MONDAY, September 27, 2011

Celebrating World Tourism Day

By Jeet Dogra World Tourism Day is celebrated every year on 27th of September with a theme related to global tourism benefit which is formulated by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) which is a United Nations specialized agency and the leading international organization with the decisive and central role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how. Last year the theme was "Tourism - Celebrating Diversity" and the day was celebrated in Ghana while this year the theme is "Tourism and Biodiversity" by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The official celebrations will be hosted by China in Guangdong province on 27 September with many other events taking place across the world. First of all let understand what Biodiversity is all about. The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as "the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems". Within the framework of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity, this year's World Tourism Day theme will raise awareness of the close relationship between tourism development, biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction. Sustainable tourism can result in positive impacts for biodiversity conservation. Sustainable tourism is that form in which the optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation. There can be no doubt that tourism and biodiversity are closely interrelated. Many tourism attractions are strongly linked to biological diversity such as protected areas, beaches and islands, coral reefs, wildlife viewing etc. Biodiversity is thus a key tourism asset and fundamental to its sustained growth. Sustainable tourism, one that establishes a suitable balance between the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, plays an important role in conserving biodiversity. It attempts to minimize its impact on the environment and local culture so that it will be available for future generations, while contributing to generate income, employment and the conservation of local ecosystems. By doing so, sustainable tourism maximizes the positive contribution of tourism to biodiversity conservation and thus to poverty reduction and the achievement of common goals towards sustainable development. Sustainable tourism provides crucial economic incentives for habitat protection. Revenues from visitor spending are often channeled back into nature conservation or capacity building programmes for local communities to manage protected areas. Biodiversity-based tourism represents an important source of income for the world's poorer countries, 70% per cent of whom live in rural areas and depend directly on biodiversity for their survival and well-being. With developing countries possessing the largest proportion of global biodiversity, local communities can use this as a competitive advantage in regard to tourism, benefiting from its positive socio-economic impacts. There is a direct link between biodiversity and tourism with areas of unique natural beauty attracting large numbers of visitors. Biodiversity is thus one of tourism's greatest assets and fundamental to its long-term sustained growth. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), uncontrolled land conversion, climate change, pollution and other unsustainable human activities are causing biodiversity loss at a rate

many times higher than that of natural extinction. Rising tourism numbers also bring complex challenges which the tourism sector must address. Biodiversity and all the benefits it provides needs to be protected; action that damage it, avoided and biodiversity loss, halted. The question is therefore how tourism can contribute positively to biodiversity conservation and the quality of life of local populations, while minimizing potentially negative environmental and social impacts. Sustainable tourism, one that establishes a suitable balance between the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, is a key to maximizing tourism's positive contribution to biodiversity at the local, national and global level. Firstly, sustainable tourism is a key source of economic income and employment for local communities which in turn provides a strong incentive to protect biodiversity. Maintaining the environment upon which the economic health of the local population is based becomes the priority, resulting in more tourists who, in turn, generate more funds for conservation. It is often the case that areas of natural beauty and diversity are preserved and protected thanks to the funds flowing from the tourism industry for infrastructure, maintenance and jobs. Secondly, at the national level, tourism often justifies the creation of protected areas. National and regional tourism development strategies that recognize the value of biodiversity to the tourism industry, and therefore the potential contribution of tourism to poverty alleviation and development, are instrumental in protecting and maintaining these areas. The rise of a more environmentally-aware tourism, one that seeks to make a positive impact on both the environment and the well-being of local peoples, has been consistently increasing the competitiveness and marketing opportunities of national tourism destinations. This is turn has seen fiscal incentives to promote biodiversity-friendly tourism, as well as increased investment in infrastructure, clean technologies, renewable energy, water management and so on. This concern for protecting biodiversity as tourism's natural capital has a positive impact on the fight against poverty. The Convention of Biological Diversity highlights how the world's poor, particularly in rural areas; depend on biological resources for as much as 90% of their needs, including food, fuel, medicine, shelter and transportation. Given this dependence on biodiversity for livelihoods, strategies that prioritize biodiversity are crucial for development and poverty alleviation. "Safeguarding biodiversity is an urgent challenge that concerns us all - the international community, governments, companies and travellers - but it is not too late to act" by Mr. Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General. From this note, it's our moral duty to protect the biodiversity because of the above mentioned reasons. Let make this world more happier place to live and also conserve these natural resources for our future generations. Happy World Tourism Day to all..!!

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