SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM. WORDS: KARL CUSHING
rom endangered endemic species to deforestation of the world’s largest rainforest, Latin America is at the forefront of the global struggle to forge a sustainable approach to tourism development. With the United Nations World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO) forecasting a rise in international travellers to the region from 674 million in 2000 to 1.8 billion by 2030, never has the need to develop a sustainable approach to regional tourism growth been more pressing.
Cooperation is key As secretary-general Taleb Rifai noted when he launched UNWTO’s sustainable tourism awareness raising campaign ‘Travel.Enjoy. Respect’ (
travelenjoyrespect.org) last year, a major factor behind the success of any major sustainable project is to adopt a joined-up approach from the outset, engaging everyone from national and local governments to private-sector companies, local communities and tourists. One good example of this approach is the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC ) project, which began in the 1990s. The MBC has seen the governments of the eight Central
American countries — Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and Panama — unite in a common sustainable goal: the creation of a free-movement corridor for wildlife across the region. This area was then broken down into four parts, from multiple-use zones to core zones, where animals take priority over humans. All eight countries are also members of the Central American System of Protected Areas (SICAP). Meanwhile, frameworks such as the UN’s REDD+ aim to
increase projects’ chances of success by engaging local communities. Examples of local REDD+ programmes, which aim to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, include a major project in the Alto Mayo of northern Peru being overseen by Conservation International. This project intends to conserve a protected area of 182,000 hectares which, despite its status, has suffered mass deforestation. The organisation engages local communities and rewards them for helping to protect the forested area to stem the decline, by providing funding, supplies and training. Peru is particularly close to the heart of LATA treasurer Quinn
Meyer, founder and director of the Peruvian-based Crees Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting a sustainable Amazon. LATA chairman Colin Stewart also praised the country’s efforts to combat deforestation. Last year saw Peru’s Ministry of Culture take positive steps to combat overtourism at its most popular site, Machu Picchu, by introducing a more restrictive entrance policy.
Another key battleground is Brazil. Here, major initiatives such
as the Amazonia Sustainable Landscapes Project support the government’s commitment to reaching its Paris Agreement target of reforesting 12 million hectares of land by 2030. LATA is also playing its part in giving back to local communities
touched by tourism. Last year its charity, the LATA Foundation, donated £50,000 to 13 social and environmental initiatives in the region, such as The Condor Trust, which helps low-income Ecuadorians access secondary and higher education. Currently LATA is developing its new LATA Sustainability Charter, which it will ask its members to work towards.
Pura Vida One of the best examples of what a committed government can achieve over time when it engages a wide variety of stakeholders is Costa Rica. From fostering renewable energy to reversing its earlier pattern of deforestation Costa Rica, home to five percent of the world’s known biodiversity, has fought on many fronts. An early milestone was the creation of the pioneering Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) scheme back in 1997, which categorises companies based on their adherence to sustainable practices. The scheme’s supporters include the UNWTO, while Costa Rica in turn is committed to achieving core UN goals as partners in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As Rob Wilson, UK Representative of the Costa Rica Tourism Board
(ICT), explains, sustainability and conservation lie at the heart of its CST scheme and ‘pura vida’ brand of tourism. “Costa Rica is a global leader in environmental protection,” said Wilson. “More than a quarter of the country is protected and classed as national parks, wildlife areas and biological reserves, ensuring that this remains a real haven for wildlife.” Current focuses include working towards becoming the first carbon-neutral country in the world by 2021. Costa Rica’s neighbour, Nicaragua, is another country making
strides. Currently the eighth fastest-growing tourism destination in the world it's underpinning this growth with a strong focus on sustainability, efforts which helped it scoop the 2017 LATA award for Sustainable and Responsible Tourism. Stewart calls Nicaragua “an excellent example” of a country and
a tourism board (INTUR) committed to working towards an environmentally and socially sustainable economy. He points to the creation of its National Tourism Commission (NTC), which has an emphasis on empowering local native communities, helping to ensure they benefit from tourism growth and are fully part of the decision-making process, as a major step. INTUR has also developed a strong track record in promoting ecotourism, supporting local artisans and promoting sustainably produced Nicaraguan products such as coffee.
Attainable sustainability LATIN AMERICA IS LEADING THE GLOBAL PUSH TO PROMOTE
12 L ATIN AMERICA TRAVEL TRENDS
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