1. Sustainable Tourism Development
Gulnoza Usmonova
October 19th, 2017

2. Outline Definition of Sustainable Tourism Why important? Why now?
Planeterra Foundation and “50 in 5” projects
Community based tourism- Case of Kirgizstan and Tajikistan
Questions and discussion

3. Sustainable tourism
"Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities” (UNWTO) 

4. Thus, sustainable tourism should:
1) Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity. 2) Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance. 3) 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.

5. Tourism, sustainability and community development
In the 1970s some critique on tourism development was brought forward mainly due to the negative impacts that it can bring to a destination (Scheyvens, 2002)
Neopopulist approaches stressed the importance of an increased role of civil society in tourism development, rather than it being market led, or state controlled (Scheyvens, 2002). This thought brought forward the idea of sustainable tourism.
Goodwin (2011) believes that sustainability, sustainable development and sustainable tourism are too abstract and therefore lack meaning and do not action. He uses the term ”responsible” tourism instead to indicate the importance of encouraging and motivating people to take responsibility for sustainable tourism development.

6. Sustainable Tourism leads to Sustainable Communities: poverty alleviation, environmental improvement, healthcare, economic growth of the remote areas, employment opportunities, education etc.

8. How travelers see sustainability?

13. Another side of the coin…
Negative economic effect: Successful tourism relies on establishing a basic infrastructure, such as roads, visitor centers and hotels. The cost of this usually falls on the government, so it has to come out of tax revenues. Jobs created by tourism are often seasonal and poorly paid, yet tourism can push up local property prices and the cost of goods and services. Money generated by tourism does not always benefit the local community, as some of it leaks out to huge international companies, such as hotel chains. Destinations dependent on tourism can be adversely affected by events such as terrorism, natural disasters and economic recession.
Negative social effect: Visitor behavior can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of the host community. For example, crowding and congestion, drugs and alcohol problems, prostitution and increased crime levels can occur. Tourism can even infringe on human rights, with locals being displaced from their land to make way for new hotels or barred from beaches. Interaction with tourists can also lead to an erosion of traditional cultures and values.
Negative environmental effect: Tourism poses a threat to a region's natural and cultural resources, such as water supply, beaches, coral reefs and heritage sites, through overuse. It also causes increased pollution through traffic emissions, littering, increased sewage production and noise.

14. List of least Sustainable destinations
Cinque Terre
The Taj Mahal, India
Venice, Italy
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Potosi, Bolivia
Machu Picchu, The Inca Trail
The Great Wall of China
Antarctica

15. Community Based Tourism
Community-based tourism is a perfect example of sustainable tourism.
Brohman (1996) states that ‘community-based tourism development would seek to strengthen institutions designed to enhance local participation and to promote the economic, social, and cultural well- being of the popular majority’
CBT as an innovative tourism development in local communities, involving individuals, groups, small business owners and local organizations and governments.
Two elements are thus of importance for CBT projects: on one side local participation or even initiation, and on the other side economic, social and environmental sustainability

17. Case of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

18. CBT Kyrgyzstan
Community-based tourism (CBT) was introduced to Kyrgyzstan by the Swiss Association for International Cooperation, Helvetas, and was well supported by local communities. The first CBT group was established in May 2000 in Kochkor village (CBT Kochkor) and since then the number of CBT organizations has grown to eighteen.
In 2003, local CBT groups formed their own umbrella organization, the Kyrgyz Community-Based Tourism Association (KCBTA), a non- profit membership organization for the further development and coordination of tourist activities within the country. The association provides marketing and training services to its members and represents their interests at the national level.

19. Main CBT services

20. Actors
Kyrgyz Community-based Tourism Association (KCBTA): aims to incorporate CBT into the mainstream tourism industry in Kyrgyzstan. Today, the association is an umbrella association that includes 18 CBT groups and a 5-group association of shepherd families. It supports the development of new or existing CBT groups throughout the country, enhancement of rural tourism infrastructure and growth in living standards of local communities through income generation and job creation.
 Rural inhabitants: provide direct tourism services, supply other goods and services to tourists, for instance through the operation of local grocery stores, handicraft retail, etc.

21. Community Based Tourism Support Project (CBTSP): implemented and facilitated by Helvetas. It provides rural tourism entrepreneurs with marketing support and training through the start-up and growth phases of their business development. It is therefore instrumental in the CBT business model success in Kyrgyzstan.
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE): The OSCE Center in Bishkek provides valuable support to CBT development in Kyrgyzstan and replication of the CBT model in its neighboring countries, such as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, primarily through supporting and leveraging KCBTA.

22. Results
Economic: The total number of tourists using CBT services in was 9,260, a 13 fold increase from 2000 (718 tourists). The total turnover increased from 7,983 USD in 2000 to 250,554 USD in These numbers indicate the growing popularity of CBT in Kyrgyzstan.
Social: with increasing demand for CBT products and services by tourists, the benefits to locals have been increasing. During the tourist season, CBT groups generated 412 direct jobs with an average salary about 40 USD per month. The whole community enjoys indirect benefits from tourism such as improved infrastructure, environmental awareness and cultural preservation.

23. Environmental: an Ecological Code was developed as a set of guidelines for CBT members and the community in general. It includes ecological and cultural conservation principles as well as principles related to local community development and ecotourism promotion. It was decided to include the Ecological Code as an integral part of any cooperation agreements that the KCBTA signs with other partners as a guarantee of the environmental sustainability of the CBT model.

24. Tajikistan CBT 2014 Same agenda is linked with Kyrgyzstan CBTA
In top 10 “Most Touristic Improved Destinations 2017” list
3000 tourists annually

25. G Adventures: G Adventures (Formerly Gap Adventures) is a travel company and offers socially and responsible tours. The company is based in Toronto, Ontario Canada.
According to TourRadar, G Adventures offers 686 different tours in 134 countries
In 2013, G Adventures entered into a $1.3 million partnership with the Multilateral Investment Fund, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB/MIF). IDB/MIF is the leading source of development funding for Latin America and the Caribbean. G Adventures will be built five new long-term, sustainable tourism projects over the next 3 years in Latin America.
In 2016 on World Tourism Day, G Adventures announced a partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute. The Jane Goodall Collection by G Adventures is a program of 20 itineraries aimed at raising the awareness of animal welfare and wildlife-friendly tourism, endorsed by primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall.

26. In 2016 Planeterra launched CAD$5 million “50 in 5” campaign, with a goal of including 50 new social enterprises into G Adventures tours in 5 years. These will be in addition to the 25 social enterprises that we had already worked with G Adventures to bring to market.
Video

27. Sustainable Tourism Development Projects

28. Multi-Stan Adventures
23 day adventure trip
Classic tour
CBT accommodation in 2 countries
Local engagement
Support of Local production
Embracing the culture
9 combo trips in 2016
14 combo trips in 2017
19 combo trips almost fully booked in 2018

29. Local Living

30. Engagement in local activities

31. Creating Touristic Value in Remote Areas

33. AVOID THE PLANE AND TAKE THE TRAIN
GIVE, THE RIGHT WAY!
SAY NO TO PLASTIC
RESEARCH YOUR TOUR OPERATORS
SUPPORT THE REAL LOCAL ECONOMY
NEVER BUY WILDLIFE PRODUCTS—PERIOD.