Colbourne College presented by Sadeke Smith

1. Colbourne Collegepresented by Sadeke Smith The Business of Eco-Tourism

2. The Business of Eco Tourism Objectives include: • Organization of eco tourism enterprise • Managing eco tourism product • Interpretation and visitor management in eco tourism • Environmental impact assessment • Importance of carrying capacity • Visitor management techniques • Ensuring visitor safety and security (TPDCo)

3. Revision of Eco Tourism Eco tourism focuses on local culture, adventures,wilderness experiences, volunteering, personal growth and learning new ways to live on a vulnerable planet. Eco tourism can be defined as travel to destinations where the flora, fauna and cultural heritage are the primary attractions.

4. Revision of Eco Tourism (Cont’d) Responsible eco tourism includes programmes that minimize the adverse effects of traditional tourism on the natural environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. In addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, initiatives by hospitality providers to promote recycling, energy -

5. Revision of Eco Tourism (Cont’d) efficiency, water re-use and the creation of economic opportunities for local communities are an integral part of eco tourism.

6. Organization of eco tourism enterprise

7. Organization of eco tourism enterprise The United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) is concerned about the impacts of tourism on the environment. This organization has realized that after decades of sustained growth in volume and visibility, tourism is one of the leading global industries. The following points can substantiate:

8. Organization of eco tourism enterprise • It contributed 11% of global GDP • It is one of the major migratory movements in modern society ( approx. 700 million inter’l travelers in 2001) • It produce significant impacts on resource consumption, pollution and social systems • It can be compared in its deleterious impacts and environmental risks to any other major industry.

9. Organization of eco tourism enterprise Organizers of eco tourism enterprise must be cognizant of the need to sustain the environment in the operation of their enterprise. They should ensure that “Conservation of the natural, cultural and man-made environment is an integral part of all tourism operation.”

10. Organization of eco tourism enterprise (Cont’d) The following should be included in their objectives: • Increase the benefits tourism can bring to sustainable use of natural resources, including bio-diversity. • Reduction of tourism related degradation and pollution of natural resources, including bio-diversity.

11. Organization of eco tourism enterprise (cont’d) • Facilitate cross-cultural learning and environmental education. • Increasing the quality of life of the people who live in tourism destinations through poverty alleviation, employment and distribution of economic benefits, particularly in developing countries.

12. Organization of eco tourism enterprise (cont’d) • One of the approach of Local Agenda 21 is that the local community / operator should define a sustainable development strategy and an action programme to implement it.

13. LOCAL COMMUNITIES

14. LOCAL COMMUNITIES • Located in and around eco-sites • Direct participants in ecotourism enterprises • Should be involved in decision-making process • Feels the impact of ecotourism directly • Every effort should be made to minimize impacts

15. LOCAL COMMUNITIES The tour operators should: • understand and evaluate communities before beginning ecotourism operation • understand their objectives and expectations • ensure that objectives of eco-venture match communities’ objectives • gain local support to ensure sustainability of the venture

16. LOCAL COMMUNITIES Techniques that may be used in community consultation • Meetings • Public attitude surveys • Focus groups • Workshops

17. POSSIBLE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES • loss of local traditions • commercialization of local products • ‘zooification’ – people become the attraction • erosion of self-worth • Infighting for benefits from venture • increase in crime • introduction of illegal, underground economies e.g. trading in endangered species Adopted from UNEP/TIES, 2002

18. IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIP Some of the benefits of partnership are that they assist in: • Providing new information thru research • Achieving higher levels of efficiency • Creating new products, services and value-added • Improving community awareness and conservation of natural resources Carins Charter on Partnership for Ecotourism

19. IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIP Benefits cont’d • Reducing risk by securing support, investment or resources • Opening new markets or opportunities, by adding credibility or opening new channels • Enabling success that normally could not be achieved. Carins Charter on Partnership for Ecotourism

20. Organization of eco tourism enterprise (cont’d)

21. Organization of eco tourism enterprise (cont’d) The necessary research should be done in the following areas, prior to venturing on any eco-tourism enterprise: • Economic benefit to the stakeholders • Cultural benefits to locals and visitors • Environmental management and planning benefits (Which agencies are to be contacted?) • Infra-structure cost

22. Organization of eco tourism enterprise (cont’d) • Price increase / effects of inflation • Economic dependency on tourism • Seasonal characteristics of the interprise

23. Managing Eco Tourism Product

24. Managing Eco Tourism Product Increasing evidence shows that an integrated approach to tourism planning and management is now required in order to achieve sustainable tourism. In order to limit the environmental impacts, management of the tourism destination is critical and includes the following:

25. Managing Eco Tourism Product • Land use planning • Business permits and zoning controls • Environmental and other regulations • Business association initiatives (providers of transportation, restaurants, equipment rental etc) • Other techniques that can shape the development and daily operation of tourism related activities.

26. Managing Eco Tourism Product (cont’d) Today’s tourists are more educationally aware and take time out to conduct research on prospective tourism destination. They are aware of: • International standards in tourism business • Good customers service • Competition among tourism service providers • Pricing techniques • Regulations for the operation of tourism enterprise etc.

27. Managing Eco Tourism Product (cont’d) Since the introduction of Agenda 21, the hospitality sector has adopted numerous strategies, approaches and measures in response to the challenge of sustainable development. These include: • Environmental management systems and tools (used in many hotels for both environmental and economical reasons) • EMS help business to evaluate, manage and reduce their negative environmental impacts by providing a method of integrating environmental management into business operations in a systematic manner.) • Education, awareness creation, training and information dissemination.

28. Managing Eco Tourism Product (cont’d) • Voluntary initiatives • Multi-stakeholder communication and consultation • Environmental reporting

29. Managing Eco Tourism Product (cont’d) Basic Strategies Industry and Technology • Increase tourism industry accountability and support for the environment and for its stewards. • Work with leading companies investing and operating in tourism to create and disseminate best environmental practices and technologies - including active promotion of voluntary initiatives.

30. Managing Eco Tourism Product (cont’d) Impact on Sensitive Areas • Support the development of tools for protected area managers to use as a source of financing, while minimizing negative impacts on the environment. • Support the development and dissemination of best practices to optimize tourism impacts on sensitive environments.

31. Managing Eco Tourism Product (cont’d) Destination Planning and Management • Build Government capacity at all levels to integrate sustainable management of natural resources into public and corporate tourism policies. • Promote participatory planning policies for destinations, ensuring inclusion of environment-minded stakeholders. • Promote implementation of existing multi-lateral agreements on sustainable tourism to national and local governments. • Encourage the development and financing agents to adopt environmental sustainability as a prime criterion for project support.

32. Managing Eco Tourism Product (cont’d) Awareness Building • Increase awareness of environmental issues in all tourism stakeholders. • Build on increased awareness of and sensitivity towards, social and environmental issues to change tourism consumption patterns toward more sustainable paths.

33. Government and Policy Support

34. Government and Policy Support Governments are key players due to the regulatory roles in transport, communications and its influence on tourism estate planning, such as major tourism hubs, infrastructure, credit/financing (concession) and destination managing/marketing. E.g. The MTEC is responsible for Tourism policies in Jamaica.

35. Non-Government Organization THE PRIVATE SECTOR

36. THE PRIVATE SECTOR Characteristics: • Functions as the engine of growth for the industry • Business may be large scale or small businesses with specialized focus • High rate of failure for small businesses esp. Canada and Australia

37. THE PRIVATE SECTOR Reasons for failure esp. small businesses: • Offering narrowly specialised tours without considering seasonality • Having limited experience operating a business • Not understanding distribution system involved

38. THE PRIVATE SECTOR Other reasons: • Focusing on emotions rather than profit (Operators might have a passion for nature) • Few barriers to entry – fierce competition (In Black River, there are 3 nature attractions in the same location) • Very small client base • High operating costs • Limited financial resources

39. Visitor Management in Eco Tourism

40. Visitor management in eco tourism The natural and cultural features of an environment such as landscape, flora, fauna, cultural festivals and historical monuments can be significantly compromised if the tourism activities planned are not geared towards enhancing the environment.

41. Visitor management in eco tourism • "Environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy, study and appreciate nature and any accompanying cultural features that promote conservation, have a negative visitation impact and provide for substantial beneficial active socioeconomic involvement of local populations." – Hector Ceballos-Lascurian, (2004) International Consultancy on Ecotourism Do you agree with this statement?

42. Visitor management in eco tourism There are certain guidelines eco-tour operators and nature guides go by to develop and maintain a sustainable ecotourism business. • Link commercial tourism to local conservation programs. • Develop sustainable tourist facilities that minimize environmental damage. • Help repair the damage done by others.

43. Visitor management in eco tourism • Provide money and other tangible support for developing parks' services and managing natural resources. • Promote ecological research and rescue programs. • Arrange and promote meaningful contact between tourists and local people. • Support indigenous people/businesses by buying local goods and services.

44. Visitor management in eco tourism General Guidelines for tours of natural areas: • Stay on trails • Reduce, re-use, recycle • Put wastes where they belong – in a bin • Learn about the flora and fauna in the area you are visiting • Leave plants, animals, rocks,logs etc. alone • Wherever you can, walk, skate or bike and leave your vehicle turned off.

45. Visitor management in eco tourism General Guidelines for tours of natural areas: • Follow directions given by signs and tour guides • Try to visit the park in their off season • Support park, forest and preserves • Be a good example for others: spread the word about responsible eco-tourism

46. Green Grotto Caves Two Sisters Caves Safaris in St. Elizabeth Dunn’s River Falls Blue and John Crow Mountains YS Falls Rio Grande Rock Fort Mineral Bath Bath St. Thomas Milk River Bath Doctors’ Cave Glistening Water Cockpit Country Enchanted Garden Fern Gully Holland Bamboo Non Such Caves Hope Botanical Gardens Port Royal – Fort Charles Scuba diving areas Glass bottom boat tour zone Local Eco-tourism Locations

47. Carrying Capacity

48. Carrying Capacity (WTO) proposes the following definition of the carrying capacity «The maximum number of people that may visit a tourist destination at the same time, without causing destruction of the physical, economic, socio-cultural environment and an unacceptable decrease in the quality of visitors' satisfaction. » (UNEP/MAP/PAP, 1997).

49. Practical Calculation What is the maximum number of persons that this room can accommodate without negatively affecting the A/C, personal space and individual’s health etc.? What is the carrying capacity for a Toyota Hiace Vs. a Toyota Coaster? Why is the carrying capacity so important and what is likely to happened if it is breached?

50. Discussion • What are the positive and negative effects of Ocho Rios being a Tourism focused area? • Does Dunn’s River have a carrying capacity? Give reasons for your answer.