A presentation mad during a World Parks Congress event "Welcome Visitors: Making Tourism Work for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development: Part 1 – Critical Success Factors" that took place on 17 November 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Supported by the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group and UNDP

1. The contribution of “eco-resorts”
to national conservation objectives
Mark Borg
IUCN Oceania
INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

2. Tourism in Pacific Island Countries
• Averaged just over 1.3 million visitors a year between 2011 and
2013 (arrivals by air) - by comparison Malta (a Mediterranean island
1/50th the size of Fiji)
gets 1.4 million
visitors (2012 figures)
• It’s not surprising
Pacific Island
countries see
potential for growth
of the tourism
sector….
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700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
Average annual arrivals in PICs

3. The Tourism – Conservation Dilemma
Recognised benefits of tourism to PAs:
• Tourism can supplement the financing required
to properly manage protected areas;
• Provides an economic incentive to establish
protected areas;
• Tourists get an educational conservation
experience that may influence
how they treat wildlife in the
future.
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4. The Tourism – Conservation Dilemma
Recognised risks of tourism to PAs:
• Tourists disturb wildlife
• Nature and wildlife measured by its economic
value – the number of tourists it attracts
• Only interested in
protecting areas with
wildlife or natural features
that have touristic value.
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5. The Tourism – Conservation Dilemma
• Whereas we are concerned with the impact of tourism
on protected areas, we should be as concerned with
the impact of tourism on non-protected areas,
particularly since these constitute most of our land and
marine environment.
• The strict environmental standards that resort
establishment and management should have when
located within PAs should also be applied generally,
irrespectively whether
it falls within a PA.
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6. Tourism Certification
• Need for an environmental certification system
• There have been a number of certification
systems, globally deployed
• Mixed success of these global
systems in the Pacific
• Have been accessed by the
big multinational operators but most of the smaller
Pacific operators have been unable to subscribe
to these schemes due to the cost involved
(relatively small tourism market).
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7. Blue Star Certification System
• The proposed Blue Star Certification
is specifically tailored for the needs of the Pacific.
• It promotes standards in environmental, social and
cultural criteria;
• Promotes tourism that
empowers communities by
ensuring they are fully
engaged in the operation;
• The community is not just
a spectator.
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8. Tourism Certification Criteria
• Sustainable Management Criteria
The operation implements long-term sustainability that considers
environmental, sociocultural, quality, health, and safety issues. It uses
locally appropriate principles of sustainable construction and design
while respecting the natural and cultural surroundings. It shares
information about and interpretation of the natural surroundings and local
cultural
• Social and Economic Criteria
Training and employment of locals (also in management); sub-contracts
operations to local businesses; buys local produce; promotes local
private sector; assists communities with education, water, sanitation and
income generation.
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9. Tourism Certification Criteria
• Cultural Heritage Criteria
Operation follows a code of behaviour for visits to culturally or historically
sensitive sites; he business contributes to the protection of local
historical, archaeological, culturally, and spiritually important properties
and sites, and does not impede access to them by local residents. Uses
and promotes local cultural heritage while respecting intellectual property
rights.
• Environment
Purchasing policy favours environmentally friendly products; measures to
decrease overall energy consumption adopted and encouraging use of
renewable energy; supports biodiversity conservation, including
supporting natural protected areas.
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