PRESS CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ECOTOURISM

PRESS CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ECOTOURISM

Nature-based tourism was on the rise and so was a recognition of its value as a conservation and development tool, correspondents were told this afternoon at a Headquarters press conference held in connection with today’s launching of the International Year of Ecotourism 2002.

Attending the briefing, sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), were:  Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP, Francesco Frangiallo, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, Jim Watson, President and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission, and Richard Legendre, Minister for Youth, Tourism, Leisure and Sport for the Province of Quebec.

Mr. Frangiallo said that although at present ecotourism accounted for only 2 to 4 per cent of the total tourism travel industry, it was a sector that was growing fast.  The often remote communities to which those tourists traveled needed to be prepared to absorb the visitors without causing detriment to the very attractions that prompted the interest.  He said the Organization anticipated increased interest in travel to the mountains, deserts, coral reefs and rainforests.

For many remote areas, particularly in the developing countries that were facing decline, there was realistically no other alternative but to try to develop tourism.  Those communities were not likely to be able to attract any other industry, he said, pointing out that tourism brought with it job opportunities for women, young people and indigenous groups.  It could also help stem uncontrolled emigration of young people in those areas.

As an example of the enormous potential of tourism, Mr. Frangiallo said that in 1950, 25 million people had traveled abroad; today that figure was 700 million and those people had spent $476 billion.  By 2010, international arrivals were expected to top 1 billion people and 1.5 billion by 2020.

Mr. Toepfer announced that the first ever World Summit on Ecotourism would be held in Quebec City, Canada from 19 to 22 May.  Citing tourism as a very dynamic industry all over the world, he said the challenge was taking advantage of the chance for regions and developing countries to make the best use of their natural and available assets, while also protecting often very fragile ecosystems.  An uncontrolled influx of tourists could harm both nature and the social stability in an area.  He drew a link between the Ecotourism Summit and the Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August.  The Ecotourism Summit could contribute to the goal of overcoming poverty and of changing consumption patterns, he said.

Mr. Watson stressed that there was a moral obligation to ensure that natural resources were neither exploited, nor destroyed.  The Ecotourism Summit would be the first opportunity for government leaders, environmentalists and conservationists, and experts from the tourism industry to gather together to share advice and information on programmes and activities that could lead to sustainable development of tourism worldwide.

Mr. Legendre said that ecotourism was a relatively young sector of the industry that had tremendous possibilities in terms of development.  Noting that Quebec City had been designated a World Heritage site, he said that, within the past seven or eight years, tourism in the area had grown significantly from 4 billion to 7 billion visitors.  The Summit would provide an opportunity for the city to receive feedback on its strategies and improve them.

* *** *