Voluntary contributions

There is increasing evidence that tourists and the tourism industry are prepared to provide voluntary support for environmental conservation and the wellbeing of local communities in destinations. A number of studies have identified that tourists are willing to pay for such outcomes, provided that local benefits can be clearly identified. Box 5.17: VISIT—a family of European ecolabels

The VISIT initiative, funded by the European Union, links 12 separate eco-labelling schemes for tourism enterprises, from Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the Nordic countries. The purpose of the initiative is to improve sustainability of European tourism by raising the profile and performance of the labels and to raise awareness of certified products. Each of the labels concentrates on the environmental impacts of the establishments (mainly accommodation). A common standard has been agreed for the labels. This includes: external verification at least once every three years; a requirement that all enterprises meet national legislation; the inclusion of a set of basic performance requirements; a requirement that enterprises regularly monitor consumption of energy and water and creation of waste per overnight guest; common management criteria, including relevant staff training; and issues concerning transparency and promotion of the schemes.

Promotional activity has included the creation of a VISIT Holiday Guide, on paper and on the Internet, which features the participating labels and the individually certified products. Links with tour operators have also been developed, encouraging them to feature the products.

A VISIT Association has been established to promote the interests of members and encourage new participants. Services will include market research and performance benchmarking between the labels.

In Kaikoura, New Zealand, a certification programme has helped to stimulate interest and focus attention within the community on better management of resources (see Case Studies, p 157).

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Instruments Many tourism enterprises are taking direct supportive action, or are prepared to do so,

as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Although this is primarily a matter for individual and private sector response, governments can play a valuable role in encouraging and enabling the provision of voluntary contributions, by:

• Establishing, supporting and promoting relevant schemes. This may entail

coordinating the activities of enterprises and tourists, as in the Lake District example in Box 5.19, page 108.

• Providing financial incentives, such as tax credits, to enterprises that make contributions. Voluntary contributions and actions can centre around providing monetary support or may involve the provision of assistance in kind. Voluntary contributions have the advantage of being based on goodwill, commitment and active participation, although they are unlikely to raise as much revenue as compulsory charges.

Examples of schemes involving tourists directly include:

• Tourists being invited to make cash donations to local projects, which can vary from small sums to substantial amounts.

Box 5.18: Certification for beaches and marinas The Blue Flag award for beaches and marinas, run by the Foundation for

Environmental Education, has been operational since 1985. In 2004, 2 938 beaches and marinas were granted the Blue Flag in 29 countries across Europe, the Caribbean and South Africa. Criteria include:

• Water quality, including compliance with bathing water standards.

• Environmental education and information, including procedures for notifying users about the water quality and the provision of environmental interpretation. • Environmental management, including a land use and development plan for the

coastal zone, as well as beach cleaning and management processes.

• Safety and services, including guards or relevant equipment, access to telephone, etc. The scheme has been successfully expanded over the years and has led to

improvements in the provision of relevant facilities and procedures. Strengths of the scheme include: meaningful and practical requirements that are clearly relevant not only to the environment but also to the quality and safety of the visitor experience; strong branding (the blue flag itself); combination of management and information/ education requirements; requirement for strong practical engagement by local authorities and communities; and integration with coastal management. Destinations have been able to see the advantages both in terms of improved amenity and visitor response, and many have used the award actively to promote a strong environmental image. The flag is re-awarded each season, or not, after the annual assessment. The role of government (especially local authorities at the destination level) in backing and promoting the scheme has been very important to its success.

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Instruments

• A small charge made by tour operators or service providers as a routine addition to a bill, and which tourists can opt out of if they do not wish to pay. This has the advantage of simplicity and usually leads to very few refusals.

• Tourists providing help in kind. An example of this is provided by the growing number of holiday and educational travel offers involving participation in conservation or community schemes.

• Contributions by tourists to carbon bio-sequestration schemes (e.g. tree planting), as a way of offsetting the effect of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from their travel. Tourism enterprises can provide finance or help in kind to local conservation and social projects. There are many examples where support has been given to projects such as a local nature reserve, community group, health service or school. As well as being of considerable benefit to the recipients, enterprises can often benefit from the goodwill this generates towards them from their customers. Assistance can be provided by direct involvement or by establishing or contributing to a trust fund. It can be particularly beneficial if tourism enterprises are able to build up a supportive relationship with neighbouring communities that can be maintained over time.

In document Economic Viability Local Control Physical Integrity Environmental Purity Local Prosperity Visitor Fulfillment (Page 118-120)