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Decision COP V/25
UNEP/CBD/COP/DEC/V/25

Biological diversity and tourism

The Conference of the Parties,
Recognizing the increasing importance of tourism for social and economic development at local, national and regional levels,
Recognizing also that sustainable tourism depends on community involvement and participation, 
Recognizing further that communities should benefit from sustainable tourism,
Recognizing also that tourism is closely linked to the preservation of a healthy environment, which in turn is an essential element of tourism development and helps to raise public awareness on some biodiversity issues.
Informational Retired
1.Endorses the assessment of the interlinkages between biological diversity and tourism contained in the annex to the present decision, which includes:
(a)The economic importance of tourism and its interrelationship with the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity;
(b)The potential impacts of tourism on biological diversity, including economic, social and environmental impacts; 
Operational Retired Implemented Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
2.Accepts the invitation to participate in the international work programme on sustainable tourism development under the Commission on Sustainable Development process with regard to biological diversity, in particular, with a view to contributing to international guidelines for activities related to sustainable tourism development in vulnerable terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems and habitats of major importance for biological diversity and protected areas, including fragile riparian and mountain ecosystems, bearing in mind the need for such guidelines to apply to activities both within and outside protected areas, and taking into account existing guidelines, and requests the Executive Secretary to prepare a proposal for the contribution on guidelines, for example by convening an international workshop;
Operational Retired Implemented
3.Decides to transmit the assessment of the interlinkages between tourism and biological diversity to the Commission on Sustainable Development, with the recommendation to the Commission on Sustainable Development to incorporate the assessment in the international work programme on sustainable tourism development; 
Operational Retired Superseded Parties Government(s) OTHERS
4.Recommends to Parties, Governments, the tourism industry and relevant international organizations, in particular the World Tourism Organization, to consider this assessment as a basis for their policies, programmes and activities in the field of sustainable tourism, and encourages them to pay particular attention to:
(a)The unique role of ecotourism – that is, tourism that relies on the existence and maintenance of biological diversity and habitats - and the need to develop clear strategies to develop sustainable ecotourism sectors which provides for full and effective participation and viable income-generating opportunities for indigenous and local communities;
(b)The need to develop, with all the potential stakeholders, strategies and plans, based on the ecosystem approach and aiming at a balance between economic, social, cultural and environmental concerns, while maximizing opportunities for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, the equitable sharing of benefits and the recognition of traditional knowledge, in accordance with Article 8(j) of the Convention, and seeking to minimize risks to biological diversity;
(c)The need for long-term monitoring and assessment, including the development and use of indicators to measure impacts of tourism on biological diversity and consequently to improve strategies and plans for tourism activities;
(d)Tangible benefits to the local economies, such as job creation and the sharing of benefits arising from the sustainable use of biological diversity for tourism purposes.  In this regard, small and medium-sized enterprises can play a major role;
(e)The need to develop sustainable tourism which is an important mechanism for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and to meet the expectations of all stakeholders, while encouraging responsible behaviour on the part of tourists and the tourist industry, tourism enterprises and the local population;
(f)Awareness-raising, information-sharing, education and training of tourism operators and their staff and sensitization of tourists on biological diversity issues and technical and capacity-building at the local level, which enhance the goal of the respect and the conservation of biological diversity and its sustainable use;
(g)The fact that in order to contribute to the sustainable use of biological diversity through tourism, there is a need to implement a flexible mix of instruments, such as integrated planning, multi-stakeholder dialogue that includes indigenous peoples, zoning in land use planning, environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, standards, industry performance-recognition programmes, recognized accreditation bodies, ecolabelling, codes of good practice, environmental management and audit systems, economic instruments, indicators and limits regarding the carrying capacity of the natural areas;
(h)The importance of the involvement and the need for the participation of indigenous and local communities and their interface with other sectors in the development and management of tourism, as well as their monitoring and assessment, including of cultural and spiritual impacts; 
(i)The importance of the understanding of the values and knowledge of use of biological diversity held by the indigenous and local communities and the opportunities these offer for sustainable tourism and the support of local tourism;
Operational Retired Implemented Parties Government(s) Relevant organizations
5.Endorses the work of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice on tourism as an example of sustainable use of biological diversity by exchanging experiences, knowledge and best practices through the clearing-house mechanism, and encourages Parties, Governments and relevant organizations to continue to submit to the Executive Secretary case studies in this regard;
Operational Retired Implemented SBSTTA
6.In order to contribute further to the international work programme on sustainable tourism development under the Commission on Sustainable Development process with regard to biological diversity, and, in particular, to the review of its implementation, which will be carried out in 2002, requests the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to transmit its findings, through the Executive Secretary, to the Commission on Sustainable Development at its tenth session;
Operational Retired Implemented Parties Government(s) OTHERS Relevant organizations
7.Encourages Parties, Governments, the tourism industry and relevant organizations to undertake activities including local capacity-building, that would be supportive of the preparations for both the International Year of Ecotourism and the International Year of Mountains, as well as activities of the International Coral Reef Initiative, and, in particular: 
Operational Retired OTHERS Parties Government(s)
(a)Urges the tourism industry to work in partnership with all stakeholders and to commit to work within principles and guidelines for sustainable tourism development;
Operational Retired Parties Government(s)
(b)Encourages Parties and Governments to complement voluntary efforts by establishing enabling policies and legal frameworks for the effective implementation of sustainable tourism. 
Body
Conference of the Parties (COP)

Meeting
COP-05
Fifth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
15 - 26 May, 2000
Nairobi, Kenya

Decision document
V/25
Biological diversity and tourism
Documents
UNEP/CBD/COP/8/INF/2
Review and Retirement of the Decisions of the Conference of the Parties: Proposals by the Executive Secretary pursuant to decision VII/33 on Operations of the Convention
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