Tourism in the Pacific

Tourism Feature

At the threshold of the new millennium, ecotourism is not merely a buzzword. It is something real happening around the world. Ecotourism is starting to provide tangible benefits for a variety of countries, both developed and developing. As we all know, tourism has now become the world’s most important civil industry, representing annually a US$ 3.5 trillion activity. The travel and tourism industry employs 127 million workers (one in 15 workers worldwide).

Overall, the tourism industry is expected to double by the year 2005 (WTTC, 1998).

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) has conducted forecasts of international tourism, which grew by more than 57 per cent in the past decade and is expected to grow by 50 per cent in this decade. The approximately 595 million international travelers in 1997 are expected to grow to 661 million by the year 2000 . The segment of tourism undergoing the fastest growth is nature-based tourism, which includes ecotourism.

Nature-based tourism has been estimated to account for between 10 and 15 per cent of all international travel expenditures, according to WTTC, and that figure seems to be increasing rapidly. It is quite clear that unless this growth receives careful and professional guidance, serious negative consequences some of which may have terminal effects could occur.

Ecotourism, as defined by IUCN - the World Conservation Union -, is “environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy, study and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features - both past and present), that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio economic involvement of local populations” (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1996). In other words, ecotourism denotes nature tourism with a normative element.

Only a few years ago, the word “ecotourism” didn’t exist, let alone the principles it now embodies. It is only recently that ecotourism has emerged as a feasible option for both conserving the natural and cultural heritage of nations and regions and

contributing to sustainable development.

Natural areas, and especially legally protected areas, their landscape, wildlife and flora - together with any existing cultural features - constitute major attractions for the peoples of the countries in which they are found and for tourists around the world.

These last few years have witnessed a remarkable upsurge of ecotourism activities around the world. Governments of the most varied countries are showing heretofore unknown interest in ecotourism, recognizing its enormous capabilities for conserving the natural and cultural heritage of their nations and also its rich potential for ensuring

sustainable development.

Conservation NGOs around the planet are also embarking upon ecotourism projects, recognizing in them an important ally.

Ecotourism operators and professional membership organizations are sprouting everywhere. Local communities in remote localities, which until very recently had very little contact with “modem” civilization, are now attracting ecotourists to their settlements in the jungle, the desert or the island.

Unfortunately, accurate statistics as regards ecotourism are still lacking. Institutions such as the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) are urging both governments and private firms to generate trustworthy data in order to evaluate the true magnitude of ecotourism around the world. Some preliminary studies indicate that perhaps around 15 per cent of international tourism is ecotourism-oriented and that the annual rate of growth of this type of tourism is also around 15 per cent (compared to a four per cent growth rate for overall tourism.

Countries which are generating success stories in the realm of ecotourism, like Kenya, Costa Rica, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Ecuador, are doing so because they are managing to attain appropriate coordination amongst the different stakeholders involved; • Government, the tourism industry; and • NGOs, local communities and universities, among others.

All of these countries have extraordinary natural assets (landscape, fauna, and flora), in

some cases complemented by a rich cultural heritage, effective protected area networks, and a vocal and pro-active ecotourism industry sector, interested in achieving conservation and sustainable development goals, as well as good business.

The countries mentioned above are all very competitive because, apart from their singular assets, there has been a joint interest on behalf of both government and private industry to develop ecotourism, since both sectors in these countries have recognized that there are very important benefits to reap from ecotourism.

Also, in many of these countries it has been recognized that not only benefits are to be shared, but responsibilities as well.

Indeed, nature-oriented tourism has become the largest foreign exchange earner in several nations, such as Costa Rica, Kenya, and South Africa. In Costa Rica, tourism arrivals totaled over 792 thousand in 1995 (up from 261,000 in 1986). More than 66 per cent of all tourists traveling in Costa Rica during 1996 visited a natural protected area. Gross receipts from tourism were US$ 718 million in 1995 (up from $ 133 million in 1986).

It is interesting to mention that by the mid -19905, nearly every nonindustrialized country, and many industrialized ones as well, were promoting ecotourism as part of their development strategy. All of the top ecotourism destination countries have an image of relative peacefulness and safety, extensive undisturbed wildlands, a good protected area network, as well as interesting native cultural heritage (of the past and/or the present). Some entire countries, such as Costa Rica and Belize, are billed as ecotourism destinations. Elsewhere, pockets are promoted, such as the Galapagos Islands, the Andean region and Amazonia in Ecuador; the lakes region, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego in Argentina; the habitat of the mountain gorillas in Uganda and, before its civil war, Rwanda; Zanzibar, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the game parks in Tanzania; the most spectacular national parks (especially in the West) of the USA, etc.

Throughout most of the world, the rise of ecotourism has coincided with the promotion of free markets and economic globalization, Continued next page

Continued from previous page with the private sector hailed as the main engine for development. In many countries, state-run enterprises, including those in the tourism industry, are being sold off or shut down. This push towards privatization has been propelled by the international lending and aid agencies and major corporate players, who try to avoid excessive bureaucracy and inefficiency. In most successful ecotourism destination countries, however, even if there is a drive towards privatization, the governments (through their Ministry of Tourism or Tourism Board) are actively promoting the ecotourism attractions of their countries in a very energetic way in international forums and through the media. Evidently, it pays off more to promote partnerships than to enforce strict regulations.

And, of course, the ecotourists themselves are pushing the market around the world. Over 30 million Americans, for example, belong to environmental organizations or profess an interest in environmental protection. In the US and Canada it is estimated that there are close to 60 million bird watchers, of which about 25 million travel every year away from their homes to go watch birds. In the UK, recent estimates indicate that there are over one million “serious” bird watchers or birders. All those children and youngsters ardently watching TV documentaries on nature and distant “exotic” lands will want to visit these wonders themselves and many will perhaps become ecotourists when they grow older.

Most important, the paradigms and models of ecotourism development will surely affect the way other types of more traditional tourism are carried out. All tourism (even mass tourism) will surely benefit from this trend, since travel and lodging should become more environmentally friendly and every kind of tourist will be expecting a clean and less disturbed environment.

At a more local and grass-roots level, the following recent experiences in ecotourism are noteworthy for having generally achieved a high degree of success: the Cofan Community Ecotourism Programme in Zabalo (Cuyabeno Reserve), Ecuador; ecotourism developments in the Lower Kinabatangan River Valley, Sabah (Borneo), Malaysia; El Mazunte Campesino Ecological Reserve, Oaxaca, Mexico; the Simunye Zulu Natural Heritage Site and Ecotourism Project, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

This is not the place to discuss in extenso

the abovementioned experiences, which constitute only a brief sampling of what is currently going on in the field of ecotourism in different comers of our planet. Generally speaking, we may say that in all of them, the active involvement of the local communities in the ecotourism process has played a key role in their success.

But not everything about ecotourism is on the bright side. There are also serious problems. Since the term “ecotourism” has currently become very popular, being overused and misused in numerous instances, many pseudo-ecotour outfits are being set up, masquerading as “green operations”, but in reality only seeking a fast profit, engaging in no real environmental consciousness or co responsibilities. In other cases, projects with the intention of being “ecotouristic” have failed because the training aspects were neglected, or the active involvement of the local communities was not achieved, or for a number of other reasons. Also, tourist “mega projects” continue rampant in many countries, especially in beach environments, with their well-known ravaging effects on the natural and cultural environment.

But genuine, well-planned ecotourism

projects are definitely becoming more and more numerous and popular everywhere and hopefully they will establish new trends for the 21st century, in which all human activities will have to be of a sustainable nature.

The question is no longer if tourism may perform a role in the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of our planet, but rather what are the specific steps that need to be taken in different countries to carry out activities that will ensure an adequate symbiosis between tourism, conservation, and sustainable development.

Tourism arrivals in the South Pacific have been growing considerably over the last decade. According to the Tourism Council of the South Pacific (TCSP), in 1998 there was a total 0f967,600 arrivals to the TCSP countries, compared to 666,674 in 1989 (an increase of over 45 per cent). A major proportion of these tourists (75 per cent) came to the region for holiday purposes. In 1998, tourist receipts for the region were sl.l billion and there was a total of 15,985 rooms in the TCSP countries.

As regards priorities for the future, TCSP is making substantial efforts towards sustainability and self-sufficiency. No further financial support is envisaged from the

European Union in the mid-term .future. Any further EU support would be project-based and within the areas of human resource development and the environment. That is why the TCSP Regional Tourism Marketing Plan for the period 1998-2002 considers that imaginative and creative cost-effective measures most useful for TCSP members will be needed to compensate for this lack of external funding. TCSP is also determined to coordinate a revitalised image for the region, recognising that scant attention has been given in the recent past to establishing a strong and clear image for the South Pacific region, with the results that what recognition exists is misleading, confused, and likely to be rooted in the “tropical island beach paradise” of the 1950 s movie.

All this indicates a clear need to move in the direction of ecotourism and other sustainable tourism practices. As is well known, the heyday of mass beach tourism seems to be over and there is a growing trend for tourists having a more enlightening travel

experience, heeding more importance to the

natural and cultural environment of each destination.

The South Pacific has much to offer in both departments. This goes in line with TCSP’s interest in providing particular emphasis on quality activity-based culture and nature products, and rural village tourism, which should enhance the socio-economic development of each nation.

The islands of the South Pacific possess great ecological interest and unique environmental features. Islands have long been classified as either continental or oceanic, but the meaning of these terms differs among academic disciplines.

Zoogeographers consider an island oceanic if it has not been attached to a continent during the history of the group of organisms being studied. Continental islands have had such connections (often called “land bridges” in the past). The distinction, from the point of view of animal dispersal, is obvious and important.

All of the islands of the region are oceanic in this sense.

Thus their indigenous faunas lack such continental elements as terrestrial mammals; only those groups of animals capable of over water dispersal are represented. If the right steps are taken, the South Pacific could indeed become a relevant ecotourism destination in the 21st century. ■