1

3. Organizational policy and structures in the environmental field - ecotourism legislation and

regulation - The module has been developed by Mrs. Liliya Terzieva – Lecturer and Researcher at the

Academy for Leisure Studies at NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands

(please, read Appendix 1 and 2)

Local communities, private sector enterprises, NGOs, local authorities and protected areas, national

governments and international agencies all have a role to play in the organizational policy and structures

in the ecotourism development and marketing since their interaction:

• Addresses local community needs and opportunities. It has always been emphasized the

importance of working with local and indigenous communities in determining the level and type

of tourism development in their area and in encouraging individual entrepreneurship,

community-based enterprise and employment opportunities for local people.

• Recognizes the key role of private sector businesses. Fostering and working with successful

private sector operations, encouraging and helping them to meet a combination of commercial,

social and environmental objectives, has proved to be a sound strategy. It is important to

strengthen links between private operators and local communities. International and incoming

tour operators have an important role to play, not only in promoting ecotourism but also in

advising on product development and the overall quality of a destination, relating this to

customer requirements.

• Strengthens networking between small enterprises and projects. Examples vary from

associations of village community ecotourism products in a number of Asian and African

countries, to branded small farm based accommodation enterprises in Europe with central

booking services. The practice puts forward the concept of local clusters of ecotourism

initiatives, thereby establishing a critical mass of product in one area which would provide a

composite visitor experience, be more able to attract business and justify investment in

supporting infrastructure.

• Recognizes protected areas as focal points for ecotourism products and marketing. Often

parks and other protected areas provide the main draw for visitors, creating an opportunity for

local communities to gain economic benefit through the provision of facilities and services. The

relationship between protected area authorities and local communities and tourism enterprises

can be a critical one. There are various examples of stakeholder groups or wider liaison forums

attached to national or nature parks, enabling the park to influence standards, marketing

2

messages and new projects, while also supporting and coordinating enterprises and reflecting

their needs. The quality of a park’s own facilities and services, and the relationship between

visitor management and conservation policies, is obviously of major importance in its own right.

• Increases support from national and local government for product development and

marketing of ecotourism. Priorities may include infrastructure improvement, including

sustainable transport, and featuring ecotourism more strongly in destination and thematic

promotional campaigns.

The global policy and legislative context relevant for the ecotourism sector and biodiversity is described

as follows:

A. Global context regarding Ecotourism and Biodiversity policies

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992

called upon governments to commit to the development of national strategies for the conservation and

sustainable use of biological diversity. The European Union is one of the 191 signatory parties to the

CBD. In 2005, two multi-stakeholder meetings organized by the CBD Secretariat and others examined

ways to strengthen business engagement in the implementation of the CBD. This emerging consensus to

engage business in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is reflected in the Decisions of

the CBD1. Decision VIII/17 was the first decision by the Conference of the Parties focusing exclusively

on business and was adopted at its eighth meeting in Curitiba, Brazil, in March 2006. It covers the

engagement of Parties with the business community when developing and implementing national

biodiversity strategies and action plans; the participation of business in Convention processes; the

compilation, dissemination and strengthening of the ‘business case’ for biodiversity; and the compilation

and development of good biodiversity practice.

The last Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CoP10) was held in

October 2010 in Nagoya. It evaluated, among other issues, the progress made towards the 2010

biodiversity target, including national reports and the Global Biodiversity Outlook, and studied the

programme of work for the period 2011-20201.

B. European biodiversity and ecotourism policy

EU Biodiversity Policy

At the Gothenburg summit in 2001, EU leaders adopted the 6th Environmental Action Programme. This

programme sets the objective to ‘halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010’. This very ambitious goal

surpassed the one set by world leaders in 2002 to ‘achieve a significant reduction in the current rate of

biodiversity loss by 2010’.

3

This 6th Environmental Action Programme was an addition to the Lisbon Strategy, which is an action

and development plan for the European Union between 2000 and 2010. The main fields are economic,

social, and environmental renewal and sustainability. The EU leaders decided to add the environmental

dimension commenting that ‘failure to reverse trends that threaten future quality of life will steeply

increase the costs of society or make those trends irreversible’.

Within the first years after the adoption of the 6th Environmental Action Programme it became clear to

policy makers and stakeholders within different sectors that a major shift in attitude towards the role of

business in biodiversity was needed in order to reach the goals set for 2010,. In response to CBD

Decision VIII/17 on private sector engagement, the European Initiative on Business and Biodiversity

was developed in a multi-stakeholder consultation process which involved EU, governmental, business

and NGO representatives. It stresses that business has a crucial role in biodiversity conservation and

seeks strong commitment from the business sector.

The initiation of the Business @ Biodiversity Platform is one of the technical tools being developed to

facilitate the process following the Message from Lisbon to involve businesses into biodiversity

conservation.

The goal of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 was not achieved and new and improved policy

steps therefore need to be taken to enhance efforts in the coming years. Biodiversity conservation and

the financial and business sector involvement must now be integrated into new long-term economic

strategies for Europe. In September 2010 the Belgian presidency hosted the conference ‘Biodiversity

after 2010 – biodiversity in a changing world’.

The EU post-2010 target

During the CBD COP10 (Nagoya, October 2010) the Decision on Business Engagement was adopted:

http://www.cbd.int/nagoya/outcomes/ was presented at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the

Convention on Biological Diversity in October 2010, Nagoya, Japan.

The Habitats and Birds directives

The EU Biodiversity policy is supported by two directives, Habitats and Birds. These two directives set

the framework of the Natura 2000 network of conservation areas. Nowadays, Natura 2000 is

safeguarding Europe’s most important habitats and species and is the cornerstone of EU biodiversity

policy. Accordingly, Natura 2000 will be an important element of the EU Biodiversity Strategy aiming

to halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, restore

them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss.

4

Natura 2000 is an EU-wide network aiming to assure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable

and threatened species and habitats. It is comprised of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated

by Member States under the Habitats Directive and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) which they

designate under the 1979 Birds Directive. Natura 2000 is not a system of strict nature reserves where all

human activities are excluded2.

Other international convention and other initiative. Ecosystem related treaties and conventions

RAMSAR

Ramsar is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international

cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources (“the maintenance of their

ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context

of sustainable development”). It overlaps with the Habitats Directive. It is the only global environmental

treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem and the Convention’s member countries cover all

geographic regions of the planet. The Ramsar Convention sponsors and hosts a number of wetland-

related programmes and activities directed to the Ramsar and wetland community and to the general

public.

Labels

The European Ecolabel on Tourism Accommodation

This European Ecolabel is part of The European Ecolabel voluntary scheme, established in 1992 to

encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment.

Tourism accommodation displaying this award:

• Limits energy consumption.

• Limits water consumption.

• Reduces waste production.

• Prefers the use of renewable resources and of substances which are less hazardous to the

environment.

• Promotes environmental education and communication.

Green Globe

Green Globe Certification is a global certification for sustainability and awards different businesses in

the tourism sector: hotels, conference centres, attractions, transportation and travel, other tourism

businesses, cruises and spas. Green Globe Certification is a member of the Tourism Sustainability

Council (TSC). The TSC is the agreed international standard for the sustainable operation and

management of travel and tourism businesses. The Green Globe Standard meets and exceeds all the

5

requirements of the TSC. The environmental criteria include the conservation of biodiversity,

ecosystems and landscapes. http://www.greenglobe.com/

Green Key

The Green Key® is a worldwide eco-label awarded to leisure organizations, such as hotels, youth

hostels, conference and holiday centres, campsites, holiday houses and leisure facilities. To obtain The

Green Key the company has to fulfill a list of environmental requirements. These requirements are

contained in a number of criteria. Besides environmental demands (i.e. to control the production of

waste and the use of water, electricity, etc.), the criteria include demands on policy, action plans,

education and communication.

Each country develops national criteria consisting of all the international baseline criteria plus twenty

percent national additions. National legislation, infrastructure, policies, and climate are taken into

account when developing national additions. The national additions criteria ensures a national Green

Key criteria set, which is adjusted to national and cultural characteristics.

The international baseline criteria are divided into 3 main areas: environmental management,

communication and training and technical criteria.

Golf Environment Organisation certification (GEO)

The Golf Environment Organization delivers a certification to golf courses through an environmental

balance sheet. This certification is open to any facility and is awarded after an independent on-site

verification. It aims continuous improvement.

The GEO Certification criteria cover seven main categories: Nature, Landscape & Heritage, Water,

Turf, Waste Energy, Education & Awareness and Management Planning. The Nature category includes

many biodiversity considerations such as baseline surveys on fauna, flora and habitats and an annotated

list of key species found (rare or declining species and specially protected species). The certified golf

course must moreover prove habitats creation/restoration projects as well as conservation measures for

rare species. This label provides in that regard one of the most advanced criteria for biodiversity

conservation. http://www.golfenvironment.org/

Main stakeholders

A selection of relevant stakeholders of the tourism and biodiversity sector is presented below.

Main international biodiversity conservation stakeholders

CBD

6

The Convention on Biological Diversity created a platform to foster dialogue between tourism

practitioners and disseminate support for the implementation of the CBD Guidelines on Biodiversity and

Tourism Development. http://tourism.cbd.int/

DG Environment

The Directorate-General for the Environment is one of the more than 40 Directorates-General and

services that make up the European Commission. Commonly referred to as DG Environment, the

objective of the Directorate-General is to protect, preserve and improve the environment for present and

future generations. To achieve this, it proposes policies that ensure a high level of environmental

protection in the European Union and that preserve the quality of life of EU citizens. DG Environment

makes sure that Member States correctly apply EU environmental law. In doing so, it investigates

complaints made by citizens and non-governmental organizations and can take legal action when

European Union law has been infringed. In certain cases DG Environment represents the European

Union in environmental matters at international meetings such as the United Nations Convention on

Biological Diversity. The DG also finances projects that contribute to environmental protection in the

European Union. Since 1992, 2,600 projects have received financing from the LIFE+ programme - the

European Union financial instrument for the environment.

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/index_en.htm

UNEP

The UNEP tourism and environment sector mission is to mainstream sustainability into tourism

development by demonstrating the economic, environmental, and socio-cultural benefits of sustainable

tourism. The specific case of biodiversity conservation is one of its core projects.

http://www.unep.fr/scp/tourism/

IUCN

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s oldest and largest global

environmental network, is strongly involved in business and biodiversity links, and especially with

regards to tourism. http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/business/bbp_our_work/tourism/

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect

ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Nature Conservancy is developing

partnerships with governments and organizations based in Europe to achieve mutual goals for global

conservation. http://www.nature.org/

Rainforest Alliance

7

The Rainforest Alliance is working to help tourism entrepreneurs conserve their environments and

contribute to local livelihoods, while improving their own bottom line. http://www.rainforest-

alliance.org/tourism.cfm?id=main

WWF

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) shares a common goal with the tourism sector: the long-term

preservation of the natural environment. WWF seeks to conserve nature while popular and marketable

holidays rely, to a large extent, on the existence of attractive and clean destinations. These often occur in

environmentally fragile areas that are biologically significant and rich in wildlife. http://www.wwf.org/

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a network-based organization that has pioneered the development of

the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework and is committed to its continuous

improvement and application worldwide. In order to ensure the highest degree of technical quality,

credibility, and relevance, the reporting framework is developed through a consensus-seeking process

with participants drawn globally from business, civil society, labour, and professional institutions.

Although different from the other organizations listed above, the Global Reporting Initiative includes

biodiversity criteria and is used by many tourism companies to report. http://www.globalreporting.org/

Main European or international tourism organizations

The following organizations are tourism professional or non-professional organizations and have

included in their goal or activities the concept of sustainable tourism.

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

Nations and the leading sustainable and universally accessible tourism. http://www.world-tourism.org/

http://www.unwto.org/frameset/frame_sustainable.html

European Tour Operators Association (ETOA)

ETOA was founded in 1989 by a group of tour operators who wanted representation in Europe. After 20

years, ETOA still remains the only trade association offering European level representation for the

interests of inbound and intra-European tour operators, wholesalers and their European suppliers. ETOA

represents over 450 Members. http://www.etoa.org/

International Federation of Tour Operators (IFTO)

Members of IFTO, primary point of contact for European Tour Operators, act together to shape the

industry and consumers' experience of tourism packages, working with governments and businesses in

destinations across the world. http://www.ifto.eu.com/

World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC)

8

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the forum for business leaders in the Travel &

Tourism industry. With Chief Executives of some one hundred of the world's leading Travel & Tourism

companies as its Members, WTTC has a unique mandate and overview on all matters related to Travel

& Tourism, including the environment and biodiversity. The WTTC participates in the European

Business and Biodiversity platform. http://www.wttc.org

http://www.wttc.org/eng/Best_Practice_Gateway/index.php

International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA)

IH&RA – the International Hotel & Restaurant Association – is “the only global business organization

representing the hospitality industry worldwide. Officially recognized by the United Nations, IH&RA

monitors and lobbies all international agencies on behalf of this industry, estimated to comprise 300,000

hotels and 8 million restaurants, employ 60 million people and contribute 950 billion USD annually to

the global economy.” The IHRA participates in the European Business and Biodiversity platform.

http://www.ih-ra.com/

Main European or international sustainable tourism and eco-tourism stakeholders

The Tour Operators’ Initiative (TOI) for Sustainable Tourism Development

This initiative was launched by tour operators moving towards sustainable tourism by committing

themselves to the concepts of sustainable development as the core of their business activity. They work

together through common activities to promote and disseminate methods and practices compatible with

sustainable development. http://www.toinitiative.org/

Tourism Sustainability Council

This council originates from the merge of Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) and the

Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC) in 2009. Launched at the World Conservation

Congress in October 2008, The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) are a set of 37 voluntary

standards (including biodiversity conservation and interactions with wildlife criteria) representing the

minimum that any tourism business should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s

natural and cultural resources, while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for poverty

alleviation. http://www.sustainabletourismcriteria.org/

ECOTRANS

ECOTRANS is a European network of experts and organizations in Tourism, Environment and regional

development that are seeking to promote good practice in the field of sustainable Tourism.

http://www.ecotrans.org/

International Tourism Society (TIES)

9

TIES is the world's oldest and largest international ecotourism association. TIES seeks to be the global

source of knowledge and advocacy uniting communities, conservation, and sustainable travel.

http://www.ecotourism.org/site/c.orLQKXPCLmF/b.4916707/k.2A9C/Contact_Us.htm

National Geographic’s Centre for Sustainable Destinations

Created by the Research, Conservation, and Exploration Division of National Geographic Mission

Programs, Centre for Sustainable Destinations (CSD) programs are dedicated to protecting the world’s

distinctive places through wisely managed tourism and enlightened destination stewardship.

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable/index.html

The main regulation and policy tool in the organization structuring and standardization in the

environmental area is the Ecotourism Quality Management group standard ISO 14000 as part of an

evolving series of standardization procedures being developed to provide organizations with the

structure for managing environmental impacts. The standards address six distinct, but related, subjects

including:

• environmental management systems;

• environmental auditing;

• environmental performance evaluation;

• environmental labeling;

• life-cycle assessment; and

• environmental aspects in product standards.

Under the environmental management system (EMS) standard, ISO 14001, companies develop an

environmental policy; identify environmental aspects and impacts of their activities, products and

services; define significance; prioritize aspects and impacts; identify legal and other requirements

governing the operation of the organization; establish objectives and targets; implement programs to

meet those targets; establish an auditing system and procedures for management review; as well as

follow-up and corrective action with regard to audit findings.

The environmental management programme describes how an organization meets its environmental

objectives and targets. ISO 14001 requires that an organization develops an environmental management

programme to address all of its environmental objectives and targets and describe how each will be

achieved. The programme includes a specific plan that describes the actions required to meet each

objective and target, the person(s) responsible for meeting each objective and a time schedule detailing

10

when each target is attained. Objectives and targets can be prioritized within the programme, but all

objectives must be included.

The underlying premise of ISO 14000 is improvement of environmental performance through self-

regulation and market driven pressure. An environmental management system (EMS) provides

organizations with order and consistency which enables them to address environmental concerns

through the allocation of resources, assignment of responsibilities, and on-going evaluation of practices,

procedures and processes. An EMS allows an organization to anticipate and meet its environmental

objectives and to ensure on-going compliance with national and/or international requirements. An EMS

provides a framework to balance and integrate economic and environmental interests. The process of

designing an EMS is iterative and interactive and the structure, responsibilities, practices, procedures,

processes and resources for implementing environmental polices, objectives and targets are coordinated

with existing efforts in other areas, including operations, finance, quality and occupational health and

safety. Such coordination and integration requires change, not only with regard to the engineers' thought

processes, but entails a significant amount of systemic change within the entire organization.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

ISO's EMS model is based on five basic principles. The EMS requirements are defined in Section 4 of

ISO 14001. The most basic requirement is to establish and maintain an EMS that includes all

requirements described in the standard. The model for an EMS is based on five major steps which are

discussed in general terms below (Driver B L., Brown P.J., Stankey G. H., Gregoire T. G.,1987):

1. Commitment and Policy - An organization defines its environmental policy and ensures

commitment to it. Top management must commit to continual improvement of the EMS,

prevention of pollution and compliance with applicable law. The environmental policy must

be relevant to the nature, scale and environmental impacts of activities, products and

services. The policy must be documented, available to the public, and communicated to

employees.

2. Planning - An organization formulates a plan to fulfill its environmental policy. During this

planning phase, the organization develops a cross-functional team and identifies significant

environmental impacts of activities, products and services, along with legal and other

standards to which the organization subscribes. It then sets objectives and quantifies them

wherever practicable.

3. Implementation - The third step is to put the plan into action by providing resources and

support mechanisms necessary to achieve the environmental policy and the objectives and

11

targets. In this step, the organization defines the roles and responsibilities of all involved in

the process, including senior management representatives. It identifies and provides

necessary resources. The organization identifies activities and processes with significant

environmental impacts and implements procedures to manage those activities and processes.

It establishes training procedures and carries them out. It establishes and implements internal

and external communications procedures.

4. Measurement and Evaluation - The organization measures, monitors, and evaluates its

environmental performance against its objectives and targets. It generates specific procedures

for conducting performance evaluations. It monitors and measures processes on a regular

basis and tracks performance and conformance with objectives and targets. The organization

conducts audits of the EMS to identify areas that require improvement and non-

conformances that must be corrected.

5. Review and Improvement - The final major step is to develop procedures to review and

continually improve the environmental management system, with the objective of improving

its overall environmental performance. The organization compares actual performance with

its objectives and targets, then identifies and corrects the root causes of deficiencies. It also

identifies further opportunities for improvement.

Environmental Performance Evaluation and Auditing

The success of an environmental management programme depends to a great extent on how well it

measures environmental performance. The task of evaluating performance and identifying appropriate

environmental performance indicators is an ongoing process. The ISO 14001 standard requires that

organizations develop specific, measurable objectives and targets. The standard also requires them to

evaluate the performance of their EMS and to improve it. Environmental performance evaluation is a

management tool that can provide an organization with reliable, objective and verifiable information on

an ongoing basis to determine if it is meeting the environmental criteria set by management. The goal of

EPE, which is in the developmental stages, is to give management a tool for generating the accurate

information it needs to measure and track environmental performance to help meet its objectives and

targets.

The EMS standards establish the core elements of an EMS. The EPE process provides guidance on how

to measure performance on a regular basis against objectives and targets set by the EMS. Auditing an

EMS provides guidance on how to verify the existence of the EMS against agreed upon criteria. The

12

ISO environmental auditing standards provide the basis for developing an environmental audit

programme that serves to gather and distribute information related to an organization's EMS. An ISO

14001 EMS audit is the vehicle through which the environmental aspects of your organization and how

they are managed are systematically compared against the requirements of the ISO 14001 specification.

Product Evaluation

Whereas the tools such as auditing and environmental performance evaluation are used to evaluate the

EMS, there is another series of standards that focuses not on the system per se but rather on the

characteristics of products, processes and services. These standards include environmental labeling and

life cycle assessment.

The ISO 14000 environmental labeling guidelines will likely affect the organization if it has a presence

in the retail market. These guidelines deal with product marks and their meanings and attempt to

harmonize existing third-party labeling programmes. The aim of the ISO standards in this area is not to

make all labeling programmes the same, but to achieve some consistency in methods and procedures.

Life cycle thinking means taking a holistic environmental view of a product or service, from raw

materials through production to distribution and final disposal. This perspective encourages an

organization to look at all environmental aspects of their operations and helps them integrate

environmental issues into their overall decision-making process.

The ISO 14000 standards have a major impact on how organizations throughout the world identify and

manage their environmental concerns, and become the environmental quality benchmark for conducting

international business in the next century. Becoming proactive in managing environmental aspects of an

organization makes good business sense. The potential benefits are vast and include market advantages,

compliance performances, and cost savings.

Cost savings become readily apparent when an effective management system is in place, because

resources are properly allocated, trained and focused; systems are delivering information that stimulates

accurate decision-making and decreased report generation time; and planning activities are ensuring that

the job gets done right, on time, and within budget. In addition, life cycle assessment provides a tool that

identifies environmental issues throughout a product's life. Reducing or eliminating these issues means

reducing or eliminating the activities associated with them, which translates into cost savings.

IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES

13

Despite the utility of the standards in providing guidance to implement environmental management

programmes, the key to environmental management is not simply to follow the requirements of the

standards, because while adherence to the standards may leave the organization with a well organized

and well documented programme, the most effective programmes focus on practical methods of putting

life and energy into the concept.

Appendix 1 Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria

Please complete relevant Criterion in D.

D. Maximize benefits to the environment and minimize negative impacts.

Tick (if

applicable)

Criterion Description Your Example

D.1. Conserving resources

D.1.1 Purchasing policy favours environmentally friendly

products for building materials, capital goods, food, and

consumables.

D.1.2 The purchase of disposable and consumable goods is

measured, and the business actively seeks ways to reduce

their use.

D.1.3 Energy consumption should be measured, sources

indicated, and measures to decrease overall consumption

should be adopted, while encouraging the use of renewable

energy.

D.1.4 Water consumption should be measured, sources

indicated, and measures to decrease overall consumption

should be adopted.

D.2. Reducing pollution

D.2.1 Greenhouse gas emissions from all sources controlled by

14

the business are measured, and procedures are implemented

to reduce and offset them as a way to achieve climate

neutrality.

D.2.2 Wastewater, including gray water, is treated effectively and

reused where possible.

D.2.3 A solid waste management plan is implemented, with

quantitative goals to minimize waste that is not reused or

recycled.

D.2.4 The use of harmful substances, including pesticides,

paints, swimming pool disinfectants, and cleaning

materials, is minimized; substituted, when available, by

innocuous products; and all chemical use is properly

managed.

D.2.5 The business implements practices to reduce pollution from

noise, light, runoff, erosion, ozone-depleting compounds,

and air and soil contaminants.

D.3. Conserving biodiversity, ecosystems, and landscapes

D.3.1 Wildlife species are only harvested from the wild,

consumed, displayed, sold, or internationally traded, as part

of a regulated activity that ensures that their utilization is

sustainable.

D.3.2 No captive wildlife is held, except for properly regulated

activities, and living specimens of protected wildlife species

are only kept by those authorized and suitably equipped to

house and care for them.

D.3.3 The business uses native species for landscaping and

restoration, and takes measures to avoid the introduction of

invasive alien species.

15

D.3.4 The business contributes to the support of biodiversity

conservation, including supporting natural protected areas

and areas of high biodiversity value.

D.3.5 Interactions with wildlife must not produce adverse effects

on the viability of populations in the wild; and any

disturbance of natural ecosystems is minimized,

rehabilitated, and there is a compensatory contribution to

conservation management

Please note: Criterion A – C are optional. However we encourage you to provide as much information

as you can. It is in your best interest to make your case study as in depth as possible.

A. Demonstrate effective sustainable management.

Tick (if

applicable)

Criterion Description Your Example

A.1.

The company has implemented a long-term sustainability

management system that is suitable to its reality and scale,

and that considers environmental, sociocultural, quality,

health, and safety issues.

A.2. The company is in compliance with all relevant international

or local legislation and regulations (including, among others,

health, safety, labor, and environmental aspects).

A.3. All personnel receive periodic training regarding their role in

the management of environmental, socio-cultural, health, and

safety practices.

A.4. Customer satisfaction is measured and corrective action taken

where appropriate.

A.5. Promotional materials are accurate and complete and do not

promise more than can be delivered by the business.

16

A.6. Design and construction of buildings and infrastructure:

A.6.1. Comply with local zoning and protected or heritage area

requirements;

A.6.2. respect the natural or cultural heritage surroundings in

siting, design, impact assessment, and land rights and

acquisition;

A.6.3. use locally appropriate principles of sustainable construction;

A.6.4 provide access for persons with special needs.

A.7. Information about and interpretation of the natural

surroundings, local culture, and cultural heritage is provided

to customers, as well as explaining appropriate behavior

while visiting natural areas, living cultures, and cultural

heritage sites.

B. Maximize social and economic benefits to the local community and minimize negative

impacts.

B.1. The company actively supports initiatives for social and

infrastructure community development including, among

others, education, health, and sanitation.

B.2. Local residents are employed, including in management

positions. Training is offered as necessary.

B.3. Local and fair-trade services and goods are purchased by the

business, where available.

B.4. The company offers the means for local small entrepreneurs

to develop and sell sustainable products that are based on the

area’s nature, history, and culture (including food and drink,

17

crafts, performance arts, agricultural products, etc.).

B.5. A code of conduct for activities in indigenous and local

communities has been developed, with the consent of and in

collaboration with the community.

B.6. The company has implemented a policy against commercial

exploitation, particularly of children and adolescents,

including sexual exploitation.

B.7. The company is equitable in hiring women and local

minorities, including in management positions, while

restraining child labor.

B.8. The international or national legal protection of employees

is respected, and employees are paid a living wage.

B.9. The activities of the company do not jeopardize the

provision of basic services, such as water, energy, or

sanitation, to neighboring communities.

C. Maximize benefits to cultural heritage and minimize negative impacts.

C.1. The company follows established guidelines or a code of

behavior for visits to culturally or historically sensitive

sites, in order to minimize visitor impact and maximize

enjoyment.

C.2. Historical and archeological artifacts are not sold, traded, or

displayed, except as permitted by law.

C.3. The business contributes to the protection of local

historical, archeological, culturally, and spiritually

18

important properties and sites, and does not impede access

to them by local residents.

C.4. The business uses elements of local art, architecture, or

cultural heritage in its operations, design, decoration, food,

or shops; while respecting the intellectual property rights of

local communities.

Source: Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (2009), The Criteria is available at:

http://www.sustainabletourismcriteria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=

188

Annex 2

Evaluation Framework Questions for Ecotourism 1 To what extent has ecotourism contributed to the cost of protecting and managing natural

areas/ or the specific natural area under review? - Total revenue provided to protected or natural area system? - Percentage earmarked for conservation in specific protected or natural areas? - Percentage of budget provided by ecotourism to total protected or natural area system? - Percentage provided to individual park or natural area budget?

2 What are the biophysical impacts of tourism in natural areas? - Is monitoring of impacts taking place? - Is baseline data being collected? - What categories of biophysical impacts are there?

a. wildlife b. vegetation c. water quality d. air quality e. erosion - What percentage of the natural area is being affected? - What direct management techniques are being used?

a. zoning b. required guides c.citations and fines d. campsite designation e. limitation of duration of visit e.reservation systems f.visitor number limits

- What indirect management techniques are being used? a. signs b. patrols c. tour operator concessions d.introductory talks e.written guidelines f.

displays - Is a management response system in place?

3 Are there initiatives to manage ecotourism impacts in buffer zones or zones affected by ecotourism development? - Are growth management strategies being used?

a. zoning b. carrying capacity limits c. tourism plans d. design plans - Are regulatory mechanisms being used?

19

a. building permit with environmental standards b. environmental impact statements c. standards for sewage treatment d. watershed protection

- What capabilities do local authorities have to implement these mechanisms? 4 What impact is tourism having on biological diversity?

- Establish data base of research on zone where tourism is to be developed - Develop a data base on indicator species, flora and fauna, 3-4 months before project initiation - Assign field researchers with expertise in flora and fauna to site for monitoring over a period of 1

year. Monitor impacts on a periodic basis thereafter. - Develop parallel research programs on flagship species and other important research topics that

are site specific to continue for at least one year and are monitored regularly by project thereafter.

What impact is ecotourism having on the development of government policies that support sustainable development of tourism?

- What legal frameworks exist to provide incentives for sustainable tourism development? - Are there participatory planning programs that include rural and indigenous communities? - Is there an ecotourism plan? - What budgetary mechanisms are in place to support ecotourism plans? - What training programs are in place to support community participation? - What finance mechanisms are in place for small businesses?

5 Is ecotourism contributing to a better understanding of the environmental and social setting of the site/region? - Are interpretive activities based on sound information and presented in balanced manner? - Is there cooperation between natural areas and private sector to develop interpretive programs? - Is there an interpretive plan or strategy for natural areas? - Is there training for interpretive staff?

6 Hs ecotourism contributed to the expansion of local business and earning opportunity? - What form of credit is available for micro businesses and small business at the community level? - What training is available for small business at the community level? - How do community enterprise benefits and wages compare with other businesses in area? - What are the earnings of the local population presently and how has ecotourism impacted this?

7 Are ecotourism businesses and employment opportunities reaching new segments of the population? - What are pre-existing opportunities for marginalized/rural people in terms of business and

employment? - Are indigenous/ rural poor/women seeing more business or earning opportunity?

8 Have collective benefits to local communities been enhanced? - Skills, education & health? - Roads, water, and other infrastructure that is sustainable? - Credit and collective income? - Social capital and community organizational strength? - Information on local, regional and national policies available? - Information on livelihood options? - Exposure to risk and exploitation?

9 What are the social and cultural impacts of ecotourism? - Respect for values, symbols, and cultural expressions? - Preservation of language, customs traditions? - Organizational abilities in community? - Representation at regional and national levels?

20

- Use of traditional skills? - Interest in land stewardship? - In-fighting? - Crime and adoption of illegal underground commerce?

10 Has ecotourism improved access to information, technical knowledge and allowed for more participation in society? - Number of strategic alliances with private sector, NGOs, or other communities? - Communications mechanisms obtained for technical information? - Participation level in community municipal and state level meetings? -

12. Have ecotourism enterprise development models been carefully reviewed to ensure there are good prospects for business viability? - Is the destination perceived by the market as attractive and safe? - Are there charismatic wildlife viewing opportunities? - Can the ecotourism project distinguish itself in the marketplace and compete in terms of value? - Are there excellent guides and opportunities to learn in an interactive/active outdoor context that

will exceed or fulfill demanding client expectations? - Will the accommodation be comfortable, while remaining rustic? - Will the destination be reasonably accessible with daily flight schedules with reasonable

connections from an international gateway? - Does the destination have other interesting attractions within reasonable distance? - Does management have the capability of targeting a niche market and carrying out cost effective,

efficient marketing programs that appeal to the targeted client base? Is the targeted client base sufficiently diverse?

- Does management have the capability of handling financial and operating systems for a business?

- Is there patient capital available for the long-term with realistic expectations on return? - Will debt service remain relatively small in relationship to total cash flow?

21

Bibliography

• Arlen, C. (1995, May 29). Ecotour, Hold the Eco. U.S. News & World Report, pp. 30-32.

• Ayala, H. (1996) Resort ecotourism: a paradigm for the 21st century. Cornell Hotel and

Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 37, 46–53.

• Barbier, Edward B. et al. (2004): Economics and Ecology: new frontiers and sustainable

development. London: Chapman & Hall.

• Belnap, J. 1998. Choosing indicators of natural resource condition: A case study in Arches

National Park, Utah, USA. Environmental Management 22, 635–642.

• Black, R. (2007) Ecotourism series, Number 5: quality assurance and certification in ecotourism.

Retrieved April 10, 2008 from UNLV Library Website:

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/unlv/Doc?id=10060509&ppg=264

• Boo E., 1992: Tourism and the Environment : pitfalls and liabilities of eco-tourism development.

WTO News 9 : 2-4.

• Butler R. W., 1974: Tourism as an agent of social change. Annals of Tourism Research 2 100 –

111.

• Butler R. W., 1980: The concept of a tourist area cycle of evolution : implications for

management of resources. Canadian Geographer 24 : 5 – 12.

• Butler R. W., 1989: Alternative tourism ; pious hope or Trojan horse? World Leisure and

Recreation 31 (4): 9 – 17.

• Butler, R.W., 1991: Tourism, environment, and sustainable development. Environmental

Conservation, 18, 201-209.

• CAC [Consulting and Audit Canada]. 1995. What Tourism Managers Need to Know: A Practical

Guide to the Development and Use of Indicators of Sustainable Tourism. Madrid: World

Tourism Organization.

• Campbell, Lisa M. 1999. “Ecotourism in Rural Developing Communities.” Annals of Tourism

Research (26)3: 534-54.

• Chandra,A, Kandari O.P., 2001, Tourism, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Volume 5

• Chandra, A., Kandari O.P, Hristova (Terzieva), L. 1998, Tourism and Sustainable Development,

Beijing International Studies University Press, volume 13.

22

• Crabtree, B., and N.G. Bayfield. 1998. Developing sustainability indicators for mountain

ecosystems: A study of the Cairngorms, Scotland. Journal of Environmental Management 52:1,

1–14.

• Dale, V., and S.C. Beyeler. 2001. Challenges in the development and use of ecological

indicators. Ecological Indicators 1, 3–10.

• Driver B L., Brown P.J., Stankey G. H., Gregoire T. G.,1987: The ROS planning system:

evolution, basic concepts, and research needs. Leisure Sciences 9 : 201 - 212

• Fancy, S. 2002. Monitoring natural resources in our national parks. On-line at

www.nature.nps.gov/im/monitor/textindex.htm.

• Gross, J.E. 2003. Developing conceptual models for monitoring programs. On-line at

http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/monitor/docs/Conceptual_Modelling.pdf.

• GYWVU [Greater Yellowstone Winter Visitor Use Management Working Group]. 1999. Winter

Visitor Use Management: A Multi-Agency Assessment. Final Report of Information for

Coordinating Winter Recreation in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Jackson, Wyo.: National Park

Service.

• Hammitt,W., and D.N. Cole. 1998.Wildland Recreation: Ecology and Management. 2nd ed. New

York: John Wiley and Sons.

• Hansemark, O. C. & Albinson, M., 2004, Customer Satisfaction and Retention: The Experiences

of Individual Employees, Managing Service Quality, 14 (1), pp. 40- 57

• Hawkes S., and Williams P (eds)., 1993: The Greening of Tourism From Principles to Practice:

A Casebook of Best Environmental Practice in Tourism, Centre for Tourism Policy and

Research, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC.

• Hokanson, S., January 2, 1995, The Deeper You Analyse, The More You Satisfy Customers,

Marketing News, p. 16.

• Honey, Martha S. 1999. “Treading Lightly? Ecotourism’s Impact on the Environment.”

Environment 41(5): 4-9.

• Hoyer, W. D. & MacInnis, D. J., 2001, Consumer Behaviour. 2nd ed., Boston, Houghton Mifflin

Company.

• Ingle, C.M., Y.-F. Leung, C. Monz, and H. Bauman. 2004. Monitoring visitor impacts in coastal

national parks: A review of techniques. In Protecting Our Diverse Heritage: The Role of Parks,

Protected Areas, and Cultural Sites. (Proceedings of the George Wright Society/National Park

23

Service Joint Conference, April 14–18, 2003, San Diego,California.) D. Harmon, B.M. Kilgore,

and G.E. Vietzke, eds. Hancock, Mich.: The George Wright Society, 228–233.

• IUCN (World Conservation Union). 1998. “Population and Parks.” PARKS Magazine 8(1). A

selection of case studies acknowledging the need to establish partnerships and encourage

cooperation with neighbors and other stakeholders, promote stewardship, and other instruments

which support protected areas objectives.———. 1997. “Chapter 4.22 Ecotourism.” In Beyond

Fences: Seeking Social Sustainability in Conservation. Gland: IUCN. Volume 1 of this document

presents guidelines for planning and implementing conservation activities, including ecotourism.

The second volume is an extensive reference book.

• IUCN-WCPA (World Commission on Protected Areas). 2000. Protected Areas: Benefits beyond

Boundaries--WCPA in Action. Gland: IUCN.

• Jackson, L.E., J.C. Kurtz, and W.S. Fisher, eds. 2000. Evaluation Guidelines for Ecological

Indicators. Publication no. EPA/620/R-99/005. Research Triangle Park, N.C.: U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development.

• Kandampully, J. & Duddy, R., 1999, Competitive Advantage through Anticipation, Innovation

and Relationships, Management Decision, 37 (1), pp. 51-56.

• Kelley, R.E. (1979) Should you have an internal consultant? Harvard Business Review 57, 110–

20.

• Kotler, P., 2000, Marketing Management. 10th ed., New Jersey, Prentice-Hall.

• Lawrence, K. (1992) Sustainable tourism development. Paper presented at IV World Congress

on NationalParks and ProtectedAreas, 10–21 February, Caracas,Venezuela.

• Lea, John P. 2000. “Ecotourism in the Less Developed Countries.” Annals of Tourism Research

27(1): 248-9.

• Leung, Y-F. and Marion, J.L. (1999) Spatial strategies for managing visitor impacts in National

Parks. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 17 (4), 20–38.

• Leung, Y.-F., and J.L. Marion. 2000. Recreation impacts and management in wilderness: A

state-of-knowledge review. In Wilderness Science in a Time of Change Conference– Volume 5:

Wilderness Ecosystems, Threats and Management. Proceedings RMRS-P-15- Vol-5.D.N. Cole,

S.F. McCool,W.T. Borrie, and J. O’Loughlan, comps. Ogden, Utah: U.S. Department of

Agriculture–Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 23–48.

• Lindberg, K. and McCool, S.F. (1998) A critique of environmental carrying capacity as a means

of managing the effects of tourism development. Environmental Conservation 25 (4), 291–92.

24

• Lindberg, K., McCool, S.F. and Stankey, G. (1997) Rethinking carrying capacity. Annals of

Tourism Research 24 (2), 461–5.

• Loomis, L. and Graefe, A.R. (1992) Overview of NPCA’s visitor impact management process.

Paper presented at IVWorld Congress onNational Parks and Protected Areas, 10–21 February,

Caracas, Venezuela.

• Manning, R.E. (1986) Studies in Outdoor Recreation: Search and Research for Satisfaction.

Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press.

• Marion, J.L. (1991) Developing a natural resource inventory and monitoring program for visitor

impacts on recreation sites: A procedural manual. Report no. NPS/NRVT/ NRR91/06. Denver,

CO: USDI National Park Service, Denver Service Center.

• Marion, J.L. and Farrell, T.A. (1998)Managing ecotourism visitation in protected areas. In K.

Lindberg and D. Englestrom (eds) Ecotourism Planning and Management (pp. 155–82). North

Bennington, VT: Ecotourism Society.

• Marion, J.L. and Leung, Y-F. (2001) Trail resource impacts and an examination of alternative

assessment techniques. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 19 (3), 17–37.

• McCool, S.F. (1994)Planning for sustainable nature dependent tourism development: The Limits

of Acceptable Change system. Tourism Recreation Research 19 (2), 51–5.

• McCool, S.F. and Christiansen, N.A. (1996) Alleviating congestion in parks and recreation areas

through direct management of visitor behaviour. InD.W. Lime (ed.) Crowding and Congestion in

the National Park System: Guidelines for Management and Research (MAES Miscellaneous Pub.

86-1996) (pp. 67–83). St Paul,MN: Department of Forest Resources and Minnesota Agricultural

Experiment Station, University of Minnesota.

• McCool, S.F. and Cole, D.N. (1997) Experiencing Limits of Acceptable Change: Some thoughts

after a decade of implementation. In S.FMcCool and D.N. Cole (eds) Proceedings – Limits of

Acceptable Change and Related Planning Processes: Progress and Future Directions (General

Technical Report INT-371) (pp. 72–78). Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service, Intermountain

Research Station.

• McCool, S.F. and Stankey, G.H. (1992) Managing for the sustainable use of protected wildlands:

The Limits of Acceptable Change framework. Paper presented at IV World Congress on

National Parks and Protected Areas, 10–21February, Caracas, Venezuela.

• McCoy, L.K., Krumpe, E.E. and Allen, S. (1995) Limits of Acceptable Change planning.

International Journal of Wilderness 1 (2), 18–22.

25

• Nepal, S. K. (1999). Tourism-induced environmental changes in the Nepalese Himalaya: A

comparative analysis of the Everest, Annapurna, and Mustang regions. Ph.D. Dissertation

submitted to the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Bern, Switzerland.

• Nyaupane G. P., Devlin P. J., Simmons D. G., 1998: Ecotourism : a comparative study in the

Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Proceedings of the New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality

Research Conference, Lincoln University, December.

• Pang Shaojing, Environment Problems and Countermeasures in Development of Eco-tourism in

China, Environment Protection, 2004, (9):25-30.

• Pearson S., 1997: An eco-tourism strategy for New Zealand. Unpublished project (RESM 665),

Dept of Resource Management, Lincoln University

• Phillips, Adrian (ed.). 2002. Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Planning

and Management. Gland: IUCN.

• Proyecto PRA (2000) Ecoturismo: una alternativa para el desarrollo. Proyecto PRA Boletin

November, Lima, Peru. http://www.chemonicspe.com/boletin2/Ecoturismo/ecoturismo.html

• Promperú (2000) KILCA, PERU TRAVEL NEWS of November 2000, No 15. Quoting: Nivel de

satisfacción de los turistas extranjeros. Promperú Inteligence Unit, Peru.

• Promperú (2000) KILCA, PERU TRAVEL NEWS of November 2000, No 15. Quoting

INRENA (2000).

• Reingold, Lester (1993) “Identifying the Elusive Ecotourist.” Going Green: A Supplement to

Tour & Travel News, October 25: 36-37.

• Ryan B., 1998: Eco-tourism : what’s in a name. Paper presented to the New Zealand Tourism

and Hospitality Research Conference, Lincoln University, December.

• Ross, S., & Wall, G. (1999). Evaluating ecotourism: The case of North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Tourism Management in press.

• South African Tourism Board (1998) International Market Survey Statistics. South African

Tourism Board (unpublished), South Africa

• Tujan A. 1995. The Political Economy of Tourism, Paper presented at the Asia Pacific

Consultation of Tourism, Indigenous Peoples and Land Rights at Sagada, Mountain Province,

the Philippines 25 February – 9 March 1995. (Mimeo)

26

• United Nations Environment Programme and World Tourist Organization (UNEP-WTO),

“Making Tourism More Sustainable: A Guide for Policy Makers”, 2005, Available at:

www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/library/A%20Guide%20for%20Policy%20Makers.htm.

• Wade L., Wendy H., Pickering, M., (2012), Linking Visitor Impact Research to Visitor Impact

Monitoring in Protected Areas, Journal of Ecotourism: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/reco20 ,

Routledge, UK.

• Wall, G. (1996). Ecotourism: Change, impacts and opportunities. In: E. Malek-Zadeh (Ed.), ¹he

ecotourism equation: Measuring the impact. (pp. 206Ð216). Bulletin Series 99, New Haven:

Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

• Wall, G. (1997). Is ecotourism sustainable? Environmental management, 21(4), 483Ð491.

• Weaver D. B., 1998: Eco-tourism in less Developed Countries. CAB International, Wallingford.

• World Tourist Organization, Indicators of Sustainable Development for Tourism Destinations,

2004. Available at: www.worldtourism.org.

• World Tourist Organization, Voluntary Initiatives in Sustainable Tourism: Worldwide inventory

and comparative analysis of 104 eco labels, awards, and self-commitments, 2001, www.world-

tourism.org.

• World Tourism Organization, “Recommendations to governments for supporting or establishing

national certification systems for sustainable tourism”, 2003. Available at:.

http://www.worldtourism.org/sustainable/doc/certification-gov-recomm.pdf CESD:

• Ziffer, A., 1989: Ecotourism: The Uneasy Alliance. Washington DC: Conservation International,

• Zhu Guangyao, Enhancing Sustainable Development of Tourism by strengthening Ecological

Environment Protection, Environment Protection, 2002, (9):3-7.