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Sectors

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

Sustaining our Great Lakes

ArcelorMittal, owning operations within the Great Lakes basin, manages its business risk and supports critical public resources through a unique partnership dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Conserving indigenous forests in Liberia

As part of its risks management strategy in Liberia, ArcelorMittal has set-up a multi-stakeholder partnership to investigate how it could mitigate its future liabilities, i.e. its potential impacts on local biodiversity and people’s livelihood.

Protecting and preserving ecosystems through respectful agricultural practices

It is of critical importance for the agriculture sector to protect and enhance the ecosystems it relies on for its yields. Acknowledging this fact, BASF has developed different programs throughout the world that aim first to show that modern agriculture can be compatible with nature whilst also supporting its clients, the farmers.

Testing the first habitat banking project in Europe

New market mechanisms targeting biodiversity conservation are emerging worldwide, and among others, the biodiversity offset market size is expected to increase in the coming years. The French company CDC Biodiversité has seized this opportunity and is testing the first habitat banking project in Europe.

Conserving a unique transboundary ecosystem

As part of its corporate responsibility, CEMEX has long recognized the importance of protecting the biodiversity of our planet. It has therefore conducted a multistakeholder, long-term transboundary conservation initiative along the Mexico and US border over ten years, thus helping to protect the region’s biodiversity.

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Tools and Mechanisms

Uganda BioTrade

http://www.ugandaexportsonline.com/biotrade/

The Uganda BioTrade Programme was designed to facilitate and promote trade in biological goods and services. Increased trade positively affects employment creation, the sustainable use of Uganda’s natural resources, and contributes to poverty alleviation.

National Biotrade Project in Bolivia

http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Webflyer.asp?docID...

Bolivia´s National Biotrade Programme, to be applied for five years, has the following overall objectives:

To stimulate production of, and trade in, biodiversity goods and services following criteria of ecological, social, and economic sustainability
To strengthen value chains and related local economies, thus creating links with domestic and international markets.

It contains the following five components:

Development of standards for promoting the sustainable management of biodiversity
Development of skills for sustainable production
Facilitating access to markets, certification, and financing
Developing value chains
and fostering access to information and training in biotrade for the various national stakeholders

Integrating Environmental Practices in Small and Medium Hotels (UNEP)

http://www.unep.fr/scp/publications/details.asp?id...

A UNEP initiative to assist hotel managers and staff in assessing their current environmental practices and incorporating best environmental practice in their daily operations.

Katoomba Group - United Nations University

http://www.katoombagroup.org

The Katoomba Group is an international network of individuals working to promote, and improve capacity related to, markets and payments for ecosystem services (PES). The Group serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas and strategic information about ecosystem service transactions and markets, as well as site for collaboration between practitioners on PES projects and programs. UNIFEM works to foster women's empowerment and gender equality throughout the world. UNIFEM has identified four strategic areas that are of critical concern for the achievement of gender equality and women's empowerment and which guide our work:

- Reducing feminized poverty
- Ending violence against women
- Reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls
- Achieving gender equality in democratic governance in times of peace as well as war.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

http://www.ebrd.com/enviro

The EBRD is an international financial institution that supports projects in 30 countries from central Europe to central Asia. Investing primarily in private sector clients whose needs cannot be fully met by the market, the Bank promotes entrepreneurship and fosters transition towards open and democratic market economies.