Thank you for this opportunity for input regarding next year's Tourism Segment. In gathering comments for this paper, the suggested dialogue topics were sent out to NGOs involved in the CSD via the csdgen e-mail listserver and by fax to Steering Committee members who are not on e-mail. NGOs with particular expertise in tourism were also consulted. The following paper summarizes the comments received.
The Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 calls for the Commission to "develop an action-oriented international programme of work on sustainable tourism, to be defined in cooperation with the World Tourism Organization, UNCTAD, UNEP, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant bodies."
In the CSD's spirit of participation, it is suggested that Major Groups should be included in those considered 'relevant' in the development of a Programme of Work.
In general, it is considered that the proposed themes are too broad to contribute effectively to such a programme of work. The themes need to be targeted towards specific issues within the broader themes. This will also ensure that all Dialogue participants are prepared to talk on the same issues.
Suggested Approach:
The themes of the Dialogue Sessions should be focussed
so as to contribute to the development of an International Programme of
Work on Sustainable Tourism. Major Groups should be involved as active
participants in any such Programme of Work.
The link between education and tourism was particularly
emphasized by NGOs. As well as needing greater consumer education about
tourism, tourism is an important vehicle for informal and non-formal education
on the issues of sustainable development.
2. Major Group
Involvement
We would suggest that the major groups do not have to
remain the same for all four sessions. Groups can be changed according
to the issues being discussed. Alternatively the focus within the groups
can be changed. For example, NGOs could be asked to have a particular focus
on Indigenous Peoples for the Coastal Impact Session and a focus on NGOs
with expertise monitoring tourism operations for the Responsible Entrepreneurship
Session. The Major Groups that we would most like to see participating
are listed under each Session.
Suggested Approach:
Major group representation does not have to be constant
for all four sessions, and would be more relevant if identified according
to each individual issue.
The role of Indigenous Peoples and the impact of tourism on this Major Group is of particular concern. In trying to foster sustainable tourism development it is vital to include the perspective of local and indigenous communities. (Recalling in particular the Convention on Biological Diversity, paragraph 8j: indigenous people and local communities should share in the benefits of the use of their knowledge and resources, as well as considering the issues of cultural respect, land rights and human rights) This needs to be reflected in the Tourism Dialogues. If one of the suggested Session themes is not agreed upon, Indigenous Peoples and Tourism could be considered as an alternative theme (see section 7).
Suggested Approach:
All sectors should be asked to present how and to what
extent their activities are taking into consideration local and indigenous
communities in tourism-dependent sites as well as in other areas.
Older persons were another sector of society noted to feel the impacts of tourism. Very often tourism involves marketing cultural and historical features as a way to attract people. In the process, the ways of life for older persons, in particular those who have sustained the culture and history, can be easily overlooked and even destroyed in the desire to attract tourism.
In terms of Business Major Group involvement, participation should be broader, reflecting the diverse nature of the tourism industry. For example, a survey carried out by the NGO Tourism Concern broke the sector into seven categories (tour operators, travel agents, hotels, carriers, tourism associations, government tourism offices and tourism development consultancies). In particular, participation should be extended to include smaller tourism actors. A suggested participant could be the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO).
Suggested Approach:
Participation within all Major Groups must be broadly
representative. Gender and regional balance need to be specifically required
of participants.
3.
Responsible Entrepreneurship in Tourism
NGOs believe that this topic is very important and should
be the focus of one of the Sessions. It is the probably the key session
that will ensure buy-in from the Tourism Industry. Re-titling the Dialogue
'Industry Initiatives for Sustainable Tourism' or 'Greening the Tourism
Industry' could be more encouraging to Industry participants.
There are a number of voluntary initiatives in the tourism industry that could be assessed. In developing an International Programme of Work on Tourism, it would be useful to examine the mix of instruments already in play, including voluntary, regulatory and market-incentives.
There is some question as to how this session will fit in with the work being carried out on Voluntary Initiatives, which is due to report back to CSD-7. The issue was raised at the last conference call of the major groups informal review committee. A report from a participant in the conference call concluded that consideration of the topic in a Dialogue will not conflict with the work of the committee. The review committee may not be able to engage in a deep and comprehensive review between now and April, since they will be negotiating the terms of what constitutes a proper evaluation. Nevertheless, they will have looked critically at a number of tourism codes and initiatives sufficiently to present perspectives from the industry, NGO and trade union sides.
In this dialogue the three major groups participating in the review committee could report on what has been examined and discuss what issues and elements are important and what lessons or implications the discussions might have on the creation of an International Programme of Work on Tourism.
Suggested Major Groups
4. Changing
Consumer Behavior in Tourism
This theme could only be a success if re-framed to focus
on the driving forces shaping consumer perceptions and behavior, especially
marketing and advertising, mass media and the availability of relevant
consumer information. The Session could concentrate on the question of
how best to educate and inform consumers so that they are able to make
responsible decisions (a new title could be 'Mechanisms to Change Consumer
Behavior'). Concern was expressed at the current focus of this topic on
the consumers, who as individuals are not in a strong position to change
their own behavior.
In the Programme for the Further Implementation
of Agenda 21, paragraph 68 states:
"For sustainable patterns of consumption and production
in the tourism sector, it is essential to strengthen national policy development
and enhance capacity in the areas of physical planning, impact assessment,
and the use of economic and regulatory instruments, as well as in the areas
of information, education and marketing."
An examination of national policy would be a very useful focus for this Session, contributing to the wider Consumption and Production debate (see also Alternative Topic, section 7.1 below).
Suggested Major Groups
5.
Maximizing positive social and economic impacts of Tourism
Leakage of tourism earnings is a significant barrier
to maximizing positive social and economic impacts. The seriousness of
this issue has been recognized in various reports (for example, the Secretary
General's report Sustainable Tourism Development in Small Island Developing
States E/CN.17/1996/20/Add.3). It is a major focus for NGOs working in
the tourism and development field. Sub-issues include the increasing reliance
on tourism earnings; limitations of employment opportunities available
for locals (including other sectors such as agriculture and construction);
and the need to build capacity to provide for tourist demands locally.
Suggested Approach:
This Session should be focussed on ways of minimizing
leakages so as to maximize the positive social and economic impacts of
tourism.
Another issue within the development area is the need to assess the impacts of globalization, multilateral financing and assistance agencies' funded projects. There are several good and bad examples of projects financed by the World Bank, GEF, IDB, etc, from which lessons of what and what not to do could be drawn. Multilateral agencies, such as the above mentioned, should be invited to participate in such a discussion.
Suggested Major Groups
6. Coastal Impact
of Tourism
This topic is especially important to those NGOs in the
Small Island Developing States, as well as those in other tourism-intensive
coastal areas (e.g. the Gambia, Spain).
The discussion could be more focussed around the impacts of mass tourism, which has significant impacts on the natural environment and local communities. A range of impacts could all be examined, in particular: use of natural resources, foreshore access rights, fishing rights and displacement of local communities.
Suggested Major Groups
7. Alternative
Dialogue Topics
Other topics on Tourism have been suggested by NGOs.
These could be adopted as Sessions in their own right, or their issues
could possibly be incorporated into the other sessions.
7.1
National / Local Government Policy Development
This theme would examine the policy framework that tourism
operates within and the policy and planning necessary to enable sustainable
tourism to occur. The Session could examine existing cases and identify
areas for action on a number of aspects including regulation, planning,
new developments, construction and operations. Hopefully, such a discussion
would include the role of government in the development of indicators and
monitoring systems. If focussed on Consumption and Production in Tourism,
the theme could expand paragraph 68 of the Programme for the Further Implementation
of Agenda 21.
Suggested Major Groups
7.2 Alternatives
to Mass Tourism
This theme could explore cultural- and eco-tourism, and
changing the nature of tourism. Issues could include how tourism can benefit
both tourists and local communities and allow for two-way interaction and
education. Note that this is not a clear-cut issue - for example, do communities
want tourists interacting with them or not?
The theme is also about recognizing the value of tourism destinations (whether that value is natural or cultural) and not reducing that value in order to meet the perceived demands of the tourism market. For example, utilizing appropriate building design and construction techniques and maintaining cultural integrity in the face of the homogenizing tendencies of tourism.
Major Groups
7.3 Indigenous
Peoples and Tourism
The impacts of tourism on indigenous communities - how
does tourism add to or detract from the lives of indigenous people? Such
a dialogue could cover issues of employment, land rights, access to natural
resources, whether indigenous groups have a lead role in defining and operating
the tourism projects that affect their people, community displacement,
cultural respect and the impacts of rapid social change.
Major Groups