Transcript International Tourism and the Ecotourism Sub

The Lao PDR’s National
Ecotourism Strategy
and Ecotourism Task Force
Paul Rogers, Steven Schipani & Thaviphet Oula
Lao PDR Sustainable Tourism Network Meeting
June 2005
Presentation Overview
•Travel & tourism industry facts
•Tourism & development opportunities
• Sustainable tourism
• Ecotourism
• National Ecotourism Strategy & Action Plan
Break
• Discussion
Travel & Tourism
• world’s largest and fastest growing
industry
• almost continual growth since 1950s
• 2000 – 699 million int. arrivals spent
around $476 billion
• 2020 – 1.56 billion arrivals
• terrorism & SARS = fall in arrivals
• each annual dip leads to a strong recovery
Tourism is increasingly seen as an agreeable and
acceptable component of national and
international development policy in almost every
country around the world. For most countries –
particularly for less economically developed
nations – the question is not so much whether to
develop tourism, but how to develop tourism.
How can governments lessen tourism’s negative
impacts, more evenly distribute its benefits and
create a “win win” situation?
How Best to Develop Tourism?
"large-size nationally owned tourism enterprises may
have greater utility for creating larger amounts of
foreign exchange and employment opportunities. But
smaller scale tourism, especially when decentralised,
can have a greater impact on improving rural living
standards, reducing urban migration, rejuvenating
rural communities and countering the structural
inequalities of income distribution".
Britton and Clarke (1987) Ambiguous Alternative: Tourism in Small Developing
Countries
Sustainable Tourism
"tourism and associated infrastructures that, both now
and in the future:
• Operate within natural capacities for the regeneration
and future productivity of natural resources;
• recognise the contribution that people and
communities, customs and lifestyles, make to the
tourism experience;
• accept that these people must have an equitable share in
the economic benefits of tourism;
• are guided by the wishes of local people and
communities in the host areas ".
Eber (1992) Beyond the Green Horizon
Ecotourism is …..
"responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the
environment and sustains the well-being of local people."
(The International Ecotourism Society)
"environmentally responsible travel and visitation to
relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy
and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural
features - both past and present) that promotes
conservation, has low visitor impact, and provides for the
beneficially active socio-economic involvement of the
local populations."
(IUCN)
Lao Ecotourism is defined in the NESAP as…….
“ Tourism activity in rural and protected areas that
minimises negative impacts and is directed towards
the conservation of natural and cultural resources,
rural socio-economic development and visitor
understanding of, and appreciation for, the places
they are visiting.”
Vision Statement
Laos will become a world renowned
destination specialising in forms of
sustainable tourism that, through
partnership and cooperation, benefit
natural and cultural heritage conservation,
local socio-economic development and
spread knowledge of Lao’s unique cultural
heritage around the world
Five Key Objectives
• Strengthen institutional arrangements for
planning and managing ecotourism growth
• Support training, capacity building and the
promotion of good practice
• Support environmental protection and nature
conservation
• Provide socio-economic development and
cultural heritage protection for host communities
• Develop ecotourism research and information
Three basic guiding principles…
conservation of natural and cultural
resources
local socio-economic development
visitor understanding of, and
appreciation for, the places they are
visiting
Ecotourism is also …..
a business activity. As such it is a highly
complex, multi-faceted activity embracing
a wide variety of stakeholders.
”Ecotourism” is a term that has been
widely used and abused by the private
sector to describe products that pay little
regard to the three guiding principles.
Dong Phu Vieng – cost breakdown
Village goods
& services
32%
Wildlife
viewing
bonus
1%
NBCA trust
fund
5%
Ecotourism
trust fund
1%
Provincial tax
2%
Equip.
depreciation
3%
First aid
1%
Transport
21%
Provincial
guides
16%
Trek supplies
18%
Ecotourism Taskforce
• To oversee the implementation of the
strategy
• 2 NTA
• 2 DFRC
• 1 STEA
• 4 NBCA heads
• 4 PTOs
Discussion
• How can the public and private sector work
together to make Laos and outstanding
ecotourism destination ?
• How can the Ecotourism Taskforce help to
ensure that Lao ecotourism is developed and
operated according to the guiding principles?
The Tourism Industry
….is made up of the following goods, services and activities :
Transportation : airlines, boats, bus lines, ferry boats, personal vehicles,
railroads, petroleum supplies, taxi, cabs and car rentals.
Accommodation : hotels, guest houses, resorts and spas, bed and breakfasts,
camping and caravan sites, cruise liners and vacation properties.
Catering and retail : clothing and footwear, food and beverages, photography,
reading material, recreational equipment, restaurants and bars, souvenirs, gifts
and luggage.
Recreational and cultural activities : nature and wildlife, parks and
beaches, participation sports and sporting events, gambling, historic sites, hunting
and fishing, motion pictures, zoos and botanical gardens, museums, dramatic arts
and music.
Travel related services : tour operators, travel agents, credit cards, currency
exchanges, travel insurance and travellers cheques.
Ten Year Goals
• Strengthen national and provincial capacity and
expertise in the ecotourism sector
• Coordinate and, where necessary, guide and
regulate the development of ecotourism to ensure
it adheres to guiding principles
• Support local communities, the public and
private sectors and ensure they are given
sufficient freedom and assistance to develop and
promote the sector