops have been held in Hungary, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Croatia. A methodology has been developed that is based on case studies carried out at local destinations as demonstration sites. The workshops, therefore, primarily aim at training of international, national and local tourism officials and experts by actively involving them in the definition and evaluation of potential indicators corresponding to case-study sites.

The World Tourism Organization will continue to work in this field with a view to improving existing know-how and methodologies for definition, adaptation and application of indicators, extending the application of such methodologies to the largest possible number and types of tourism destinations and making the use of sustainability indicators a standard practice in tourism destinations by 2005.

5. National and Regional Tourism Planning: Methodologies and Case Studies

This publication lays the foundation for tourism development of a country and its regions. It establishes the principal guidelines for preparing tourism development plans at national and regional levels with emphasis on integrated approach, balancing economic, environmental, and socio-cultural factors for achieving sustainable tourism. It is illustrated with 25 case studies.

6. An Integrated Approach to Resort Development

A WTO study published in 1992 analyses six resorts, all largely completed and representing various regions of the world and different types of development. For each case study, comprehensive details are provided on planning and implementation, including the current status of development. Economic, environmental and socio- cultural factors in planning and implementation are also analysed, as well as the development impact of these factors. The report evaluates the financing of both the infrastructure and tourist accommodation of the resorts, the respective roles of the public and private sectors in financing, and financial policies and procedures applying these planning and implementation procedures in other development projects around the world.

7. Guidelines: Development of National Parks and Protected Areas for Tourism

Sustainable development requires part of the earth’s land area to be set aside as protected areas. Such areas, which include National Parks, make important contributions to human society by conserving the natural and cultural heritage for the enjoyment of people and ensuring ecological balance as nation’s populations increase. In order to assist this countries to achieve sustainable stewardship of their National Parks and related protected areas, WTO and UNEP have joined forces with the World

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 27

Conservation Union (IUCN) to publish these guidelines in 1992, while a new, enlarged and updated version will be published in 2002.

8. Voluntary Initiatives for Sustainable Tourism

Systems of voluntary initiatives for self-regulation of the tourism industry in what refers to sustainability (like certification systems, eco-labels, awards and prizes, environmental management systems, codes of conduct, etc) are gaining increasing importance. Following a recommendation of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-7), WTO initiated a world wide evaluation study of these initiatives. This study aims at identifying similarities and differences among voluntary initiatives, finding out the factors that make them effective and successful in terms of sustainable tourism development, and proposing further steps to make these initiatives more effective and credible in the market place. A publication with the results of this study is due to appear in the first quarter of 2002.

9. Global Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC): An Accreditation Body for Sustainable Tourism Certifiers

This study is currently investigating the possibilities for creating an international accreditation body of sustainable tourism and ecotourism certifiers, determining the most appropriate organizational structure, the necessary steps for its implementation and provide recommendations for accreditation criteria.

This accreditation body is envisaged to have the responsibility of establishing international criteria for accreditation, monitor compliance with such criteria, promote consumer awareness and increase credibility of certification schemes. In addition, an accreditation body for sustainable tourism could indirectly raise the environmental and social standards for all sectors of the tourism industry.

10. Sustainable Development of Tourism – An Annotated Bibliography

Sustainable Development of Tourism is relatively a new concept, however it has increasingly been the subject of study over the last decade. To enhance the understanding of sustainable tourism and its practical applications, the World Tourism Organization has compiled a list of the most recent books and articles on the subject. For the second edition nearly 100 books together with more than 250 articles were reviewed. WTO offers to the international community what is probably the most complete and updated Annotated Bibliography on Sustainable Tourism and related subjects. (1999)

11. Sustainable Development of Tourism – A Compilation of Good Practices

The progress towards a more sustainable tourism industry is best demonstrated through success stories. This publication contains around 50 examples of good practices in sustainable development and management of tourism, collected from 31 countries. A great variety of projects are presented, ranging from local to regional and national levels, including activities of the public, private and NGO sectors, covering aspects of eco-, rural- and cultural tourism, accommodations, tour operations, transportation, protected area management, regulatory and voluntary frameworks, among others. Each

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 28 case is described in a systematic order, including detailed background information, success factors for sustainability, problems aroused and their solutions, lessons learnt, and monitoring activities. A second edition, containing 55 case studies from 38 countries is fully devoted to ecotourism examples on the occasion of the International Year of Ecotourism, as declared by the United Nations.

12. Tourism at World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites include many of the world’s most outstanding attractions and grandest monuments of the past. For tourism promoters they act as magnets, while for the nation in which they are found they serve as icons that continue to influence current values. The handbook concentrates on human-made sites, the physical evidence of major historical events. It is devoted to helping the managers of World Heritage Sites accomplish a dual purpose: to conserve the site given to their care and provide meaningful and considerate access to as many visitors as the site can allow. (1999)

13. Handbook on Natural Disaster Reduction in Tourist areas

Nowadays tourism involves the movement of millions of people to virtually all countries on the surface of this globe. Quite often tourism developments are located, in areas exposed to, or likely to be exposed to, sudden-onset natural disasters, in particular beach and coastal areas, river valleys and mountain regions. If these developments are hit by natural disasters, the image of tourist destination will suffer. The handbook, jointly produced by WTO and WMO experts, demonstrates how to combat natural disasters in tourist areas and mitigate their impacts. It guides the reader through disaster onset to post-disaster reconstruction and re-launching of a tourist destination. (1998)

C. COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT

Cooperation for Development constitutes one of the pillars of the WTO’s general programme of work and plays an important role in furthering the statutory aims of the Organization. Technical cooperation activities, which account for a large share of cooperation for development, can be broadly classified under two categories:

§ Technical cooperation projects, and § Sectoral Support/technical assiatence missions.

Technical cooperation projects, which are usually of a long duration (more than six months), are the tools through which WTO assists governments in acquiring technical know-how in the formulation of tourism policies and strategies in planning, development, marketing, promotion, education and training. They tend to focus on tourism master planning at all levels, establishment of training institutes, formulation of legislation and regulations, preparation of marketing programmes, and, national capacity building. They are also based on a policy of sustainability, ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism development are not offset by damage to the environment or to local cultures.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 29

Sectoral support missions are carried out at the request of countries or group of countries to identify, evaluate and describe their specific technical assistance needs and provide policy advice on the problems they are faced with. These missions are ususally fielded for a short duration and result in direct WTO recommendation reports to Members or in formulating further project proposals for funding by UNDP or other sources. Since the Rio Summit the following technical cooperation projects and sectoral support missions in the field of sustainable development have been carried out by WTO.

1. AFRICA

ALGERIA

Elaboration of a Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development of Tourism

The elaboration of this strategic plan is envisaged to develop the tourism sector in Algeria in a sustainable manner. The plan identifies possible scenarios in which the sustainable development of tourism should be based, and includes all fields of the tourism administration.

CAPE VERT

Tourism Sector Planning and Capacity Building

The two main objectives of the project are: to elaborate a Tourism Strategic Development Plan based on the revision and update of the present tourism policy, including an ecotourism project to be implemented in specific predefined regions; and the second objective consists in providing institutional capacity building in order to improve technical and operational skills of the General Directorate for Tourism Development (DGDT).

CONGO

Elaboration of a Tourism Development Project in the Protected Areas

This project initiated in 1997 is based on the recommendations of the Agenda 21. It aims to be the engine for the implementation of the national conservation strategy, as well as being a tool to improve the conditions of the infrastructures of the protected areas.

DJIBOUTI

Elaboration of a Strategic Plan for the Development of Tourism

This project aims to contribute to the sustainable development of Djibouti by drawing a global strategy to develop the tourism sector. The project was initiated in 1998.

GABON

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 30

Tourism Development in the Protected Areas

This mission took place in 1995 and carried out a technical study to provide the necessary tools to develop tourism activities inside Gabon’s protected areas.

GUINEA

Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development of Tourism

The main objective of this project initiated in 1998 is to draw a Strategic Plan for the Sustainable Development of Tourism, and elaborate an action plan to implement it in the short, medium and long term.

MOROCCO

Analysis of Rural Tourism

The project analyses rural tourism in Morocco and studied the possibility to develop rural tourism in the Northern provinces of the country. Project started in 2001.

2. AMERICAS

PANAMA

Rural Tourism Strategic Plan

The Government of the Republic of Panama requested the World Tourism Organisation in 1998 a sectoral support mission to evaluate the stage of rural tourism in the country with the aim of formulating a strategic development plan.

COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, NICARAGUA AND PANAMA

Conservation of Protected Areas

This regional project, started in 1993, laid the foundations for a strategy and an action plan to make compatible the use of natural resources and the development of tourism in Central America. The immediate objective of the project was to increase the contribution of the tourism in the regions economy.

3. ASIA

INDIA

Strategy for Environmentally Sustainable Tourism in the Andamans

This technical cooperation project focuses on the following aspects: spatial development strategy, market development, tourist accommodation and facilities,

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 31 transport, socio-economic impact, environmental considerations, policy issues, development programme, local area and project plans and the action priorities.

INDONESIA

Development of Community-based Tourism

A mission was undertaken to produce a project document for the development of community-based tourism in the country. The project document has been submitted to the Government and the UNDP for their approval and WTO hopes to commence project activities shortly.

LAO PDR

Support for Tourism Development and Ecotourism

WTO was the implementing agency for two project components of this UNDP-funded and government-executed project. Under the first component, a national tourism development plan providing the overall general guidance for the 15-year period of 1999-2013 was prepared. The second component in the field of tourism marketing was completed in 1999.

MACAO

IFT´s 1999 Summer Programme on Tourism and Environment

WTO offered its technical assistance to the Institute of Tourism Education of Macau (IFT) in conducting its summer programme for 1999 on “Tourism and Environment” which was held in Macau in 1999. The themes covered included general introduction into major environmental problems at global scale; the phenomenon of tourism and its impacts on host countries; ecotourism and sustainable tourism; socio-economic and cultural impacts of tourism; urban and rural tourism.

MALAYSIA

Development of Ecoturism in the Tamam Negara National Park

This sectoral support mission to Malaysia on development of Ecotourism in the Tamam Negara National Park was carried out in 1993 and consisted in the following:

- Evaluation and assessment of tourism potential in Taman Negara - Identification of potential ecotourism attractions in Taman Negara and proposal of volume and categories of projects and activities to be developed - Establishment of guidelines and development controls to ensure that tourism development takes cognisance of local environmental sensitivities - Analysis of the possible socio-economic impact of ecotourism development on the local population and proposal of measures for local participation in tourism activities - Establishment of marketing and promotional strategies to attract special interest tourists and to increase consumer awareness

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 32

- Recommendations on development and implementation of visitor education and interpretation programmes

Rural Tourism Master Plan

The mission was undertaken to Malaysia to produce a project document to formulate a Rural Tourism Master Plan through review of rural tourism plans and policies, site- inspection and inventory of rural tourism attractions, meetings with relevant ministry or agency officials, market analysis, infrastructure and design guidelines, environment protection and private sector participation. A revised project document has been submitted to the UNDP.

MALDIVES

Study of Social, Economic and Environmental Impact of Tourism

The project assisted the Government to identify, measure, monitor and manage the social, economic and environmental consequences of the development of tourism, in order to:

- achieve the goals identified in the Second Tourism Master Plan (1996) and Fifth National Development Plan (1997); - maximise the benefits from existing and projected tourism development, on a sustainable basis; and - minimise any adverse impacts of tourism development on the economy, the social and cultural environment, and marine and lad-based ecosystems of Maldives.

PHILIPPINES

Conservation and Restoration of Historic Sites

This Mission was carried out in 1996 to assist the DOT with two key objectives:

1. The formulation of a Conservation and Restoration Plan for Cultural and Historical Sites in the Philippines; and 2. The preparation of a Proposal for the Establishment of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Culture and History in the Philippines.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Development of Cultural Heritage as a Tourism Resource

The main objectives of this technical mission were:

1. to survey and evaluate the Republic of Korea’s cultural heritage from a tourism development point of view; 2. to identify those segments which have the highest potential to be developed into tourism resources; and 3. to recommend measures to:

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 33

- convert these segments into tourism resources - enhance their appeal - conserve and protect the cultural heritage

THAILAND

Energy Conservation in Hotels and Resorts

This technical assistance mission to Thailand, undertaken in 1998, provided practical, on-the-spot advice to the hospitality industry in Thailand on measures that could be adopted to save energy in hotels, resorts and other tourism establishments.

Sustainable Tourism Development for Thailand

The aim of the project carried out in 2001, was to assist the Government of Thailand in the preparation of a new five-year Tourism Master Plan for the country with a view to the long-term sustainable development of tourism and its resources. WTO´s technical assistance focused on reversing the current diminishing returns of tourism in Thailand and to define and formulate sustainable policies and strategies for further development and promotion of tourism in Thailand. It also assisted the Government in redefining Thailand’s national tourism policy, reposition the image of the country as a tourism destination and provide guidelines for sustainable tourism development.

VIETNAM

Revised Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development

The aim of the project is to update and revise the Tourism Development Master Plan prepared in 1991 with a view to the long-term sustainable development of tourism and its resources in Vietnam. The revised Master Plan, completed in 2001, defined and formulated sustainable policies and strategies for the further development and promotion of tourism in Vietnam; it also compiled detailed analyses of successful international and national case studies, which could be adopted to the situation in Vietnam.

4. EUROPE

LITHUANIA

Ecotourism Development Plan

The mission was carried out during 1997. The goals of the mission were: (1) to examine the utilisation of the three parks for holiday purposes (where and in what form, and what intensity of recreation); (2) to consider reorganisation and protection of parks; (3) to review infrastructure needs; (4) to propose creation of employment possibilities for local people; and (5) to review possibilities for private sector involvement.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 34

MOLDOVA

Sustainable Tourism Development

This project, started in 2000, is designed to provide a broad basis for developing international and domestic tourism in Moldova in an integrated, balanced and sustainable manner in order to bring substantial socio-economic and cultural benefits to the country and its communities.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Ecotourism

A sectoral support mission to Russia wsa carried out during 1996. The mission had as main objectives to review the capacity to deliver an ecotourism program in tha Galich site in the Kostroma Oblast, including the identification of potential private funding of the complex and of tourism facilities at the complex; to prepare a general review of potential for village/ecological tourism in Central Russia pertinent to the proposed Galich complex; to review the current capacity of the Russians to manage ecotourism activities; to examine the means available to adapt tourism development at Galich site to the environmental conditions so that it can serve as model for ecotourism.

UZBEKISTAN

Action Plan for Sustainable Development of Tourism in Uzbekistan

This study was carried out in 1997 and its development objective was to establish in Uzbekistan an informed tourism policy, a basic tourism infrastructure of international standards, marketing expertise, and trained tourism officials, within a one year time frame. This would enable the country to expand its tourism industry in a planned, controlled and sustainable manner, in order to benefit from foreign revenue generation, increased employment and international exposure.

5. MIDDLE EAST

YEMEN

Sustainable Environmental Management

This programme aimed at building the capacity of several Government institutions, research institutions, NGOs and local communities in the environmental management in the field of land degradation, habitat and biodiversity to ensure the sustainable use of Yemen’s natural resources.

In this global project, WTO provided technical assistance on the establishment of an ecoturism department, which constitutes a specialised unit capable of administering ecotourism through adequate legislation, standards and monitoring. Public awareness

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 35 locally and outside the country of the significance of environmentally valuable sites, landscapes, monuments, ecosystems and species will be generated and private sector engagement in ecotourism encouraged.

D. Training Seminars and Technical Meetings (1994 – 2001)

1. AFRICA

National level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Guinea § Seminar on promoting awareness among financial bankers with the projects GUI/00/002 and GUI/00/003 2001 Tanzania § Seminar on the management and funding of animal 1996 parks/reserves for tourism

Regional level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Ghana § Seminar / Africa: tourism destination for the next millennium 1999 Ivory Coast § Seminar / Tourism in Africa to the Year 2000 1994 Mauritius § Seminar / Africa and the global tourism prospects to the year 2020: challenges and opportunities (CAF) 1998 Mozambique Seminar on Planning, Development and Management of Ecotourism in Africa 2001 South Africa § Seminar / Promotion of Africa as a destination (CAF) 1995 Tunisia § Seminar / Towards a new public-private sector balance in the development of tourism (CAF) 1994 Zimbabwe § Joint WTO/WTTC/Earth Council on the Agenda 21 1998

2. AMERICAS

National level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Argentina § Seminar for Local Planners (phase1) 1997 § Seminar for Local Planners (phase 2) 1997 § Seminar on Product Development 1999 Bolivia § Seminar for Local Planners 2001 Brazil § Seminar on Poverty Alleviation Through Competitive Tourism 2001 Chile § Course for Local Planners 1998 Colombia § Seminar on Product Development 2000 Cuba § Seminar on Sustainable Tourism Development 1996 Dominican Republic § Course for Local Planners 1997 § Seminar on Product Development 1999 Ecuador § Course for Local Planners 1996 § Course for Local Planners 1998 § Seminar on Tourism Management of Protected Areas 1998 El Salvador § Course for Local Planners 1998 Guatemala § Course for Local Planners 1996

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 36

Nicaragua § Seminar on Product Development 2000 Paraguay § Sustainable Tourism Planning at Local Level 1998 Peru § Seminar on Tourism Organization: public or private 1996 alternative? § Two Seminars on Sustainable Development of Tourism for Local Authorities 2000 Uruguay § Seminar for Local Planners 1997 § Seminar on Product Development 2001

Regional level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Brazil § Conference on Sustainable Development and Management of Ecotourism in the Americas 2001 Mexico § Workshop on the application of sustainable tourism indicators 1999

International level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Costa Rica § First Meeting of the Committee on Sustainable Development and of ad hoc Working Group on Tourism 2000

3. EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

National level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR China § Seminar on Tourism Planning at Local Level 1997 § Sustainable Development and Marketing of Ecotourism in China 1999 Malaysia § Seminar on Tourism and Heritage 1999 Thailand § Seminar on Hotel Energy Conservation 1998

Regional level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR China § International Conference on Sustainable Tourism in the Islands of the Asia-Pacific Region 2000 Indonesia § SCAP/WTO/IOTO National Seminar on Sustainable Tourism Development 2001 Japan § Asia-Pacific Conference on Tourism Development for the Future: Preserving Natural and Cultural Heritage for the Next Generation 2000

International level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Indonesia § Tenth Meeting of the WTO Environment Committee 1997

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4. EUROPE

Regional level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Croatia § Workshop on sustainable Tourism Indicators for the Islands of the Mediterranean 2001 Hungary § Workshop on Sustainable tourism Indicators for Eastern and Central Europe 1999 Kazakhstan § Seminar on Ecotourim as a Tool for Sustainable Development in the 21st Century 2001 Russian Federation § Regional Planning for Sustainable Tourism 1996 § Ecotourism Technology 1997 Italy § International Seminar on Sustainable Tourism for Small Islands in the Mediterranean 2000 Romania § Global Code of Ethics for Tourism 2000

International level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Germany § 5th Joint WTO/WTTC/Earth Council on the Agenda 21 1999

5. MIDDLE EAST

National level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Jordan § Seminar on Sustainable Tourism Development 1996

Regional level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR Egypt § Seminar on Ecotourism Development 1998

6. SOUTH ASIA

National Level

MEMBER STATES WTO SEMINAR/TECHNICAL MEETING YEAR India § Workshop on Sustainable tourism Development 1994 Maldives § High Level Technical Seminar on Sustainable Tourism Development 1997 Sri Lanka § National Workshop on Sustainable Tourism Indicators 2000

E. THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ECOTOURISM

By declaring the year 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism, the United Nations recognized the social and economic relevance of this activity all over the world. The International Year of Ecotourism reflects the important role of this tourism segment in promoting social development, economic growth, cultural and environmental preservation.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 38

In this framework, as the leading organization ni preparing the celebrations of the IYE, the World Tourism Organization is undertaking a number of activities to celebrate it, including the organization of regional IYE preparatory conferences and seminars on ecotourism management and development, the preparation and publication of market research studies of the main ecotourist-generating countries, a new edition of the WTO publication “Compilation of Sustainable Practices in Tourism”, dedicated exclusively to the ecotourism segment, an Ecotourism Marketing Workshop with the collaboration of the German Technical Cooperation Agency, GTZ, during Reisepavillon in Hannover, Germany, in January 2002, and the co-organization the World Ecotourism Summit in Quebec, Canada, from 19 to 22 May 2002, jointly with UNEP.

The following preparatory Conferences for the International Year of Ecotourism have also been convened by WTO: - Africa: Mozambique, March 2001 - Americas: Brazil, August 2001 - Europe: Austria, September 2001 - CIS Countries, China and Mongolia: Kazakhstan, October 2001 - Mediterranean Europe, Middle East and North Africa: Greece, November 2001 - Islands: Seychelles, December 2001 - Desert Areas: Algeria, January 2002 - Asia: Maldives, February 2002 - The Russian Federation and neighbouring countries: Moscow, March 2002 - South Pacific: Fiji, April 2002

The World Tourism Organization is also encouraging the Governments of its Member States to create national and local ecotourism committees, to enhance the potential of ecotourism to improve living standards in developing countries through multistakeholders participatory processes.

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APPENDIX 1: GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS FOR TOURISM

Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

PRINCIPLES

Article 1

Tourism’s contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies

(1) The understanding and promotion of the ethical values common to humanity, with an attitude of tolerance and respect for the diversity of religious, philosophical and moral beliefs, are both the foundation and the consequence of responsible tourism; stakeholders in tourism development and tourists themselves should observe the social and cultural traditions and practices of all peoples, including those of minorities and indigenous peoples and recognize their worth.

(2) Tourism activities should be conducted in harmony with the attributes and traditions of the host regions and countries and in respect for their laws, practices and customs.

(3) The host communities, on the one hand, and local professionals, on the other, should acquaint themselves with and respect the tourists who visit them and find out about their lifestyles, tastes and expectations; the education and training imparted to professionals contribute to a hospitable welcome.

(4) It is the task of the public authorities to provide protection for tourists and visitors and their belongings; they must pay particular attention to the safety of foreign tourists owing to the particular vulnerability they may have; they should facilitate the introduction of specific means of information, prevention, security, insurance and assistance consistent with their needs; any attacks, assaults, kidnappings or threats against tourists or workers in the tourism industry, as well as the wilful destruction of tourism facilities or of elements of cultural or natural heritage should be severely condemned and punished in accordance with their respective national laws.

(5) When travelling, tourists and visitors should not commit any criminal act or any act considered criminal by the laws of the country visited and abstain from any conduct felt to be offensive or injurious by the local populations, or likely to damage the local environment; they should refrain from all trafficking in illicit drugs, arms, antiques, protected species and products and substances that are dangerous or prohibited by national regulations.

(6) Tourists and visitors have the responsibility to acquaint themselves, even before their departure, with the characteristics of the countries they are preparing to

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 40 visit; they must be aware of the health and security risks inherent in any travel outside their usual environment and behave in such a way as to minimize those risks.

Article 2

Tourism as a vehicle for individual and collective fulfilment

(1) Tourism, the activity most frequently associated with rest and relaxation, sport and access to culture and nature, should be planned and practised as a privileged means of individual and collective fulfilment; when practised with a sufficiently open mind, it is an irreplaceable factor of self-education, mutual tolerance and for learning about the legitimate differences between peoples and cultures and their diversity.

Tourism activities should respect the equality of men and women; they should promote human rights and, more particularly, the individual rights of the most vulnerable groups, notably children, the elderly, the handicapped, ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples.

(3) The exploitation of human beings in any form, particularly sexual, especially when applied to children, conflicts with the fundamental aims of tourism and is the negation of tourism; as such, in accordance with international law, it should be energetically combated with the cooperation of all the States concerned and penalized without concession by the national legislation of both the countries visited and the countries of the perpetrators of these acts, even when they are carried out abroad.

(4) Travel for purposes of religion, health, education and cultural or linguistic exchanges are particularly beneficial forms of tourism, which deserve encouragement.

(5) The introduction into curricula of education about the value of tourist exchanges, their economic, social and cultural benefits, and also their risks, should be encouraged.

Article 3

Tourism, a factor of sustainable development

(1) All the stakeholders in tourism development should safeguard the natural environment with a view to achieving sound, continuous and sustainable economic growth geared to satisfying equitably the needs and aspirations of present and future generations.

(2) All forms of tourism development that are conducive to saving rare and precious resources, in particular water and energy, as well as avoiding so far as possible waste production, should be given priority and encouraged by national, regional and local public authorities.

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(3) The staggering in time and space of tourist and visitor flows, particularly those resulting from paid leave and school holidays, and a more even distribution of holidays should be sought so as to reduce the pressure of tourism activity on the environment and enhance its beneficial impact on the tourism industry and the local economy.

(4) Tourism infrastructure should be designed and tourism activities programmed in such a way as to protect the natural heritage composed of ecosystems and biodiversity and to preserve endangered species of wildlife; the stakeholders in tourism development, and especially professionals, should agree to the imposition of limitations or constraints on their activities when these are exercised in particularly sensitive areas: desert, polar or high mountain regions, coastal areas, tropical forests or wetlands, propitious to the creation of nature reserves or protected areas.

(5) Nature tourism and ecotourism are recognized as being particularly conducive to enriching and enhancing the standing of tourism, provided they respect the natural heritage and local populations and are in keeping with the carrying capacity of the sites.

Article 4

Tourism, a user of the cultural heritage of mankind and a contributor to its enhancement

(1) Tourism resources belong to the common heritage of mankind; the communities in whose territories they are situated have particular rights and obligations to them.

(2) Tourism policies and activities should be conducted with respect for the artistic, archaeological and cultural heritage, which they should protect and pass on to future generations; particular care should be devoted to preserving and upgrading monuments, shrines and museums as well as archaeological and historic sites which must be widely open to tourist visits; encouragement should be given to public access to privately-owned cultural property and monuments, with respect for the rights of their owners, as well as to religious buildings, without prejudice to normal needs of worship.

(3) Financial resources derived from visits to cultural sites and monuments should, at least in part, be used for the upkeep, safeguard, development and embellishment of this heritage.

(4) Tourism activity should be planned in such a way as to allow traditional cultural products, crafts and folklore to survive and flourish, rather than causing them to degenerate and become standardized.

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Article 5

Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities

(1) Local populations should be associated with tourism activities and share equitably in the economic, social and cultural benefits they generate, and particularly in the creation of direct and indirect jobs resulting from them.

(2) Tourism policies should be applied in such a way as to help to raise the standard of living of the populations of the regions visited and meet their needs; the planning and architectural approach to and operation of tourism resorts and accommodation should aim to integrate them, to the extent possible, in the local economic and social fabric; where skills are equal, priority should be given to local manpower.

(3) Special attention should be paid to the specific problems of coastal areas and island territories and to vulnerable rural or mountain regions, for which tourism often represents a rare opportunity for development in the face of the decline of traditional economic activities.

(4) Tourism professionals, particularly investors, governed by the regulations laid down by the public authorities, should carry out studies of the impact of their development projects on the environment and natural surroundings; they should also deliver, with the greatest transparency and objectivity, information on their future programmes and their foreseeable repercussions and foster dialogue on their contents with the populations concerned.

Article 6

Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development

(1) Tourism professionals have an obligation to provide tourists with objective and honest information on their places of destination and on the conditions of travel, hospitality and stays; they should ensure that the contractual clauses proposed to their customers are readily understandable as to the nature, price and quality of the services they commit themselves to providing and the financial compensation payable by them in the event of a unilateral breach of contract on their part.

(2) Tourism professionals, insofar as it depends on them, should show concern, in co-operation with the public authorities, for the security and safety, accident prevention, health protection and food safety of those who seek their services; likewise, they should ensure the existence of suitable systems of insurance and assistance; they should accept the reporting obligations prescribed by national regulations and pay fair compensation in the event of failure to observe their contractual obligations.

(3) Tourism professionals, so far as this depends on them, should contribute to the cultural and spiritual fulfilment of tourists and allow them, during their travels, to practise their religions.

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(4) The public authorities of the generating States and the host countries, in cooperation with the professionals concerned and their associations, should ensure that the necessary mechanisms are in place for the repatriation of tourists in the event of the bankruptcy of the enterprise that organized their travel.

(5) Governments have the right – and the duty - especially in a crisis, to inform their nationals of the difficult circumstances, or even the dangers they may encounter during their travels abroad; it is their responsibility however to issue such information without prejudicing in an unjustified or exaggerated manner the tourism industry of the host countries and the interests of their own operators; the contents of travel advisories should therefore be discussed beforehand with the authorities of the host countries and the professionals concerned; recommendations formulated should be strictly proportionate to the gravity of the situations encountered and confined to the geographical areas where the insecurity has arisen; such advisories should be qualified or cancelled as soon as a return to normality permits.

(6) The press, and particularly the specialized travel press and the other media, including modern means of electronic communication, should issue honest and balanced information on events and situations that could influence the flow of tourists; they should also provide accurate and reliable information to the consumers of tourism services; the new communication and electronic commerce technologies should also be developed and used for this purpose; as is the case for the media, they should not in any way promote sex tourism.

Article 7

Right to tourism

(1) The prospect of direct and personal access to the discovery and enjoyment of the planet’s resources constitutes a right equally open to all the world’s inhabitants; the increasingly extensive participation in national and international tourism should be regarded as one of the best possible expressions of the sustained growth of free time, and obstacles should not be placed in its way.

(2) The universal right to tourism must be regarded as the corollary of the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay, guaranteed by Article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7.d of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

(3) Social tourism, and in particular associative tourism, which facilitates widespread access to leisure, travel and holidays, should be developed with the support of the public authorities.

(4) Family, youth, student and senior tourism and tourism for people with disabilities, should be encouraged and facilitated.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 44

Article 8

Liberty of tourist movements

(1) Tourists and visitors should benefit, in compliance with international law and national legislation, from the liberty to move within their countries and from one State to another, in accordance with Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; they should have access to places of transit and stay and to tourism and cultural sites without being subject to excessive formalities or discrimination.

(2) Tourists and visitors should have access to all available forms of communication, internal or external; they should benefit from prompt and easy access to local administrative, legal and health services; they should be free to contact the consular representatives of their countries of origin in compliance with the diplomatic conventions in force.

(3) Tourists and visitors should benefit from the same rights as the citizens of the country visited concerning the confidentiality of the personal data and information concerning them, especially when these are stored electronically.

(4) Administrative procedures relating to border crossings whether they fall within the competence of States or result from international agreements, such as visas or health and customs formalities, should be adapted, so far as possible, so as to facilitate to the maximum freedom of travel and widespread access to international tourism; agreements between groups of countries to harmonize and simplify these procedures should be encouraged; specific taxes and levies penalizing the tourism industry and undermining its competitiveness should be gradually phased out or corrected.

(5) So far as the economic situation of the countries from which they come permits, travellers should have access to allowances of convertible currencies needed for their travels.

Article 9

Rights of the workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry

(1) The fundamental rights of salaried and self-employed workers in the tourism industry and related activities, should be guaranteed under the supervision of the national and local administrations, both of their States of origin and of the host countries with particular care, given the specific constraints linked in particular to the seasonality of their activity, the global dimension of their industry and the flexibility often required of them by the nature of their work.

(2) Salaried and self-employed workers in the tourism industry and related activities have the right and the duty to acquire appropriate initial and continuous training; they should be given adequate social protection; job insecurity should be

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 45 limited so far as possible; and a specific status, with particular regard to their social welfare, should be offered to seasonal workers in the sector.

(3) Any natural or legal person, provided he, she or it has the necessary abilities and skills, should be entitled to develop a professional activity in the field of tourism under existing national laws; entrepreneurs and investors - especially in the area of small and medium-sized enterprises - should be entitled to free access to the tourism sector with a minimum of legal or administrative restrictions.

(4) Exchanges of experience offered to executives and workers, whether salaried or not, from different countries, contributes to fostering the development of the world tourism industry; these movements should be facilitated so far as possible in compliance with the applicable national laws and international conventions.

(5) As an irreplaceable factor of solidarity in the development and dynamic growth of international exchanges, multinational enterprises of the tourism industry should not exploit the dominant positions they sometimes occupy; they should avoid becoming the vehicles of cultural and social models artificially imposed on the host communities; in exchange for their freedom to invest and trade which should be fully recognized, they should involve themselves in local development, avoiding, by the excessive repatriation of their profits or their induced imports, a reduction of their contribution to the economies in which they are established.

(6) Partnership and the establishment of balanced relations between enterprises of generating and receiving countries contribute to the sustainable development of tourism and an equitable distribution of the benefits of its growth.

Article 10

Implementation of the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

(1) The public and private stakeholders in tourism development should cooperate in the implementation of these principles and monitor their effective application.

(2) The stakeholders in tourism development should recognize the role of international institutions, among which the World Tourism Organization ranks first, and non-governmental organizations with competence in the field of tourism promotion and development, the protection of human rights, the environment or health, with due respect for the general principles of international law.

(3) The same stakeholders should demonstrate their intention to refer any disputes concerning the application or interpretation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism for conciliation to an impartial third body known as the World Committee on Tourism Ethics.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 46

APPENDIX 2: CORE INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 3

Core Indicators of Sustainable Tourism

Indicator Specific Measures

1. Site Protection Category of site protection according to IUCN4 index

2. Stress Tourist numbers visiting site (per annum/peak month)

3. Use Intensity Intensity of use in peak period (person/hectare)

4. Social Impact Ratio of tourists to locals (peak period)

5. Development Control Existence of environmental review procedure for formal controls over development of site and use density

6. Waste Management Percentage of sewage from site receiving treatment (additional indicators may include structural limits of other infrastructural capacity on site, such as water supply)

7. Planning Process Existence of organized regional plan for tourist destination region (including tourism component)

8. Critical Ecosystems Number of rare/endangered species

9. Consumer Satisfaction Level of satisfaction by visitors (questionnaire-based)

10. Local Satisfaction Level of satisfaction by locals (questionnaire-based)

Composite Indices

A. Carrying Capacity Composite early warning measure of key factors affecting the ability of the site to support different levels of tourism

B. Site Stress Composite measure of levels of impact on the site (its natural and cultural attributes due to tourism and other cumulative stresses)

C. Attactivity Qualitative measure of those site attributes that make it attractive to tourism and can change over time

The composite indices are largely composed of site-specific variables. Consequently, the identification and evaluation of the indicators that compose these indices require on- site direction from an appropriately trained and experienced observer. In future, based on the experiences in designing composite indicators for specific sites, it may be possible to derive these indices on a more systematic basis.

3 Extracted from “What Tourism Managers Need to Know: A Practical Guide to the Development and Use of Indicators of Sustainable Tourism”, WTO 1996 4 International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

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Activities Undertaken by the World Tourism Organization Promoting the Sustainable Development of Tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other Islands

a. Conferences and Seminars organized for SIDS and other islands:

· Barbados Conference (1995): WTO attended the conference and encouraged delegates to focus on tourism · The International Conference on Sustainable Tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other Islands was convened jointly by WTO and UNEP in Lanzarote, Spain, 1998. Its resolutions included: o Recommendations at the national level emphasizing integrated tourism development approach; sustainable development policy and planning that is based on sound knowledge, considers the conservation of natural and cultural resources and carrying capacity of islands; tourism development that primarily benefits local communities; management of tourism facilities and operations that apply environmentally sound technologies; the monitoring of impacts by the application of indicators of sustainable tourism o Recommendations at the regional level emphasizing the harmonization of environmental regulations and standards in the same regions, the application of voluntary industry codes and certification systems, exchange of experiences and dissemination of good practices, awareness raising and capacity building, as well, the joint funding and facilitating of sustainable tourism development projects and activities o Recommendations at the international level, in particular for WTO and UNEP, to encourage SIDS and other islands for participating actively in international and regional conventions, to assist them with the development and implementation of programmes in the above mentioned activities, to consider jointly convening regular meetings at the regional and/or international levels. · Based on the resolutions of the Lanzarote Conference, the following regional follow up meetings were held in collaboration with UNEP: o Seminar on the Sustainable Tourism and Competitiveness in the Islands of the Mediterranean (Capri, Italy, 2000). The Seminar concluded, among other key issues, that opting for sustainable approach to tourism in Mediterranean islands entails institutional leadership, coordination with private sector, social involvement and skilled technical backing; to enhance competitiveness among islands in the region it is essential to focus the tourism strategy on assets, peculiarities and capacities of each island and integrating a diversified supply of tourism attractions and services. o Conference on the Sustainable Tourism in the Islands of the Asia-Pacific Region (Hainan, China, 2000). The Conference emphasized the need for integrating planning for tourism with national development and resource management plans, the role of the various stakeholders and the need for cooperation amongst them, tourism planning and management in sensitive natural and cultural sites, the responsible use of natural resources in tourism and the importance of professional training, capacity building and research programmes.

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b. Technical Co-operation projects carried out in SIDS and other islands

According to the agreement signed with the United Nations Development Programme, WTO has been the executing agency for many tourism master plan projects financed by the UNDP in over 30 countries during the past decades. In these projects, the sustainability principles have been considered as important elements even before the Rio Summit, but have become central in these plans since then. WTO is currently involved in the preparation of national and provincial tourism planning projects in various countries with UNDP or other funding. Technical Support and Advisory Missions were carried out, WTO Seminars and Technical Meetings were held at the following SIDS and other islands since 1992:

Asia and Pacific Regions:

· China: Tourism Development Master Plan for Hainan Province (an ongoing project) · Cook Islands: Marketing of Tourism, Training for the Tourism Sector · Indonesia: Development of Village Tourism in Bali, Development of Community Tourism, Second International Forum for Parliamentarians and Local Authorities, Tenth Meeting of the WTO Environmental Committee · Maldives: Hotel and Catering Training, Resort Management and Tourism Training, Study on the Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Tourism, Asia-Pacific Ministers’ Conference on Tourism and Environment, High Level Technical Seminar on Sustainable Development of Tourism · Niue: Tourism and Private Sector Development Programme · Philippines: Integrated Cluster Development Plans for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; Conservation and Restoration of Historic Sites; Tourism Master Plan; Seminar on Educating the Educators · Sri Lanka: Tourism Master Plan and Convention Business Development, Project Formulation on Tourism Infrastructure Development, South-West Coast Tourism and Community Infrastructure Study, Seminar on Privatisation in Tourism · Vanuatu: Tourism Development Master Plan and Institutional Strengthening of Government Tourism Agencies

Region of the Americas:

· Anguilla, Barbados, Montserrat, Saint Lucia: Sustainable Tourism Development in the West Indies · Anguilla: Consultancy on Tourism and Economic Development · Aruba: Tourism Training · Bahamas: Hotel Classification · Cuba: Review of Document on Tourism Development, Seminar on Sustainable development of Tourism, Seminar on the Sustainable Development of Nature- based Tourism in Latin America · Dominican Republic: Economic Impact Study, Tourism Planning for the Bocachica and Samaná Areas, Course for Local Planners, Tourism Communication Workshop, Course on Food Safety

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· Haiti: Course on Food safety · Jamaica: Product Development, Seminar on Satellite Account for Tourism · Netherlands Antilles: Identification of Necessities in Technical Assistance in the Field of Tourism, Tourism Training · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Design and Execution of a Tourism Marketing Programme · Trinidad and Tobago: Establishment of a Commission on National Parks and Tourist Sites

Africa:

· Comoros: Strengthening of the Institutional Capacity of the National Tourism Administration · Madagascar: Territorial Zoning of Tourism Areas · Seychelles: Revision of the Project Document on Tourism and Hospitality Training, Tourism Master Plan · St. Helena: Preparation of Assistance on Tourism Development

Europe:

Cyprus: Tourism Infrastructure Development c. Indicators of sustainable tourism

Based on the WTO publication “A practical guide for the development and application of indicators of sustainable tourism”, prepared in 1996, the following regional workshops have been organized in small islands: - in the island of Cozumel, Mexico (1999) with the participation of 7 countries from Central America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean - in Sri Lanka (2000) (originally planned for the Asia-Pacific region, but finally reduced to national level) - in the islands of Ugljan and Pasman, Croatia (2001) with the participation of 6 Mediterranean countries. This workshop was organized as a technical follow- up meeting of the Seminar on Sustainable Tourism and Competitiveness in the Islands of the Mediterranean (Capri, Italy, 2000) d. Ecotourism

In the framework of the International Year of Ecotourism, 2002, designated by the UN, WTO is organizing a series of regional preparatory conferences. A conference specially designated to the Sustainable Development and Management of Ecotourism in SIDS and other Islands is scheduled in Seychelles (December, 2001). Two regional ecotourism conferences are planned in the Asia-Pacific region that will be held in SIDS: one in the Maldives and another one in Fiji. e. WTO publications related to sustainable tourism development in coastal and island destinations

The WTO study “An integrated approach to resort development”, published in 1992 gives guidance for tourism planning at establishment level. It reviews six

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 50 complex resorts representing various regions of the world and different types of development.

The publication “Awards for improving the coastal environment: The example of Blue Flag” was produced jointly with the United Nations Environmental Programme and the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe in 1997 to disseminate the Blue Flag Programme in non-European countries.

The publication “Handbook on Natural Disaster Reduction in Tourist Areas”, jointly produced with the World Meteorological Organization in 1998, provides guidelines on how to combat natural disasters in tourist areas and mitigate their impacts. The book has a special relevance to SIDS, because island tourism destinations, mainly at tropical regions, are highly prone and vulnerable to natural disasters (like hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, etc.).

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Address by Mr. Francesco Frangialli Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization to the Third UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries

(Brussels, 17 May 2001)

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen,

I am grateful for the opportunity to address this 3rd UN LDC Conference on behalf of the 136 Members of the World Tourism Organization and, in particular, on behalf of the LDCs themselves – most of them being Members of our Organization. I should like to use this opportunity to emphasize the essential contribution tourism can make towards economic and social development and the alleviation of poverty, which justifies the fact that for the first time it has been put on the agenda of such an exceptional Conference.

The reduction of poverty has become one of the most compelling challenges of our time. Poverty is more than a lack of income – it is a multidimensional and complex phenomenon with an intricate relationship to issues such as disease, illiteracy, infant mortality, environmental degradation and many other aspects.

The UN, the Bretton Woods institutions and the OECD have developed sensible targets for the reduction of poverty. They have requested specialized agencies within the UN family to coordinate their efforts in achieving these objectives. However, it appears that we are already falling behind schedule and that the targets will not be met. This Conference provides a valuable opportunity to enlarge our common action and to emphasize the significant contribution that tourism can make towards poverty reduction.

***

Tourism has, up to now, not been seriously considered in most of the poverty reduction strategies of international aid and development agencies. That is regardless of the fact that tourism has grown into the biggest and most ramified economic activity of our time.

The dramatic growth of tourism over the last 50 years is one of the most remarkable economic and social phenomena of that period. International tourist arrivals grew, in real terms, from a mere 25 million in 1950 to 698 million in 2000. That represents an average annual growth rate of 7% over a period of 50 years.

The receipts generated by these arrivals – excluding air fares and not taking into account income from domestic tourism - have increased at 12 per cent a year over the same period, well above the average annual economic growth rate. They have reached 476 billions in 2000. They represent today the number one item in world trade.

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Reasonable and conservative forecasts by the World Tourism Organization indicate that this trend will continue and that tourism will grow steadily for the foreseeable future. International arrivals are expected to increase to more than 1 billion in 2010 and attain over 1.5 billion by 2020. The question is whether the power of this industry can be effectively harnessed in the fight against poverty. Available evidence provides a positive answer.

* * *

Annual growth of tourist arrivals in LDCs over the last 10 years has been higher than the world average. Demonstrating the existence of a competitive advantage in their favour , the growth of international tourism receipts in LDCs was significant during the 1990s. LDC’s receipts more than doubled between 1992 and 1998. Tourism has became the primary source of foreign exchange earnings in 49 LDCs, apart from the petroleum industry which is concentrated in only three of them (Angola, Yemen and Equatorial Guinea). The combined tourism exports in 1998 actually accounted for more than 16 per cent of their non–oil exports, thereby exceeding the receipts of their second and third non-oil export sectors (cotton and textile products) by 39 and 82 per cent respectively. For many of these countries, tourism has become the major - or one of the major - contributors to their GDP.

These selected but critical statistics clearly indicate the important position tourism has already achieved in the very poor countries. Our strong conviction is that, against the background of a fast-growing international tourism industry, the potential for tourism in LDCs far exceeds present performance. For many of them, tourism development represents one of the few options they have in their hands to diversify their economy and to replace a declining traditional agriculture.

Would not the situation of countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, Senegal, Tanzania, Sao Tomé and Principe, Maldives and many others be even worse without tourism? Where is the economic future of Cambodia, Nepal, Cape Verde, Vanuatu, Comoros, Haiti, Yemen and many others if not in tourism development?

Cross-country evidence demonstrates that tourism in LDCs is a labour intensive activity offering small scale opportunities. It therefore has the capacity to create jobs – jobs for the poor, jobs for women and young people, jobs in the indigenous communities, unskilled as well as highly qualified jobs, jobs in seaside resorts as well as in remote rural areas and in ecotourism activities.

The same cross-country evidence illustrates the major contribution that foreign currency receipts, generated by tourism, can bring to the balance of payments of most of these countries, reducing their external debt and avoiding dependency on a single export sector, usually raw materials. Tourism receipts prove to be much more important to LDCs than the leakages they can generate.

For these two reasons combined, tourism can play an important part in improving living standards and raising people above the poverty threshold.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 53

* * *

However, their further tourism development is severely handicapped by a number of factors, in particular, the lack of – or deficiencies in – necessary physical infrastructure, communication systems, mastering of new information technologies and development of human resources.

At a high level meeting on tourism and poverty alleviation in LDCs, organized by UNCTAD and the World Tourism Organization in March 2001 in the Canary Islands (Spain), four critical areas for development of tourism in these countries were identified:

- strengthening the capacities of LDC governments and especially of their national tourism administrations, to enhance sustainable and competitive tourism; - developing entrepreneurial capacities and managerial skills, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises, in order to improve the competitiveness of tourism products and services; - promoting synergies between transport and tourism policies, with particular reference to air transport; and - increasing national capacities to use relevant elements of the multilateral trade framework.

I would like to urge the Conference participants, international institutions and aid agencies, to give favourable consideration to national and regional projects that are aimed at strengthening the capacities of LDCs in these four areas.

WTO itself will set a good example by including poverty alleviation as a new priority in its budget for 2002-2003. A special programme will be implemented for sub- Saharan African destinations which receive only 1.5% of world tourism receipts. However, this new WTO programme will be far from sufficient: our own resources are limited, we can provide technical assistance but we are not a financial institution.

* * *

In appealing to the international community to consider the value of tourism in the international fight to alleviate poverty, I should like strongly to emphasize that great care should be taken to ensure that the right kind of tourism is promoted – sustainable tourism.

We have to recognize the fact that unguided tourism development can have a profound and negative impact on the environment as well as a devastating effect on the social and cultural patterns of developing countries. Without an appropriate regulatory framework, efficient planning, sound management and clear sustainable development guidelines, tourism can do harm to the natural and social environment, endanger natural biodiversity and cultural heritage, lead to the exploitation of people – particularly women and children - offend traditional cultural values and customs and alienate local

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 54 communities. These and other negative aspects of tourism are comprehensively addressed in WTO’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, adopted in 1999.

However there is overwhelming evidence of the overall positive impact of tourism. I have already mentioned some of its most valuable benefits. The contribution of tourism to social and economic development in LDCs is of more critical importance than in developed countries. The narrow resource base of many poor countries makes tourism one of the few potential avenues for their growth and development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I wanted to share with you this conviction and I thank all of you for your attention.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 55

Statement by Mr. Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, at the Launch Ceremony of the International Year of Ecotourism 2002

(New York, 28 January 2002)

Madam Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In November, the Secretary-General of the United Nations informed me that in view of the importance he attaches to this International Year of Ecotourism, he wished to open it in person. We understand that circumstances prevent him from being with us today. Mr. Kofi Annan’s absence has nonetheless enabled us to benefit from the presence of Mrs. Louise Fréchette, which is indeed a happy coincidence insofar as this international year will culminate in her home country, Canada, with the Summit that is scheduled to take place in Quebec in May.

The World Tourism Organization has spared no effort to make this International Year a success. Alone, with UNEP, or with other partners, it has organized preparatory meetings and conferences in Mozambique, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Austria, Greece, the Seychelles, Germany and Algeria, in the course of which two hundred case studies were presented to over 1,800 participants. Other meetings are scheduled, notably in Spain, the Maldives, Russia, the United States and Fiji. A series of technical publications and market studies have been prepared and are at your disposal.

* * * Ladies and Gentlemen,

On 11 September, the city of New York and its inhabitants were targeted by one of the most heinous terrorist attacks of modern times. Besides the thousands of employees of the World Trade Centre and the rescuers who bravely came to their aid, another victim was immediately singled out by markets and experts: the airline and tourism industry, which was directly hit by the biggest civil aviation catastrophe in history.

This analysis was right, at least to some extent.

Tomorrow in Madrid, on the occasion of FITUR, Spain’s major tourism fair, I will announce the preliminary results for world tourism in 2001. The growth rate for arrivals has plummeted, from 7.4 % in 2000 to virtually nil last year, as a consequence not only of the global economic slowdown that had already taken hold before 11 September but above all of these events and their huge media impact.

But for tourism, a sudden crisis does not necessarily translate into a long-term recession. Some scheduled trips have simply been postponed or the destination switched. Experience shows that tourism has always managed to bounce back from past crises with remarkable speed and recover its previously strong growth levels. After a

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 56 marked downturn, there are numerous indicators that activity will definitely pick up in 2002.

It is on the basis of these facts and figures and with the benefit of hindsight that we are able to express our confidence in the future of the industry and maintain our long-term growth forecasts. We still expect over one billion international tourist arrivals in 2010 and over 1.5 billion in 2020.

It was here in this very city, in November, that I told the United General Assembly that we should not allow our deep concerns for the enterprises whose structures have been weakened and for the workers whose jobs are at risk to lead us to bark up the wrong tree. Tourism will bounce back, and fast, if this is not already the case. The tripling of flows in the space of a generation, predicted by WTO, and the growing pressure to which the environment, tourism sites and host populations will inevitably be subject as a result, should encourage us, today as in the past, to think and act with a view to the sustainable development of this activity.

Obviously, the concept of sustainable development applied to tourism cannot be reduced to ecotourism, which is just one of its components. But ecotourism, which is what we are highlighting today, is far from being a fringe activity. It should not be regarded as a passing fad or a gimmick, or even as a secondary market niche, but rather as one of the trump cards of this industry of the future, i.e. tourism. And for a simple reason: it is crucial to the problem of developing a balanced, sustainable and responsible tourism sector.

* * * Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Roman divinity Janus had two faces, and depending on whether the door of his temple was open or closed, Rome was either at war or at peace.

Like Janus, international tourism has a twofold image and its two faces are completely different.

There is the face that becomes inscrutable on regarding with consternation the anarchic development of certain sites and the unrestrained development of certain destinations. The inevitable growth of tourist flows, to which I have just referred, can only accentuate these distorted features further: growing pressure, for the most part intolerable, on fragile areas, coastlines and coral reefs, wetlands, tropical forests, deserts and mountains; mounting demands, competing with those of local populations, on water and energy resources; overcrowding at the most popular nature sites and monuments; inadequate transport infrastructure; outmoded public facilities; local cultures and traditions under threat…

But let us not lapse into otherworldliness. Nature tourism and ecotourism, even if practised in a measured and reasonable fashion that respects the carrying capacity of sites, will not eliminate these pitfalls completely. These activities cannot fail to make an impact on the areas visited because no human activity is without impact. But – and this is their remarkable advantage – they make it possible to satisfy man’s insatiable appetite for discovery and travel without overstepping the limits of what is intolerable and

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002 57 beyond remedy. A smokeless activity, ecotourism equals other competing activities in producing value added in local economies but causes far less pollution.

Ecotourism is a form of leisure and travel that represents the happy face of tourism. It brings out the best qualities of tourism, such as its capacity to create wealth in the poorest regions, where it is one of the rare activities capable of replacing traditional farming and agriculture, which are fast disappearing. It offers new openings for these activities and for fishing, handicrafts and the local building industry. It contributes to lightening the burden of the most heavily indebted developing countries and to financing their imports. And above all, it creates jobs – lots of jobs – jobs at the level where they are most needed, unskilled as well as highly skilled jobs, jobs in remote rural areas that are ideal for hiking and discovery tourism, thus preventing the tragedy of marginalization and the forced emigration of young people arriving on the job market.

* * * Ladies and Gentlemen,

Tourism has become – without our always immediately realizing it – one of the biggest economic activities of this day and age, perhaps the biggest. With 476 billion dollars in 2000, tourism is doubtless the primary source of international trade receipts.

Some people are worried by this, and rightly so. Others, perhaps some of you here today, would like to offer resistance, but this doesn’t make sense. Is there any point in trying to stem the tide or swim against the stream?

By proclaiming 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism, the United Nations is sending out a message to the international community. The same message as the one it conveyed last year on considering tourism as an instrument for poverty alleviation on the occasion of the Brussels Conference on Less Developed Countries, and on endorsing the Global Code of Ethics presented by our Organization. The same message that I hope it will convey again this year by placing tourism on the agenda of the Johannesburg Summit and by responding favourably to the motion we have submitted with a view to transforming the World Tourism Organization into a specialized UN agency in its own right.

This message of determination and hope mirrors a desire to make tourism consistent with the strategy of sustainable development. It mirrors the face of an activity that is an expression of freedom, an activity that has been galvanized by the inrush of new technologies and fuelled by the elimination of barriers to trade and the free movement of people, but an activity whose environmental, cultural and social impacts are kept under control. This message can be summed up in the conviction, expressed in the Global Code of Ethics, that it is possible – I quote: «to reconcile in this sector economy and ecology, environment and development, openness to international trade and protection of social and cultural identities».

Thank you.

WTO Contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, 2002