1. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development 3 rd Task Force meeting Paris 10-12 December 2007 Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Priority theme: Tourism and Biodiversity

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10. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Tourism and biodiversity links Biodiversity  Vital asset for the tourism industry Ecological footprint of tourism Complex links –Challenges –Opportunities –Conflicts

11. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development

12. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Biodiversity Hotspots Regions that harbor a great diversity of endemic species and, at the same time, have been significantly impacted and altered by human activities 34 regions identified by Conservation International that cover just 2.3 percent of the Earth’s land surface but harbor well over 50 percent of all terrestrial plant and animal diversity.

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14. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Tourism and biodiversity highlights Tourism has increased by more than 100% between 1990 and 2000 in the world's biodiversity hotspots. More than one-half of the 15 poorest countries fall within the biodiversity hotspots, and in all of these, tourism is already significantly increasing. Tourism can directly help finance the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

15. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Tourism impacts on biodiversity Infrastructure-related development. Construction of facilities directly related to tourism. Indirect developments from tourism. Influences on economic and trade policies and strategies related to tourism development. Consumption of tourism services

16. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Biodiversity benefits from sustainable tourism Source of financing for biodiversity conservation. Economic justification for protected areas. Substitution of non-sustainable economic activities Constituency-building Impetus for private biodiversity conservation efforts.

17. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Two focuses Decrease the ecological footprint of tourism Optimize use of tourism as a tool for biodiversity conservation

18. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development What our Task Force can do? Alternative 1: Develop recommendations for tourism and biodiversity Alternative 2: Strengthen implementation of existing principles and guidelines: –CBD Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development.

19. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development CBD Tourism guidelines International guidelines for activities related to sustainable tourism development in vulnerable terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems and habitats of major importance for biological diversity and protected areas, including fragile riparian and mountain ecosystems.

20. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development CBD Tourism guidelines http://www.cbd.int/tourism/guidelines.shtml

21. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Why alternative 2 sounds most promising? Voluntary guidelines Represent a range of opportunities –local, regional, national governments, indigenous and local communities and other stakeholders Cover all forms and activities of tourism Mandated by the CBD COP and the CSD Extensive consultation Users' Manual

22. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development The Task Force and the CBD tourism guidelines Focus on the objective of the Marrakech Task Forces process –Carrying out a set of concrete activities at that promote a shift to SCP patterns The CBD guidelines are based on the concept and principles of SCP

23. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Questions for our session How we can use our networks and cooperation platforms to promote the guidelines? –How we can develop links between environmental, culture and tourism administrations? How we can advocate the use of the guidelines in NTAs, the private sector, local communities? What capacity building activities we can recommend and undertake to strengthen the implementation of the guidelines?

24. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development A wish and a vision “The powerful forces that shape the essence of tourism, including the human urge to see and experience the natural world, must continue to be harnessed to support the achievement of the goals of the Convention [on Biological Diversity] ” Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (2007)

25. Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Tourism Development Thank you! Tourism and Biodiversity