Biodiversity is a vital asset for tourism destinations, as highquality natural surroundings are an important element for many recreational activities. Well-managed tours to watch wildlife or visit conservation projects in areas of high biodiversity value are a great attraction for your guests and one of the fastest growing parts of the tourism sector. Tours can also provide a valuable source of income that helps to protect wildlife.
But if sites for tourism activities are overcrowded and damaged, the quality of the tourism experience is reduced. Often in sensitive ecosystems, such as coral reefs, wetlands or mountain areas above the tree-line, visits by tourists can damage wildlife and biodiversity, if not properly managed. Even modest numbers of tourists can cause disturbance to wildlife and damage vegetation by trampling and erosion of paths. For example, heavily used dive sites on coral reefs have fewer fish and more signs of damage compared to other parts of reefs, heavily used paths and ski areas in mountains show signs of biodiversity damage, and poorly managed tourist activities in deserts can have serious adverse impacts on the fragile and sensitive desert ecosystem.
Ensure that any activities that are provided by your hotel are well-managed in terms of protection of biodiversity, comply with relevant local, national and international standards (e.g. marine recreation standards or local regulations on diving on coral reefs or around other sensitive sites), and are conducted by fully trained staff who are able to monitor the impacts of tourist activities. When in doubt about the standards, consult local conservation authorities and NGOs. Appoint and train Biodiversity Information Focal Points among your staff to provide first-hand information to your clients (especially if you are adjacent to a natural area). Offer your guests up-to-date information on opportunities for wildlife watching and visits to conservation projects, protected areas, nature reserves, or areas of high biodiversity value. Ask staff for their ideas on improving existing activities, or possible new activities that you could offer.
Work with local tour agencies and operators to offer tours and activities that are well-managed in terms of protection of biodiversity, comply with relevant local, national and international standards, and are conducted by fully trained staff. Encourage small enterprises to increase their benefit from tourism and sustainable use of biodiversity, by building local businesses to develop sustainable production/harvesting of biological resources that you use in your hotel and/or provide tours for your guests (e.g. bird watching, nature treks).
Support tours developed and managed by community organisations and local enterprises. Use qualified guides from local communities, and help provide them with any training and/or equipment they may need for working with tourist groups. Work with destination management organisations and local authorities to ensure that regulations for wildlife watching and nature-based tourism are disseminated by all hotels and other service providers in the destination. Work with organisations offering nature-based activities to avoid overcrowding and overuse of sites, for example by encouraging a greater diversity of activities and use of a variety of sites.
Provide guests with information about local natural resources and their value, and about the damage to natural resources, such as coral reefs, birdlife and other biodiversity that can be caused by diving, snorkelling and other recreational activities. Recommend responsible providers of recreational activities, and provide guidelines for how to practice these activities in a responsible way.
Provide information on environmentally sustainable behaviour that can allow guests to minimise their adverse impacts on natural environments and wildlife, such as codes of conduct for whale watching, snorkelling or diving. Produce cards illustrating best practices in recreational activities such as trekking, snorkelling and turtle watching, and offer waterproof scuba cards to enhance the experience of your guests' dives. Ensure trained guides are available to help guests appreciate local biodiversity, and require that guests be accompanied by guides in sensitive areas. Develop ad hoc interpretation programmes that will help your clients better understand the value of biodiversity at the local level.
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