Tourism

Annex 2: Drivers and likely implications of investment in sustainable tourism strategic areas

Strategic area

Sustainability drivers

■ Increased energy costs ■ Likely carbon surcharges ■ Customers expectations (particularly from Europe and North America) driving operators and entire supply chain

Energy

■ Availability of low-carbon technology ■ Possible government incentives ■ Decreasing costs of renewable energy technologies ■ Eco-labels and/or voluntary standards ■ Regulations/legislation on energy efficiency and perfor- mance of buildings

Climate change

■ Costs of GHG emissions (driven by post-Kyoto rules) ■ Concern of customer base about carbon footprint ■ Host government policies and priorities (climate change mitigation and energy)

■ Uptake of corporate social responsibility (CSR) ■ Climate change impact on tourism sites

Water

■ Water scarcity ■ Price for water and conflicts ■ Expectations from travellers for responsible water management

■ Expectations from major tour operators Waste

■ Customer demand for clean destination ■ Public opinion ■ Degradation of water resources owing to waste dumping and waste water

■ Pressure from major tour operators

■ Increased tourist preference for experiences that involve contact with wildlife and pristine (or near pristine) ecosystems

■ Expectations from guests that operators protect the natural resource base

Biodiversity

■ Government regulations regarding sensitive ecosystems such as coral reefs, coastal wetlands and forests

■ National policies to attract resources through tourism capable of protecting critical biological habitat

■ Ecosystem services potential for tourism revenue genera- tion

Likely implications

■ Maintain or reduce operating costs for tourism operators through energy efficiency ■ Increased customer satisfaction ■ Investment in energy efficiency (retrofits, improvements) ■ New energy-efficient investment stock ■ Investment in more energy efficient features and services (such as efficient refrigera- tion, television and video systems, air conditioning and heating and laundry)

■ Differentiation of operators and their value chains ■ Modest shift toward short-haul versus long-haul tourism, with the effect increasing with energy costs (and offset to the extent efficiency is increased)

■ Same as for energy efficiency ■ Increased substitution of fuels toward electricity, particularly increased investment in passive solar collectors, photovoltaics and alternative fuels for vehicles

■ Increased number of project developers orienting business strategies toward lower- carbon footprint

■ Expectations of broader stakeholder base ■ Demand for carbon offsets and other mechanisms to compensate for residual emis- sions

■ Reduction in water costs from internal water efficiency ■ Investments in water saving technology in rooms, facilities (such as laundry and swimming pools) and attractions (such as golf courses, gardens and water-based attractions)

■ Increase in number of rooms/visitors in water-constrained destinations ■ Slight advantage to destinations with more abundant water supplies in terms of variety of activities and cost of water resources

■ Increased use of water treatment systems, at firm/project level and destination

■ Lower pollution and natural resource ■ Improved solid waste management ■ Reduction of open waste dumping sites and poorly managed landfills ■ Investments in waste water management equipment, treatment and disinfection. ■ Investment in sanitary landfills and solid waste recycling capacity ■ Lower sewage and clean-up fees

■ Demand for nature-based tourism likely to accelerate as pristine areas become increasingly rare

■ Increased number of policies and related practices in mainstream tourism to more effectively protect sensitive ecosystems

■ Improved design of individual projects and destinations incorporating biodiversity conservation in situ, and through compensatory mechanisms

■ Increased incorporation of natural areas in tourism development and greater transfer of benefits toward natural areas through entrance fees and Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes

Table A2-1: Drivers and likely implications of investment in sustainable tourism strategic areas Source: Author’s compilation

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