Beyond Greening - Tourism Watch

Beyond Greening: Reflections on Tourism in the Rio-Process | Positioningpaper- Active and non-parasitic support for biodiversity protection, particularly in tropical forestsand protected/coastal sites. Rather than using the “shop window” model, which turnsprotected areas into little more than advertising material for hotels and propertydevelopments, TNCs could contribute financially to conservation management and agree notto develop any new facilities or establishments within such areas. This commitment wouldinclude a sine qua non condition of necessary participation of local communities and citizenassociations in the planning and management, with the aim of guaranteeing that anyenvironmental protection measures also include the societies that have cared for these areasthroughout their history.- Priority to regional transport over transcontinental travel. This would include setting anoverall limit to long-haul air travel within the framework of the climate protection agreementsthat will replace the Kyoto Protocol (which deliberately ignored the huge global responsibilityof aviation). Despite the fiasco of the Copenhagen Conference (December 2009), the tourismindustry should become an active party with firm commitments to mitigation. Naturally, thiswould involve prioritising intracontinental or regional holiday destinations, increasingresources to boost collective forms of transport, whether on land (trains and buses) or by sea,all of which have a much lower carbon footprint than air travel.- Minimising the transportation of materials and foods by adapting to local produce. Anextremely important part of the services (food) and even the facilities themselves (buildingmaterials, finishes, etc.) provided or used by the tourist industry have a very highenvironmental cost as they are sourced from elsewhere, even from very distant places. Anyinitiative that involves using local or regional supplies can only improve the overallenvironmental balance. The results obtained from this new “mission” by tourism TNCsshould help them to lower their carbon footprint in biophysical terms to some degree. Toobtain a relevant comparison, in a society so radically modelled by the economics of tourismas the Balearic islands, the current carbon footprint (equivalent to almost six times theregion’s bioproductive capacity) must be reduced and the industry itself must assume a largepart of the responsibility to make this happen (Murray et al, 2005).Key aspects for the tourism industry’s imperative responsibilityIn light of the current world situation, we are at a crossroads as a civilisation: the crisis ofturbo-capitalism may lead to greater inequality, misery and conflict, but it could also be anopportunity to begin to make peace with the planet, provide possibilities for humandevelopment for the impoverished majority, and increase levels of real democracy.Given that the “market with democracy” system (including economic democracy) is the lesserevil, the time has come to change the framework in which world tourism operates. Despite“intercultural” differences between TNCs, governments and the societies affected, there arethree major factors that encourage co-operation:We are running out of time to act in order to safeguard quality of life and guarantee thetourism business. We have only a few decades left to deal intelligently with climate change,water stress and the devastation of the last remaining essential ecosystems. If we do nothing, alarge part of the “resorts” themselves will disappear (Simpson et al, 2008).Awareness amongst a large part of the international leisure classes and many TNC owners andexecutives is changing, and they are not prepared to simply give the product a "facelift". Infact, they boast that what they would like to do is add quality and innovation to the servicesprovided with regard to the business itself and to the care of untouchable "common goods"(climate, landscape, water and minimum welfare conditions for communities affected by theindustry).24