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Protecting the environment through responsible tourism

3 March 2008

The long term prosperity of tourism is locked into the survival and preservation of the environment – Commonwealth Consultative Group on Environment

Like many other Commonwealth countries, Botswana’s natural environment draws a significant number of tourists every year.

Whether exploring deserts and wetlands or travelling through national parks in search of lions, zebras and antelopes, the country’s wildlife and nature hold great appeal.

Since wildlife and nature are key attractions for tourists Botswana has consequently moved to promote and develop ‘eco-tourism’ in order to protect and preserve its environment.

Demand for eco-tourism - travel that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people - has grown significantly in recent years, particularly in Western and North America. In these regions concerns about global warming have moved environmental issues to the forefront of both the economic and political agenda. However, integrating eco-tourism in Africa has not developed at a similar rate.

First project of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa

Work between the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Botswana Tourism Board (BTB) is the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project – which will be concluded in March 2008 – involves designing a guidelines manual on the most efficient and effective way of developing and operating the eco-tourism product.

Guidelines in the manual serve as a checklist for tourism operators, investors and developers, community-based businesses and trusts, and the BTB.

With the manual the BTB will be able to assess the quality of eco-tourism operations and help operators develop more environmentally responsible products. It will also provide evaluation criteria for various eco-tourism products and include details for future investors on how to plan, design and operate an environmentally responsible tourism business.

The manual will be adopted by Botswana’s government as the minimum standard in eco-tourism.

The other aspect of the Secretariat’s work with the BTB is conducting a study into an eco-tourism certification programme appropriate for Botswana. The study has recommended introducing a certification system, whereby tourism operators can volunteer to have a certificate, highlighting the environmentally responsible practices they conform to.

As well as working with Botswana’s tourism sector, the Secretariat has also provided advice to other Commonwealth countries on sustainable tourism, including design of strategic plans for marketing, human resource development as well as institutional capacity-building.

The formulation of tourism development plans and strategies in Cameroon, Ghana, Jamaica, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea all included advice on eco-tourism.

Relationship between tourism and climate change

The Commonwealth Consultative Group on Environment - the Commonwealth's primary intergovernmental forum for consultations on environment and sustainable development issues – has also examined ways of promoting a harmonious relationship between the tourism sector and the environment.

When the Group met in Dubai in February 2006 ministers discussed the relationship between tourism and climate change. They discussed options to reduce environmental impacts in the transport and energy sectors, highlighting concerns related to the impact of climate change on the natural world.

The paper which emerged from the meeting in Dubai stated that “the long-term prosperity of tourism is locked in to the survival and preservation of the environment.”

The Group also noted: “While preservation of the environment is critical to the development of tourism, mass tourism development can have negative impacts on the environment. Tourism thus has a two way relationship with the environment which at extreme ends can either be beneficial or damaging.”