Summit Balances Ecosystems and Ecotourist Pleasure

QUEBEC CITY, Canada, May 20, 2002 (ENS) - The first ever World Ecotourism Summit opened Sunday evening with over 1,100 delegates from 130 countries, who have gathered to ensure that ecotourism follows a sustainable path.

The United Nations designated the year 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism, and this summit at the Québec City Convention Centre is the key global event for the year.

"Ecotourism operates in a fragile environment - often it is this fragility, which is the main attraction for tourists," Klaus Toepfer, executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), told the delegates this morning.

Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve, Québec (Photo courtesy World Ecotourism Summit)

But ecotourism also has the potential to destroy sensitive areas, even when they are protected in formal ways such as national parks.

A lack of internationally recognized standards has contributed to the destruction of some fragile areas in the name of ecotourism.

"Greenwashing has occurred all too often, devaluing the whole concept of ecotourism," Toepfer said.

"It is therefore imperative, and in the interest of all stakeholders," he said, "to ensure that there are guidelines, certification and codes of conduct, which are agreed and accepted as binding."

Principles and guidelines such as the World Tourism Organization's Global Code of Ethics, the UNEP Principles for Sustainable Tourism and the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism in Vulnerable Ecosystems must be translated into concrete standards for ecotourism, Toepfer said.

UNEP and other partners in the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council are considering the creation of an international accreditation body for ecotourism and sustainable tourism, Toepfer said.

"Responsibility to act now, rests with all stakeholders – governments, local communities, tourists, the tourism industry and international organizations, such as my own," he told the delegates.

Ecotourism stakeholders from around the world have had input into 20 international preparatory ecotourism conferences, which started last year. The summaries of these regional gatherings are being presented in this week.

On the dais at the World Ecotourism Summit (from left) WTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer, Canadian officials (Photo courtesy World Ecotourism Summit)

"We expect many things from this meeting, the first being the definition of the content and limits of the term ecotourism itself, so as to prevent its abuse and the dilution of its meaning," said WTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli.

Ecotourism has been defined as a form of nature based tourism in the marketplace, but it has also been formulated and studied as a sustainable development tool by nongovernmental organizations, development experts and academics since 1990. The term ecotourism refers, at once, to a concept under a set of principles, and to a specific market segment.

"Canada is privileged when it comes to ecotourism, said Judd Buchanan, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Tourism Commission, "being blessed with an extraordinarily rich and diversified geography. But it is our responsibility to protect this natural heritage. Beyond our role as host of this international event, our participation in this first World Ecotourism Summit is another way to express our desire and willingness to take on this responsibility."

Richard Legendre, Québec's Minister responsible for Youth, Tourism, Recreation and Sport, who is also the minister responsible for Wildlife and Parks, expressed the willingness of the province to learn from the visiting delegates. "This summit will allow us to benefit not only from the experience and the expertise of the people working in this domain, but will also help us to quickly increase our knowledge of the methods being used abroad," he said.

During 2002, the United Nations is observing both the International Year of Ecotourism and the International Year of Mountains. Links between these two issues are being explored at the ecotourism summit.

Local communities in Nepal's Himalayas experienced first-hand how destructive the attention of well meaning ecotourists can be to the mountains they explore. In the 1950s when numerous tourists discovered Nepal, hotels and lodges were built to accomodate them. Forests were cut to meet the tourism industry's demand for firewood and timber. But local people were left short of firewood and experienced an increase in erosion and landslides where the forests had once stood.

Ecolodge in the Eastern Himalayas (Photo courtesy Earthfoot)

Patricia Barnett, director of Tourism Concern, says her organization is "pleased that campaigning organizations in destination countries have pressurized the IYE to recognize that even ecotourism can have serious negative impacts on local people and environments and needs careful consideration." She said, "All tourism needs to benefit local people and their environments, including ecotourism."

In his speech to the delegates today, Topfer recognized not only the fragility of the environments that ecotourists seek, but the fragility of locally owned micro, small and medium enterprises, whose role, he said is "essential."

"We need to find ways to build their capacity to survive, and maintain their social and environmental standards," he said, "thereby increasing economic benefits to local communities, and helping to address poverty."

"The environment is the major asset of the developing world – the poor have little else - it must be preserved and used responsibly for sustainable development. Ecotourism can play a role in ensuring the preservation and use of natural assets," Toepfer said.

Delegates will cap the World Ecotourism Summit with a formal Declaration that will be presented to the World Summit on Sustainable Development taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 26 to September 4.

Related Links:

World Ecotourism Summit:
http://www.ecotourism2002.org

World Commission on Protected Areas:
http://wcpa.iucn.org/theme/tourism/tourism.html

WCPA Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines:
http://wcpa.iucn.org/pubs/publications.html#guidelines

UNEP Ecotourism Site:
http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/ecotourism

World Tourism Organization:
http://www.world-tourism.org/

International Ecotourism Society:
http://www.ecotourism.org/

Canadian Tourism Commission:
http://www.canadatourism.com/en/ctc/ctc_index.cfm

Tourism Concern:
http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/main_page.htm

Indigenous Ecotourism and Sustainable Development, The Case of Río Blanco, Ecuador:
http://www.eduweb.com/schaller/Section3RB%27sproject.html

Earthfoot Low Impact EcoTours:
http://www.earthfoot.org/