12th OSCE Economic Forum
Prague, 31 May – 4 June 2004
EF.NGO/8/04
31 May 2004
ENGLISH only
Eco -Tourism
Development
Presented by
Susan S. Snelson, President
Network for International Economic Development, Inc.
Vice President, Tourism Economic Development
US Market Development Group
Eco -Tourism
Development
Presented by
Susan S. Snelson, President
Network for International Development, Inc.
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Flight 2004
Flight 2004
Ladies and Gentlemen please be seated and fasten your seat belts. You are now on
International Flight #2004 headed for exotic, fascinating and surprising places. For the
next few minutes I will be your hostess. Your Pilot is David Swalley, OSCE Azerbaijan.
CDC helped sponsor my airline ticket. We have hopes that you will understand fully the
potential role that tourism can have in the economic development and establishment of
small and medium-sized businesses in developing countries.
We will travel to remote villages, out backs and the smaller towns throughout the world,
learning how we can better serve them through tourism development.
911 evokes powerful feelings and emotions in everyone, but for the tourism it fully
illustrated the importance of the industry by the devastating and widespread impact when
the world’s number one employer of people was almost totally brought to a standstill.
Within days the airlines were in financial crisis, hotels were empty, and ghost ships
traveled the seas. The ripple effect was felt from the largest cities to the smallest hamlets.
It was after this that government organizations realized that proper tourism development
has the potential to be a powerful tool for economic development, and nowhere can it be
more beneficial than in the smaller towns, rural regions and developing countries.
So let’s start with WHY---Why tourism, why eco-tourism? How do we harness the power
of this baffling industry, which appears so simple and yet is very complex?
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Why Tourism?
Why Tourism?
As far back as 1972 Robert McNamara, president of the World Bank Group,
recommended the encouragement of tourism for developing countries based on
projections which showed vacation travel increasing by 45% or 40 million
travelers within 10 years.
Today, that number is more than 702 million tourists each year.
And only now,
more than 30 years later, are we barely beginning to actively pursue tourism as a
means of economic development in emerging countries.
illustrated during the two years I worked in Armenia.
I saw this clearly
While they we were
developing tourism to the country, Yerevan was the major city to financially
benefit. Overnights were in Yerevan, food was in Yerevan, craft purchases were
done in Yerevan. The rural area received little benefit and no money from tourism.
Our pilot project spring 2003 was the first rural tourism development.
Why is tourism so important, especially for areas outside major metropolitan
centers?
It is an especially important industry to developing countries. The main benefits of
tourism to a country are foreign exchange earnings, tax revenues, business
opportunities for budding entrepreneurs, and employment for workers in the
industry.
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The
The definition
definition of
of Eco-tourism
Eco-tourism
Whatdoes
doestourism
tourismmean
mean
What
ourcommunity?
community?
totoour
Responsible travel to natural areas
that conserves the environment
and improves the lives of the people.
(The International Ecotourism Society)
Definition Of Eco-Tourism
So what is eco-tourism?
According to the International Ecotourism Society their mission statement is:
Responsible travel to natural areas
that conserves the environment and
improves the lives of the people.
(The International Ecotourism Society)
When most of us think about eco-tourism, we close our eyes; breathe in the cool fresh air
around Machu Pichu, Peru. Or cruise down the Amazon River through the steamy Rain
Forest in Brazil. Or go into Bhutan where tourists are charged $200 a day, whether they
stay in a hotel or camp out. These tourist attractions are excellent examples of conserving
the environment and improving the lives of the people (both locals and visitors).
Eastern Europe, however, faces a different set of problems; they need to preserve the
fantastically beautiful landscapes, ancient civilizations whose tracks are still visible, and
UNESCO sites, which is a designated sign that tells you—preserve for future generations.
After an extensive survey of definitions of various categories of tourism, and especially
eco-tourism, I have come to the conclusion that eco-tourism means RESPONSIBLE
tourism… and ALL tourism should be eco-tourism,
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The Four S’s of Eco-Tourism
Safe
Sensitive
Sound
Sustainable
Now, I’d like to continue our tour by exploring some principles involved in
developing responsible tourism, as illustrated by the following four S’s.
Safe
Sensitive
Sound
Sustainable
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Safe
SAFE
What is safe and whose responsibility is it? Tourists will not travel to a destination
where there safety is not guaranteed.
The central governments responsibility is to:
provide safety, security and control infectious diseases.
to maintain the transportation system, roads, railroad and air service.
Safe tourism safeguards the:
Land
Wildlife
People
Heritage
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Sensitive
Sensitive
We need to be sensitive and manage the
experience for the tourist.
One of my most unusual assignments was to develop tourism to Chernobyl. I
found myself on a 6:30am work train eating breakfast heading toward Chernobyl.
They greeted us there with all sorts of contraptions to monitor levels of radiation,
with assurances that less radiation would be encountered there than in an airplane.
At noon we were ushered into a cafeteria and a nice plump chicken was placed in
front of me. Every alarm button I had went off and I declared I was really stuffed
from that one measly croissant I ate on the train. Starved as I was, there was no
way I could bring myself to eat that radioactive chicken. It illustrated to me the
importance of being sensitive to the needs of the tourist.
Be respectful of host countries’ political and social climate.
We need to be sensitive that as guests in a country we should work to empower
and acknowledge locals.
We need to be sensitive and recognize, celebrate and share cultural heritage
Through capturing the nostalgic and integrating it with the modern-day scene (very
important in rural areas).
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Sound
Sound
Environmentally
I worked in the southern part of Chile, where the scenery is absolutely exquisite,
abounding with mountains that gently slope into the ocean. There is an incredibly
large blue lake popping with salmon, and I thought “Good place to develop high
dollar fishing.” However, they had fished the area out and it would not be viable
for 15 years.
Financially
Tourism development should not only be based on sound investment principles but
also, above all, be profitable for the community.
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Sustainable
Sustainable
Conserve ecosystems
Responsible tourism provides the opportunity to preserve the environment and
cultural, heritage of local people, while it can enhance their heritage for the visitors
today and in the future.
Local community benefits of primary concern
Correctly implemented tourism empowers the local people and creates grass root
growth with strong business development. When developing tourism projects local
development should be of primary concern. Statistics show that if you bring in
major multi-national hotels and restaurants, a large percentage of the money
generated is taken out of the community. Wal-Mart, for example, out of every
$100.00 generated only $13.00 will stay in the community. Now compare that
with the good bed and breakfast where 100% of the funds stay in the community.
Basis for ongoing, thriving businesses
A major way to push local craft development is through expenditures from
tourism. This is good for the local people and country but also is good for the
tourist who takes this home and it is advertisement for the country.
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The Four S’s of Eco-Tourism
Safe
Sensitive
Sound
Sustainable
For the last leg of our journey let’s explore how to use the development of a
tourism project most effectively as a solid foundation for economic development,
especially in rural areas. Since tourism development is still in the beginning stages
in many developing countries and there are so many pristinely beautiful and
intriguing places to share with the world, we have a golden opportunity to do it
right from the beginning.
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What are the ingredients
needed to develop tourism?
1. Local and regional leadership
San Antonio
2. Identification of market niche
3. Community Support
4. Regional Support
5. Financial Support
6. Networking
The story of San Antonio, Texas, is a textbook case of how tourism can drive
major economic development when you have all six ingredients working together.
And, I was involved in that effort from the beginning, although from a much
different vantage point than what my work is today.
My husband was serving in the Texas Senate when a delegation from San Antonio
came to the legislature requesting money for the development of the HemisFair
project, a museum and a civic sports center. At that time San Antonio was a dirty
city with high crime, deserted downtown, and hordes of people from Mexico
without proper papers…just to name a few disadvantages that made tourism
development seem beyond the realm of possibility. But they had a dream, shared
by a large group of San Antonians who were willing to work to make it a
reality…AND they had a plan.
The money was granted to launch the first phase of their program, and all resources
worked together to set up a solid infrastructure to attract and serve tourists,
including not only the HemisFair but subsequently also a river walk that flows
through a canal built in the middle of downtown. Today, thirty years later, San
Antonio is a thriving metropolis and the third most visited city in the U.S….a real
tourism success story.
These are the basic steps to develop tourism at any level.
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How to Develop
A Country’s Eco-Tourism
Develop Tourism
1. Overview of nation
2. Draft a proposal
3. Obtain Funding
4. Select location
1. Conduct overview of the nation
2. Draft a project proposal
3. Obtain Funding for the project
4. Select location for pilot project
Once these steps have been completed, it is now time to move on into the specifics
of setting up and implementing a pilot project.
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Pilot Project For
Tourism
Development
Potential Board Members
Public Information
Newspaper
Television
Radio
Small
Business
Representative of
Government
Central and Local
Museums
Travel
Industry
Medical
Transportation
Students
NGO’s
Arts
And
Crafts
Environment
Bed
and
Breakfast
Hotels
Entrenpuers
All Donor
Agencies
Establish a Tourism Council
Through a selection process whereby people apply and are selected.
Assess their area for tourism potential
Local Tourism Council assess of the area
Set up Economic Development Board
These are the movers and shakers
Train Tourism Council and other locals through a series of workshops.
tourism related subjects, business and hands-on workshops.
Develop with them their strategic tourism development plan implement plan
and marketing strategy
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Pilot Project
Project for
for
Pilot
Tourism Development
Development
• Establish a Tourism Council
Workshops
• Assess the area
• Train locals through workshops
Workshops should be:
tourism-related topics, such as service training, managing bed &
breakfasts, developing arts & crafts,
basic business skills such as leadership, strategic planning, marketing,
negotiation,
As well as hands-on instructions in writing grants, producing
brochures, and signage.
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“I want to thank you for showing me
the beauty of my town, and giving
me hope in myself for the future.”
.
Olya Ohanyan,
Ohanyan, at the conclusion of our pilot project in Armenia
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“A vision without a plan is just a dream.
A plan without a vision is just drudgery.
But a vision with a plan can change the world.”
Author Unknown
Ladies and Gentlemen, you flight has just landed in Prague, the Republic of Czech
and I would like to leave you with your thought for the day.
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