Presentation of the WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement

1. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Presentation of the WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement page 1

2. Table of Contents • WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement - Agreement development process 2.Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR) - Project development process - Achieved results - Upcoming next steps 2.Andaman Sea Ecoregion (ASE) - Project development process - Upcoming next steps page 2

3. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Agreement development process - Kick-off meeting between WWF and TOI members to share first ideas for a co-operation (February 2004) • Workshop to elaborate concrete next steps of collaborating on • sustainable tourism development in sensitive marine areas (25-27 October 2004, Antalya) • First test pilot project destination: Lastovo, Croatia • Launch of pilot „effort“ with press and government officials • (May 2005, Split, Croatia) • Sustainable Tourism Day was organized by WWF, TOI and • SUNCE for the local community (September 2005, Lastovo) • Development of the WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement MoU page 3

4. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Agreement development process - Signing of the WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement MoU (5 October 2006, Cologne, Germany) - Appointment of the WWF/TOI Coordinator (13 November 2006) • Identification of destinations with common interests for joint project • work („Global Project Destination Mapping“) - Kick-off meeting of the WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement (18 April 2007, Madrid, Spain) Pilot Project Destinations: 1) Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion, Riviera and Costa Maya, Mexico 2) Andaman Sea Ecoregion, Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, Thailand 3) MediterraneanRegion page 4

5. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR) Project development process • WWF/TOI Cooperation kick-off meeting (18 April 2007, Madrid) • members of TOI, WWF UNWTO, UNESCO and UNEP decided on the Riviera and Costa Maya for the first WWF/TOI pilot project - the main issues to tackle are the coastal habitat destructioncaused bythe exponential expansion of tourism infrastructure and hotel resort development and water pollution from hotel, resort complexes and tourism dependent local communities • Work out a project proposal (April – September 2007) • the project proposal contents three different goals incl. time schedule and work flow until the year 2010 • WWF and TOI set up an alliance with the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism • Initiative (MARTI) page 5

6. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR) Project development process • First project partner meeting (7 September 2007, Cologne, Germany) • Agreement on final project proposal (incl. time schedule) MAR project proposal goals: 1) Work towards adoption of Good Environmental Practices (GEP) by TOI hotel suppliers in Riviera and Costa Maya 2) Work towards the integration and adoption of sustainable Siting, Design and Construction (SDC) practices in federal legislation 3) Tourists contribution to Natural Protected Areas (NPA) effective management and financial sustainability page 6

7. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR) Project development process - Initial individual key stakeholder meetings (24-30 January 2008, Playa del Carmen/Cancun, Mexico) - Meetings with Mexican Tourism Federal Agencies (1-2 April 2008, Mexico D.F.) • Workshop on building partnerships for sustainable tourism business • and biodiversity conservation – Multi stakeholder dialogue (25 June 2008, Playa del Carmen, Mexico) • Local tour operators, hoteliers, the Director of Riviera Maya Hotel Association met with TOI members, WWF and MARTI/Amigos de Sian Ka an representatives to discuss goal no.1 (26 June 2008, Playa del Carmen, Mexico) page 7

8. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR) Achieved results Goal 1: GEP Component - 66 TOI supplier hotels were evaluated out of the product lines of project committed TOI members (Aurinkomatkat-Suntours, REWE Touristik, Hotelplan, TUI Travel PLC and Viaggio del Ventaglio) • 7 TOI supplier hotels were already MARTI participants in 2007 • 4 TOI supplier hotels participate within the MARTI programme in 2008 Goal 2: Integration and adoption of SDC in federal legislation - At October 2006 a new legislature proposed to upgrade the federal tourism law • In 2007 and 2008 the Tourism Commission made studies about the content of a new tourism law page 8

9. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR) Achieved results • At 1 April 2008 representatives of WWF/TOI/MARTI met with the president of the Tourism Commission Mr. Octavio Martinez who provided the group the latest draft version of the new tourism law and required comments from the initiative • WWF/TOI/MARTI, UNWTO, UNEP and about 12 representatives of NGOs as well as scientific research institutions provided inputs (esp. on sustainable tourism development) • At May 2008 the commented tourism law was submitted to the Tourism Commission • Our commented tourism law were adopted by the Tourism Commission and distributed among federal agencies involved into tourism industry page 9

10. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR) Achieved results • The comments on the tourism law were adopted by the Tourism Commission and distributed among federal agencies involved into tourism industry • After the agreement of the involved agencies the tourism law will be enact by the Tourism Commission (December 2008) Goal 3: Tourists contribution to NPA effective management • First meetings with TOI supplier hotels were held to promote two different schemes for tourists contributions • Two TOI supplier hotels agreed to test one of the tourists contribution scheme page 10

11. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR) Upcoming Next Steps Goal 1: GEP Component • The response of TOI supplier hotels are limited • Evaluation of huge hotel chain head quarter environmental representatives to promote the WWF/TOI/MARTI pilot project • MARTI representatives will promote together with TOI destination management representatives the WWF/TOI/MARTI project by individual meetings with TOI supplier hotels (November 2008) Goal 2: Integration and adoption of SDC in federal regulations • WWF Mexico representatives will held a follow up meeting with the senators and deputies of the Tourism Commission (15 November 2008) page 11

12. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion (MAR) Upcoming Next Steps • WWF/TOI/MARTI starts to work with the Ministry of Environment (SEMARNAT) to create a norm on sustainable criteria for design, construction and operation of hotels/resort complexes in Mexico Goal 3: Tourists contribution to NPA effective management • At the beginning of 2009 two hotels will start a tourists contribution scheme for a pilot test phase • In mid 2009 WWF/TOI/MARTI will evaluate the process of the two different tourists contribution schemes page 12

13. WWF/TOI Cooperation Agreement Andaman Sea Ecoregion (ASE) Project development process • WWF/TOI Cooperation kick-off meeting (18 April 2007, Madrid) • members of TOI, WWF UNWTO, UNESCO and UNEP decided on the Andaman Sea coastline for the second WWF/TOI pilot project Work out a project proposal (June – December 2007) - Meeting between Tom Selänniemi and Colin McQuistan (WWF Greater Mekong Programme project manager) to final discuss pilot project proposal (15 November 2007, Krabi, Thailand) - The project proposal contents similar goals like the MAR project proposal Upcoming Next Steps - Initial individual key stakeholder meetings (1-4 December 2008, Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, Thailand) page 13

14. Thank you! Verena Wende page 14