CBD Cross-cutting issues
Biological Diversity and Tourism
- Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries as well as the major source of foreign exchange earning and employment for many developing countries. It has the potential to contribute in a positive manner to socio-economic advancement, but the fast and sometimes uncontrolled growth of tourism can be a major cause of environmental degradation and loss of local identity and traditional cultures. Biological and physical resources are in fact the assets that attract tourists. However, the stress imposed by tourism activities on fragile ecosystems accelerates and aggravates their depletion. One of the challenges for the CBD is to develop, promote and disseminate guidelines for the sustainable planning and management of tourism activities in vulnerable ecosystems and habitats of major biodiversity importance.
See also: Convention Progress in Addressing Biodiversity and tourism - Up to date information on the overall progress in addressing Biodiversity and Tourism is available on the CBD website, including introductory information and relevant case studies and workshops. |