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Tourism and Travel

About this sector

Based on its contribution to global gross domestic product, the number of people it employs, and the number of clients it serves, tourism has been described as the world’s largest industry. In 2008 these figures were 9.5% of global GDP, over 200 million jobs – one in 13 of all jobs worldwide – 924 million international travellers in 2008, and perhaps 10 times the number of domestic travellers.
The industry forms one of the top five export earners in 150 countries, and is particularly important for developing countries. For the world’s 40 poorest countries, tourism is second to oil as a source of foreign exchange.

Impacts

Tourism facilities and infrastructure can threaten natural and important habitats.
Excessive use of natural resources, such as fresh water, energy and food can threaten supplies and lead to pollution through waste.
Tourist behaviour can threaten species and ecosystems (introduction of invasive alien species, harvesting of wild species for souvenirs).

Opportunities/Risks

The rise in demand for nature-based and eco-tourism creates business opportunities that can be tied with wildlife conservation.
Consumer awareness of ethical and environmental issues creates markets for responsible tourism.
Environmental impacts can limit access to capital insurance and incur legal risks.
Brand and reputation are strongly influenced by a company’s environmental performance.

Case Studies

African magic mixed with cutting edge green technology

Elizabeth Dlamini, herbalist and skincare adviser to a whole of local women, has skin that glows. She beams as she explains why. “Here in the Royal Kingdom of Swaziland we proud of our plants that we use in our traditional beauty regimes. Our grandmothers taught us how to prepare cosmetics from the oil of the Marula nut”. Now, Ubuntu Natural is bringing Swaziland’s best-kept beauty secret to the international cosmetics market.

Biodiversity and Access to Affordable medicines

Recognizing the importance of medicinal plants offers a unique opportunity to link biodiversity, health and sustainable development. Biodiversity is the source of primary health care for the majority of the world’s population. The research and development of medicinal plants is thus a way to safeguard and advance health care, which is essential for much of the population. Moreover, the ethical sourcing of medicinal plants can play an important role in the conservation and sustainable use of these species and their ecosystems, as well as provide a significant avenue for local sustainable development.

Building local plant nurseries for the rehabilitation of quarries

As part of its quarry rehabilitation process, Lafarge has developed local plant nurseries that respect indigenous species and are adapted to the local environment. This initiative is part of broader methodologies and best practices

developed by the company to optimize its quarry reclamation, with the ﬁnal objective of strengthening the acceptability of its operations in the long run.

Implementing “zero impact” invoices

Committed to neutralize the environmental impacts associated with its paper invoicing process, EDP has engaged in a compensation program based on (1) life cycle assessment and (2) externalities compensation through agroforestry good practices that restore the ecosystem service originally impacted by invoicing activities.

Setting private natural heritage reserves

Owning large natural reserves as part of its forestry activities in Brazil, Fibria has chosen to register its most biodiverse lands as part of the Brazilian-specific Private Natural Heritage Reserves scheme. Recognition of Fibria’s conservation efforts is expected to further increase public and stakeholder awareness on company conservation activities.

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Tools and Mechanisms

A Guide to Biodiversity for the Private Sector (International Finance Corporation)

http://www.ifc.org/biodiversityguide

This guide is designed to help companies operating in emerging markets better understand their relationship to biodiversity issues and how they can effectively manage those issues to improve business performance and benefit from biodiversity.

Ethical and Environmental Certification Institute

http://www.icea.info

ICEA is an inspection and certification body in the field of sustainable development that evaluates corporate respect for the environment, workers' dignity, and collective rights. ICEA's activities support a fair and socially sustainable development that extend from agriculture to other organic and ecological sectors.

Ethical Tea Partnership

http://www.ethicalteapartnership.org

The Ethical Tea Partnership is a non-commercial alliance of international tea companies, both large and small, who share a vision of a thriving tea industry that is socially just and environmentally sustainable. Together they account for more than 50 brands, which sell in over 100 countries Membership is open to any tea packing company selling tea in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand

EU Business and Biodiversity Platform

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/biodiversity/busin...

The EU Business and Biodiversity Platform is a unique facility where businesses can come together to share their experiences and best practices, learn from their peers, and voice their needs and concerns to the European Commission. The Platform aims to strengthen the link between the business sector and biodiversity conservation, in particular in the following six priority sectors: agriculture, food supply, forestry, non-energy extractive industry, finance, and tourism.

Global Biodiversity Information Facility

http://data.gbif.org

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, was established in 2001 to take on a special set of tasks that will make it possible for policy- and decision-makers, research scientists and the general public all around the world to electronically access the world's supply of primary scientific data on biodiversity.