OMSLAG 5.indd - IUCN

• Supporting and promoting new financing mechanisms for sustainable
development.
IUCN NL and Tourism
The tourism sector is growing rapidly all over the world. In many cases
tourism development poses a threat to biodiversity, but under certain
conditions tourism can be a means for conservation of biodiversity.
Since 2002 IUCN NL has been actively involved on the topic with a
Biodiversity & Tourism program (funded by the Dutch government). The
aim is to stimulate a more sustainable form of tourism that can make a
contribution to nature conservation.
IUCN NL operates a Biodiversity & Tourism Micro Fund, with which
it can support small scale tourism initiatives that should contribute to
conservation. Experiences that are gathered through these projects are
shared with stakeholders in the tourism industry. When relevant projects
can be linked to Dutch tour operators, who are interested in working with
conservation partners (described in this publication, chapter 4).
IUCN NL works with several stakeholders to fuel the discussion on
sustainable tourism in the Dutch outbound tourism industry, through the
secretariat of the Initiative for Sustainable Outbound Tourism (20 members
from educational institutions, NGO’s, government bodies and the private
sector).
For tourism schools IUCN NL has developed teaching materials, and for
travellers there is an on-line database with information on flora, fauna and
protected areas in different holiday destinations.
• More information: www.iucn.nl
IUCN, the World Conservation Union
The mission of IUCN, The World Conservation Union, is to promote
nature conservation in a just world. The World Conservation Union,
founded in 1948, is the largest global nature conservation network. It is
unique in bringing together states, government agencies and a diverse range
of non-governmental organizations. IUCN is supported by six international
commissions made up of some 10.000 technical and scientific experts. They
form the largest volunteer network in the world, responsible for, amongst
others publications like the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN
contributes to the setting of global environmental standards and guides the
actions of governments and civil society in sustaining the biological diversity
and natural resource base on which human livelihoods depend.
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Within IUCN, tourism is a special area of interest in the World Commission
on Protected Areas (WCPA). The tourism task force of the WCPA is dealing
with the subject through a ‘Tourism and Protected Areas Programme’. The
task force published a large number of publications that are relevant to
conservation stakeholders, such as the publication ‘Sustainable Tourism in
Protected Areas, Guidelines for Planning and Management’, IUCN, 2002.
There are a number of other IUCN offices active on the subject of tourism,
e.g. IUCN Vietnam, IUCN Regional Office South America and IUCN for
the Commonwealth of Independent States.
• More information: www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/theme/tourism/tourism.html