Archives: Listings

This study aims to analyze communities’ perceptions of sustainable tourism and blue carbon ecosystem services by comparing household survey results between urban (Coron) and rural (Busuanga) communities in Busuanga Island, Philippines. Specifically, this work aims to determine residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts at the personal and community levels, to examine whether socio-demographic profiles, ecological consciousness, awareness of programs for sustainable tourism, and ecological protection drive these perceptions, and to compare these results in urban and rural settings.

UNWTO, the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA) and OECD have joined efforts to contribute to the "UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guide – Sociocultural Impacts of Covid-19, Issue 4: Indigenous Communities", the fourth set of guidelines relating to the sociocultural impacts of COVID-19 on tourism. This set of guidelines has been developed by the UNWTO Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility Department, in collaboration with Indigenous leaders, while also benefitting from inputs provided by OECD. The recommendations suggest specific solutions for the socio-economic empowerment of Indigenous Peoples through tourism.

This study examines the determinants of blue economy activities, namely tourism and fisheries, in 19 Asia-Pacific Island countries for the period 1996 to 2016. Using a panel data model, we find that the size of the blue economy positively depends on gross fixed capital formation and access to electricity. We also find that the size of the blue economy responds positively to sustainable ocean management policies. Hence, our findings support the need for, and the effectiveness of, sustainable ocean governance policies in the Asia-Pacific Island countries to further strengthen the growth of these countries.

This report surveyed 30 tourism operators globally using the IUCN NbS Global Standard to assess how NbS are enabling destinations to take proactive climate action. The paper outlined 5 Principles for Effective Nature-based Solutions in the Tourism Sector with practical guidelines, action steps, and case studies highlighting action taken by industry leaders. With over 17 affiliate partners joining to amplify the important message behind the white paper, the research has been well-received by an industry that to date has little practical guidance for increasing investment in NbS at scale. Blue tourism operators in coastal destinations and the NbS they are using were heavily featured in this report.

The present book offers guidance on possible strategies and actions that African countries can adopt and implement with a view to strengthening their destination brands and rebuild their tourism sectors stronger. Prepared in collaboration with Africa Tourism Partners, the guidebook collects valuable insights and expertise from African national tourism organizations as well as examples of effective destination branding from Africa and beyond. It concludes with recommendations, operational frameworks and practical tools aimed at supporting African countries in advancing their branding and strengthening their competitiveness towards a stronger Brand Africa and the socioeconomic development of the continent through tourism.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit the tourism industry particularly hard, affecting livelihoods and exacerbating some pressures on the natural capital resource base. Supporting the tourism sector recovery is an opportunity to build back better, ensuring that business investments lead to a sustainable and resilient shared-growth pathway that is good for tourism and the natural capital on which it depends. Further sustainable management of the Blue economy could more than double its economic contribution to global relationship with economic sectors across coastal landscapes and markets. The experience of the State of Palawan in the Philippines is explored in this note. It serves as a useful model for weighing the opportunities and challenges typical of coastal tourism areas and exploring natural dependencies therein.

Following the global shutdown of tourism at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, small island developing states such as The Bahamas had their economies immobilized due to their heavy dependence on the industry. Beyond economic recovery in a post COVID-19 paradigm, the blue economy, blue growth, and associated activities offer pathways for a more resilient economy and is well-suited for The Bahamas. This paper suggests conduits for economic development using a traditional strength, coastal and marine tourism, in conjunction with the emerging fields of ocean renewable energy, offshore aquaculture, marine biotechnology, and bioprospecting. The interlinkages between each activity are discussed. Knowledge gaps in offshore aquaculture, ocean renewable energy, marine biotechnology, and marine environment monitoring are identified. In each sector case, strategic and tactical decision-making can be achieved through the exploitation of ocean numerical modeling and observations, and consequently should be invested in and developed alongside the requisite computational resources. Blue growth is encouraged, but instances of blue injustice are also highlighted. Crucially, pursuing blue economy activities should be given top national priority for economic recovery and prosperity.