CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES 8

Leading to the official Launching of TESS on Saturday 1st March 2008.

Adding Value to the Eco-Tourism process

Measure No. 8 of 25 (In no particular order)

FOR THE COMMUNITY AND BY THE COMMUNITY
“Turning Possibilities into Realities”

World Summit on Eco-Tourism 19th to 22nd May 2002.
Quebec City, Quebec. The Commonwealth of CANADA

Marc MRM Marengo
Chairman of TAREC

The Challenge of Regulating Ecotourism in a Small Island Developing State
Seychelles’ “Vision 21”

Thematic Area B
“Regulation of Ecotourism: Institutional Responsibilities & Frameworks”

Presentation by
Ambassador Marc MRM Marengo
Special Advisor to the Minister of Tourism & Transport of the
Republic of Seychelles

Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Tourism Organisation (IOTO)
Chairman of the Committee on Ecotourism of the Republic of Seychelles

at the

World Summit on Ecotourism 19th to 22nd May 2002
Quebec City, Quebec. The Commonwealth of CANADA

1.0 In December 2001, Seychelles launched its new tourism policy document, Vision 21: Tourism Development in Seychelles 2001-2010”. The “Vision” is that

“Tourism in Seychelles shall continue to be developed to the highest standards for the optimum social and economic benefit of the Seychellois people while maintaining a commitment to the protection and conservation of the natural environment and biodiversity”.

2.0 Among the mission statements is a commitment that:-

“Tourism will be developed on a sustainable basis and not exceed carrying capacities, and the unique land and marine environment and cultural heritage of the Seychelles will continue being protected and conserved”.

3.0 To this end, Vision 21 contains two chapters that directly address environmental issues and concerns, and which aim to (a) promote ecotourism and community benefits; and (b) integrate tourism for environmental sustainability.

4.0 Indeed in Seychelles, the tourism product is based more or less exclusively on the attractions of its natural and pristine environment, and with a total landmass of just 454 square kilometres, we believe that whole country can be legitimately defined as an ecotourism destination. There are already a considerable number of well-established sites that have developed very specific ecotourism attractions, including the World Heritage Sites of Valle-de-Mai and Aldabra, and the nature reserves of Curieuse, Aride and Cousin Island (among others). In addition, the National Parks and protected areas of the main granitic islands (which account for around 50% of the total land mass) offer many more opportunities for the development of ecotourism.

5.0 Until now, ecotourism products and attractions have generally been developed through the initiative of various actors from the public, private and NGO sectors, and there has been no coordinated attempt at regulating such ventures, other than through the application of general policies and legal frameworks relating to the protection and conservation of the environment.

6.0 However, “Vision 21” recognises that the further development of ecotourism will require Government to take a more proactive regulatory role, in order to ensure that ecotourism is further developed in a manner that is genuinely sustainable. To this end, the Ministry of Tourism is working closely with all other stakeholders, from the tourism-related industry and local communities, to develop a national ecotourism strategy based on the widest possible consultation.

7.0 It is at this point to be noted that our definition of ecotourism is considerably broader than the conventional definition. In view of our small size and because of the centrality of the environment to our tourism product, we define ecotourism as:-

“a specialty segment of the larger nature tourism or “eco-travel” market, which covers a variety of travel industry segments, including adventure, heritage, culture, educational and sports, all linked together by an emphasis on fun, environmental sensitivity and social responsibility”

8.0 As all our tourism establishments can have negative impacts on the fragile environment, which would in turn threaten the very existence of our tourism, we propose to develop a national eco-certification scheme that takes into consideration the specific nature and needs of the local environment. It is our aim that such a scheme will eventually be compulsory for all tourism establishments, without exception, since we are not of the view that eco-labelling is just a marketing ploy to attract “eco-friendly” visitors from markets with a high level of environmental consciousness. For us, eco-labelling is a necessity, to protect and conserve our environment and to ensure the long-term viability of the industry.

9.0 It is a fact that many SIDS like Seychelles have been unable to receive due recognition by certain people in the eco-labelling “Industry” due to the fact that they cannot afford the exorbitant fees being requested in order to market themselves as green.

10.0 In our case, the proposed scheme will not rely on the payment of membership fees, but on implementing environmental standards and practices that will ensure that future generations of Seychellois will have a tourism industry to provide their daily needs and sustenance.

11.0 It is also to be noted that the proposed scheme will further strengthen and consolidate existing requirements for all developments, in tourism and other sectors, to undergo an exhaustive environmental assessment.

12.0 While we do acknowledge the value and purpose of various independent initiatives aimed at promoting better environmental practices , we also believe that to be seriously “green”, we have to move beyond voluntary compliance and self-regulation, for we firmly believe that the future of our environment cannot be left to the good intentions of a conscious minority. With 50% of its landmass dedicated as reserves and protected areas, indeed the country with the highest ratio of protected areas to the total land area, it is clear that the relative success of the Seychelles tourism industry has been based on a continuous effort to strike a balance between the expansion of the industry for economic development and environmental sustainability. But for us, it is not just the 50% that is protected that is important, but also the 50% that is note protected.

13.0 It is clear therefore that our intention in Seychelles is not merely to create the illusion of safeguarding the environment, but rather to ensure that the environmental integrity of our small archipelago is maintained for the benefit of succeeding generations. This can only be realised if each and every individual is made to understand that they are part and parcel of the environment in which they live, but are not its masters.

The End