SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Opportunities and challenges

Tourism is making significant changes to the socio-economic development of many countries in Asia and the Pacific region through its role in expanding their economic base, increasing foreign exchange earnings and providing employment. Tourism offers labour intensive and small-scale business opportunities and employs a high proportion of women and unskilled youths.

Since areas suitable for tourism development are often situated far from the centers of other economic activities. Particularly rural areas, it can contribute to poverty alleviation.

Tourism if carried out in a comprehensive and planned manner can indeed be a catalyst for sustainable development.

Tourism will be sustainable if the benefits available to current generations do not place longer-term prosperity and the quality of life of future generations at risk. Ecosystems and biological diversity should be maintained and the use of natural resources should be based on the principle of optimal sustainable yield.

Tourism conceived in such a way contributes to long-term prosperity and the quality of life of future generations.

Active participation of local communities in tourism policy making, planning, management and monitoring can help ensure support at the local level, appropriate distribution of socio-economic benefits and that negative impacts are monitored and minimized.

The role of tourism has become particularly significant in developing countries, where there may be few alternative development opportunities. We should try to expand socio-economic benefits from sustainable tourism development.

The success of any country's tourism development strategy will be determined in great part by the ability of the human resources to deliver efficient, high-quality services.

Ecotourism: opportunities and challenges

There are increasing efforts to use eco-tourism's potential to support conservation of culture and the natural environment and benefit local people.

Eco-tourism has enormous potential to contribute to economic development in general. A framework for long-term sustainable development of eco-tourism for countries in Asia and the Pacific region must meet two main requirements. The first requirement is to have a definition of eco-tourism understanding about the purpose, types of activities involved, eco-tourism's distinctive characteristics and its linkage to environmental conservation and sustainable development.

With these considerations in mind, one useful definition of eco-tourism had been adopted by participants at an ESCAP Seminar on Sustainable Development of Eco--tourism held at Bagan, Myanmar in June 2002. Eco-tourism was defined as nature and culture based tourism that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation and ensures benefits to the local community.

The second requirement for sustainable eco-tourism development is to gain a commitment from national policy makers that they will (a) develop strategy, policy and plans that give vision and direction; (b) encourage coordination, implementation and guidelines on a range of specific topics related to tourism and environmental issues; and (c) establish mechanisms for providing information and monitoring the social and environmental impact.

The framework for sustainable development of eco-tourism must also address issues and problems of infrastructure and accessibility, as well as how to create awareness and provide education and training in eco-tourism.

The concept of Community-based Tourism (CBT) has been increasingly recognized as an effective tool to link conservation and community development.

It is, however, important to note that the objectives of Community-based Tourism do not always emphasize natural resource conservation and linkages with economic development. Cultural conservation, community and/or gender empowerment, poverty alleviation, and income generation, are also primary purposes in many cases.

Tourism has the potential to link conservation and development, especially if local communities are able to capture economic benefits and are empowered to conserve the resources on which their incomes depend.

CBT may focus on adding value to existing activities resulting in increased revenues and incomes to local communities and incentives to conserve resources.

The success of CBT in the long-term will depend significantly on the skills, knowledge and experience of those participating whether as individuals or organizations.

Any form of tourism is usually complex involving a chain of supply of services and products and a number of consumers.

For a number of developing countries their natural and cultural heritage continues to be a source of significant economic benefits, attracting international and domestic visitors often in search of authentic and unique experiences.

Many different types of tourism can now be found in the commercial tourism sector, as well as in the mandates of conservation and development organizations: ecotourism, nature-based tourism, adventure tourism, responsible tourism, cultural tourism, pro-poor tourism, and so on.

For our purposes Community-based Tourism is a visitor-host interaction that has meaningful participation by both, and generates economic and conservation benefits for local communities and environments. Our focus is on conservation and economic development.