Information

COP 12 Decision XII/11

XII/11.Biodiversity and tourism development

The Conference of the Parties,
Noting the significance of the relationship between tourism and biodiversity, and the relevance, in this regard, of the CBD Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development,
Recalling the adoption of the ten-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns in the outcome document of the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, 80
Considering the experience from the application of a range of tools and instruments in sustainable tourism including sustainable ecotourism management relevant to biodiversity,
1.Invites Parties and other Governments, with the support of relevant organizations, and in partnership with stakeholders in the tourism industry, including indigenous and local communities:
(a)To promote communication, education and public awareness activities for the general public and tourists on sustainable travel choices, and on the use of eco-labels, standards and certification schemes, as appropriate;
(b)To identify areas where there is both significant levels of biodiversity and significant pressure or potential pressure from tourism, and to develop and support projects in these “tourism and conservation hotspots”, including at regional level, with the objective of demonstrating how to reduce negative impacts and increase positive impacts from tourism;
(c)To monitor and review recreation, visits and other tourism activities in protected areas, as well as impacts and relevant management processes in ecologically sensitive areas, and to share results through the clearing-house mechanism and other relevant mechanisms;
(d)To build the capacity of national and subnational park and protected area agencies, or other appropriate bodies, where appropriate, to engage in partnerships with the tourism industry to contribute financially and technically to the establishment, operations and maintenance of protected areas through appropriate tools such as concessions, public-private partnerships, payback mechanisms and other forms of payments for ecosystem services, in complement to public budgetary allocations and without prejudice to public mandates and obligations, towards achieving Aichi Biodiversity Target 11;
2.Invites donors to consider providing funding to support developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, in the demonstration projects for “tourism and conservation hotspots”, referred to in paragraph 1 (b) above;
3.Invites relevant research bodies to undertake studies of the cumulative impact of tourism on sensitive ecosystems and of the consequences of sustainable livelihood initiatives, including tourism for biodiversity, in collaboration with appropriate national agencies, and to disseminate their results as a further means to build the capacity of Parties;
4.Requests the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources:
(a)To develop, in collaboration with relevant organizations, ways and means to facilitate voluntary reporting by Parties on the application of the CBD Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development;
(b)To collaborate with the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other relevant organizations to help Parties to apply, as appropriate, the CBD Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development in “tourism and conservation hotspots” as referred to in paragraph 1 (b) above;
(c)To compile, in cooperation with Parties, relevant organizations and other partners, relevant tools and guidance, information on capacity-building programmes and best practices on the links between tourism and biodiversity, and to make this information available through the clearing-house mechanism and other means.
XII/10XII/12

80United Nations General Assembly resolution 66/288, annex.