COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
INTER-SESSIONAL AD HOC WORKING GROUP
ON CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION PATTERNS AND ON TOURISM
New York, 22-26 February 1999
ADDRESS BY HE MR. TUILOMA NERONI SLADE
Permanent Representative of Samoa
on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
23 February 1999
TOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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Mr. Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) on this issue. It is an issue of immense and fundamental importance to our island countries.

At the ground-breaking Global Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Barbados in 1994, it was agreed that "tourism has contributed much to the development of small island developing States, and, as one of the only few development options for those small states, will continue to be very important. However, if not properly planned and managed, tourism could significantly degrade the environment on which it is dependent."

Tourism is a billion-dollar industry, one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world, and trends indicate that the numbers will continue steadily to grow. Small island developing States (SIDS) have long benefited from this growth momentum -- in some Caribbean states, for example, tourism employs as much as 25 percent of the workforce, contributes some 30 percent of GDP, and provides the bulk of foreign exchange earnings.

However, a critical examination will show that if current expansion and growth continue, there will be increasing pressures on our diverse and fragile environments and communal lifestyles. As it is, the carrying capacity of many small islands is reaching fairly critical levels.

It is clear that indiscriminate tourism development can lead to possibly long-term, if not devastating impacts. Unchecked, construction of tourism facilities have every prospect to destroy the pristine nature of island environments, and erosion from tourism activities and infrastructures built too close to the coast can contribute to beach destruction and coastal degradation. The treatment and disposal of liquid and solid wastes generated by the tourism industry is already a serious problem, particularly for less developed economies that lack the physical infrastructure or capacity.

In addition to these examples of negative impacts, recreational mass tourism that is poorly planned can also have costly and adverse social consequences.

Indeed, over-reliance on the tourist industry carries significant risks for many economies. Economic recession and the impact of natural disasters such as tropical storms and cyclones can severely affect this sector. Furthermore, an excessive reliance on a single major source of foreign exchange earnings, as tourism tends to become in so many SIDS, sometimes creates an uneasy tension between sectoral performance and the economic fortunes of an over-reliant State.

It is thus the responsibility of small island States to ensure that even private decisions mitigate possible public ramifications. In this regard, SIDS wish to reaffirm the importance of proper planning where, for instance, tourism development and environmental management are mutually supportive. SIDS also supports the merits of strengthening collaboration of the private sector, government authorities and local communities, as well as other major groups.

Indeed, we know from experience that good and effective collaboration is essential.

A key issue for our countries is the involvement of our local communities, particularly the village communities and provincial authorities in all stages of tourism development. Competition from other sectors, primarily agriculture and in some cases, unsustainable forest management, affects the way in which local communities utilise their finite resources, especially critical resources like clean water and energy. The development of ‘guidelines and standards’ for sustainable tourism development, therefore, has to take into consideration the basic needs of the people first and the priorities set by Governments.

Sustainable tourism development will require further international support and cooperation in respect of efforts undertaken by SIDS at the national and regional level to develop and promote environmentally sound and nature-based tourism in SIDS. Particular attention will be required to co-ordinate eco-tourism ventures at the regional level, the sharing of information and experiences, and the integration of the private sector within ODA supported eco-tourism projects.

Specific actions need to be taken at the national and international levels. At the national level, Governments, in partnership with the private sector, local communities, and non-governmental organisations, and with technical and financial support from regional and international organisations, could be encouraged to:

* establish regional and national environmental audits for determining carrying capacity of natural resources, including the social and cultural implications of tourism development;
* support institutional capacity building in the tourism sector and promote environment and culture through community-level awareness programmes;
* support the use of modern technologies and communications systems that effectively maximise the use of global, regional and national information in support of sustainable tourism development;
* support and assist the development of regulatory frameworks that support sustainable tourism;
* establish partnerships for sustainable tourism to effectively conserve and utilise limited resources, and which involve the private sector and are based on consumer and market demand, development of community-based initiatives, and support for destination marketing that promotes peoples, cultures, and environment; and
* develop human resources at all levels of tourism to build institutional capacity, create frameworks conducive to the development of small management enterprises, and improve the capacity to utilise modern technologies.

At the international level, Governments and international organisations could be encouraged to:

* support enhancement of sustainable tourism and sustainably-managed tourism operations through the adoption of appropriate regulations, such as a code of conduct, criteria for best practices, and other innovative measures;
* support the accreditation of sustainable tourism practices through internationally and regionally recognised awards for sustainable tourism development and sustainably managed tourism operations;
* provide educational materials to international source markets on environmental and developmental issues and their significance for SIDS, and to complement regional and national efforts at tourism education and development; and
* assist SIDS through the provision of adequate resources to support the implementation of priority actions at the national and regional levels.

These and other aspects relevant to sustainable tourism development should be synthesised by the Commission on Sustainable Development into a new mandate for its agenda on Sustainable Tourism. The Commission on Sustainable Development should also call on relevant international organisations and agencies to cooperate and not compete in the fulfilment of this mandate.

Culture and traditional values are invaluable core elements of our historical past and present societies. We are particularly proud that, as we enter into the new millennium, our cultures and traditions continue to ‘evolve and adapt’ without diminishing the ancient value-systems so inherent in the way we manage and conserve our environment.

On this score, AOSIS would like to see that this key principal be affirmed in a global strategy for sustainable tourism development. Solutions for sustainability must be geared toward specific local circumstances. Where feasible, as is now being tested in the recycling programs amongst some small island States, a regional approach may be the best option for scattered islands

with low population densities. Experiences in our countries show that conventional approaches modelled in developed countries, such as permits, zoning and so forth, do not always fit into the norms of our societies.

Our countries will continue to strengthen existing mechanisms of reaching our people using local ideas to educate and inform them of appropriate ways to manage their resources for sustainable tourism. In this regard, local communities should take the lead in consensus-building, identifying locations, and developing guidelines for tourism, notwithstanding the demands and expectations from international tourists.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, we wish to stress the point -- and we believe that guidelines for sustainable tourism development must incorporate it as an important principle -- namely, the need to take account of the interests, and of the equitable sharing of benefits, by local communities, indigenous people, as well as cultures and traditional values.

As recipient countries, we provide tourists with hospitality, entertainment, cultural and natural attractions, but more importantly, our people provide an avenue for tourists from all over the globe to learn ancient traditional knowledge, systems and experiences, passed down from generation to generation, and one that needs recognition as pioneer systems in sustainability.