Tourism and the environment

Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

Policy issues tourism and the environment

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment

Minister of Mines, Environment and Tourism

UNEP should convene a meeting of ministers of environment and tourism, together with their counterpart country representatives to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, to review issues of tourism and the environment

Negative impacts of tourism on the environment include

Tourism enterprises are also well placed to influence tourists in espousing environmentally and socially responsible behaviour during their holidays (even more crucial when the environmental and social contexts of the destinations are very different from those of the country of origin).

Tourism style towns must be equipped with elements of style, tourism, service and the environment.

Global Environmental Change 12, 283 302

Background paper on tourism and the environment

Maintenance and enhancement of the environment to support the development of tourism

Tourism as a force for environmental change

Planning, Ministry of Environment and Tourism

As a high quality environment is a key part of the tourist product, tourism can be an ally, and a supportive economic and political force, for conservation.

In addition to its dynamic growth, a further reason to pay particular attention to tourism within the context of environmental policy is the special two way relationship between the tourism industry and the environment.

C. Implementing sustainability in tourism through multilateral environmental agreements

General provisions that are applicable to tourism in multilateral environmental agreements

There are some encouraging signs in terms of market response, with a majority of tourists being concerned about the quality of the environment in destinations where this may affect their own enjoyment, and an increasing awareness among tourists of the impacts of tourism on local environments and communities.

The existing multilateral environmental agreements, although they are not specifically concerned with tourism, provide a framework through which tourism issues can be addressed in relation to environmental protection and conservation.

(e) Development of tourism its impact on the economic and social sectors and on the environment

The environmental impact of tourism is heavily influenced by the decisions taken by private sector investors and operators of tourism enterprises.

How can UNEP activities in the area of sustainable tourism be strengthened?

Among these, tourism service facilities and the environment are very important.

Unregulated tourism could have a serious adverse impact on the natural and cultural environment of receiving destinations, particularly in developing countries.

Monitoring can be implemented mainly through measurements of the state of the environment and society and regular surveys of visitors, tourism enterprises and local communities.

Mr. de Villiers (Observer for the World Tourism Organization) said that tourism must not only maintain environmental health, but also provide opportunities for both developing and developed countries to benefit from the industry.

Tourists are increasingly looking for attractive, unpolluted places to visit, and involvement with tourism can also make local people more aware of the need to conserve the environment.

It is important to ensure that destination management organizations include representatives of local environmental and community interests.

(a) Examination of the relationships and interlinkages between the tourism sector, the environment and development in developing countries

Compounding these challenges is our heavy dependence on the natural environment to support our tourism industry, the lifeblood of the economies of our nations.

It is increasingly recognized that integrated planning of tourism development, linked to environmental management, can be most effective within clearly identified local destinations.

A number of multilateral environmental agreements have adopted guidelines that focus on tourism, in order to support their implementation where tourism is an important factor.

Sustainable tourism is an approach to tourism that integrates ethical, social and environmental considerations in an economically viable way.

Governments should publicly and regularly report on outcomes of their streamlining efforts

The main beneficiaries of a DMS are potential travelers, the providers of tourism products and services, national travel agents and outbound travel agents, national tourism institutions, IT providers and investors.

(c) Green Resource Directory techniques, products and services for improved environmental management in tourism facilities

(e) Regional Environmental Action Plan for Tourism key steps for the implementation of Agenda 21 in the Caribbean

Lei Sakov, the brigade captain of Moscow city police said that in recent years, Moscow's urban environment and tourism ambience have become better and better, attracting more and more foreign tourists.

The above environmental impacts of tourism need to be addressed by international agencies (information on the activities of the United Nations Environment Programme in the area of tourism may be found in document UNEP GCSS.IX INF 12), Governments, non governmental organizations, local communities and private sector tourism enterprises, working together.

Tourism thrives on a pristine environment, and it therefore provides fertile ground for testing innovative policies.

Support was expressed for the inclusion of the eco tourism issue within the Conference, in the light of its significant potential for the poverty reduction of the rural population while protecting the environment.

The implementation of sustainability in tourism can also be supported through the effective implementation of multilateral environmental agreements, which aim to tackle environmental issues, and activities that could have transboundary environmental effects.

Tourism can also bring negative social impacts that have important consequences for environmental resource management.

The programme recognizes that uncontrolled and ill planned tourism significantly degrades the coastal environment.