Conservation International will be releasing the most comprehensive study to
\ndate of global tourism and its impact on the world?s most environmentally
\nsensitive areas on 12 September during the World Parks Congress in Durban, South
\nAfrica. In the report, ?Tourism and Biodiversity: Mapping Tourism’s Global
\nFootprint,? Conservation International advocates that given that global tourism
\nnumbers are expected to double by 2020 from the current level of over 700
\nmillion international travelers per year, actions need to be taken now to foster
\nsustainable tourism.
\n?Now is the time to address the problems of poorly planned tourism that are
\nliterally killing the very things that attract tourists in the first place,?
\nsays CI spokesman Jason Anderson.
\nAnderson highlights that the world?s biodiversity hotspots saw tourism increase
\nover 100 percent during the last decade. He says that tourism exploded by more
\nthan 2000 percent in both Laos and Cambodia, nearly 500 percent in South Africa,
\nover 300 percent in Brazil, Nicaragua and El Salvador and 128 percent in the
\nDominican Republic.
\nThe report acts as a real world manual to illustrate how tourism development,
\nguided by the principles associated with ecotourism – environmental
\nsustainability, protection of nature, and supporting local peoples – can have a
\npositive impact on biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction. For example,
\nin the Caribbean, tourism accounts for 15.5 percent of total employment, or one
\nin 6.4 jobs.
\nEarlier this year, CI co-sponsored a workshop in the Dominican Republic to
\ncreate an awareness of the importance of sustainable tourism. The event was held
\nat the Punta Cana Resort & Club.
\nSee
\nhttp:\/\/cabs.kms.conservation.org\/wombat\/puntacana\/index.htm
\nFor an electronic copy of the Tourism and Biodiversity report,
\nwrite to Jason Anderson at j.anderson@celb.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Conservation International will be releasing the most comprehensive study to date of global tourism and its impact on the world?s most environmentally sensitive areas on 12 September during the World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa. In the report, ?Tourism and Biodiversity: Mapping Tourism’s Global Footprint,? Conservation International advocates that given that global tourism numbers … <\/p>\n