A presentation made at the Southern African Sustainable Tourism Alliance meeting, in Durban, South Africa in May 2014. The presentation summarised findings of a study undertaken for the Global Partnership on Sustainable Tourism, through UNEP and supported by GiZ

1. {
!
Understanding
challenges
to
sustainable
tourism
development
Dr
Anna
Spenceley
Alliance
3rd
Annual
Conference,
Garden
Court
Marine
Parade,
Durban,
8
May
2014

2. Spenceley,
2013:
accessible
from
hFp://www.unep.org/resourceefficiency/tourism

3. Approach
Key
ques(ons:
§ What
is
happening
in
sustainable
tourism
(ST)
in
southern
Africa?
§ What
are
the
challenges
to
mainstreaming
sustainable
tourism?
Methods:
§ Literature
review
§ Online
survey:
Sent
to
199
people
§ 50
respondents
(29%
parUcipaUon)
§ Stakeholder
review
&
virtual
meeUng

4. Approach
Key
ques(ons:
§ What
is
happening
in
sustainable
tourism
(ST)
in
southern
Africa?
§ What
are
the
challenges
to
mainstreaming
sustainable
tourism?
Methods:
§ Literature
review
§ Online
survey:
Sent
to
199
people
§ 50
respondents
(29%
parUcipaUon)
§ Stakeholder
review
&
virtual
meeUng

5. Barriers
to
mainstreaming
sustainable
tourism

6. Barriers
to
mainstreaming
sustainable
tourism

7. There
is
a
“
.
.
.
percep(on
that
to
operate
sustainably
is
costly
and
that
interven(ons
that
require
retro-­‐fi9ng
are
expensive.
Cer(fica(on
schemes
are
too
expensive
for
the
average
tourism
operator
who
would
rather
spend
their
money
becoming
more
sustainable
than
ge9ng
recogni(on
for
it.”

8. Barriers
to
mainstreaming
sustainable
tourism

9. 205
stakeholders
interviewed
(including
56
government,
tourism
authoriUes,
trade
associaUons,
investment
agencies)
Demand
mostly
for
courses
on
general
tourism
(e.g.
business
development,
management
etc)
-­‐
9%
-­‐
opUons
for
local
communiUes
in
tourism
-­‐
7%
-­‐
responsible
and
sustainable
tourism
-­‐
3%
-­‐
tourism
management
protected
areas
Spenceley
and
Rozga,
2007:
accessible
from
www.anna.spenceley.co.uk
Tourism
training
needs
in
9
African
countries
Madagascar -­‐‑ Mozambique -­‐‑ South Africa – Tanzania -­‐‑ Zambia

10. Public
sector
capacity
building
needs
Spenceley,
2013

11. Public
sector
capacity
building
needs
Spenceley,
2013
Have needs for
sustainable
tourism training
have increased
over 5 years?
(or just an artifact
of sampling?)

12. Barriers
to
mainstreaming
sustainable
tourism

13. Private
sector
needs
in
order
to
develop
sustainable
tourism

14. Source: h,p://www.actsa.org/page-­‐‑1003-­‐‑TheFacts.html
How do we overcome
the barriers?

15. Approaches
to
overcoming
barriers

16. Global
stocktaking:
Gaps
and
criUcal
needs
!
Public
sector:
General
awareness:
poliUcians
and
policy
makers
–
adequate
frameworks
/
long
term
view
Guidelines:
mandatory
(?)
for
tourism
policies
Communica(on:
strengthen
cross
sector:
tourism
to
other
sectors
Sta(s(cs
&
M&E:
improved
staUsUcs
collecUon/analysis
for
public
&
private
sector;
M&E
of
sustainable
tourism
impacts,
global
sustainability
index
for
desUnaUons
Technical
support/capacity
building:
sustainable
tourism
policies,
PPPs,
mulU-­‐stakeholder
dialogue;
M&E
UNEP,
2014

17. POTENTIAL
INTERVENTIONS
FOR
SOUTHERN
AFRICA
1. Strategies
and
policies
2. Tourism
products
and
services
3. Training
and
capacity
building
4. Technical
tools
and
guidance
5. Networks
Spenceley,
2013:
accessible
from
hFp://www.unep.org/resourceefficiency/tourism

18. Needs:
More
consistent
implementaUon
of
ST;
stronger
enabling
environment;
use
of
regional
bodies
Recommenda(ons:
§ Develop
regional
framework
on
sustainable
tourism:
parUcipatory
process,
gap
analysis
§ Integrate
ST
goals
into
naUonal
tourism
offices
§ IncenUves
for
tourism
developments
with
ST
criteria
§ ParUcipatory
desUnaUon
planning
for
ST;
acUon
plans
with
local
parUcipaUon.
Focus
on
yield
not
CC
RecommendaUon
1:
Strategies
and
policies

19. RecommendaUon
2:
Tourism
products
&
services
Need:
Greater
supply
of
sustainable
tourism
products:
§ reach
‘Upping
point’
-­‐
sustainable
pracUces
are
the
norm
(i.e.
under
250
enterprises
cerUfied
in
southern
Africa)
Recommenda(ons:
§ Regional
markeUng
plan/brand
for
ST
southern
Africa
§ Mobilise
private
sector:
encourage
innovaUon
§ M&E
management
plans
for
ST
operaUons
§ Match
supply
and
demand
for
ST
§ Promote
local
community
involvement:
value
chains,
employment,
ownership
and
equity
Namibia
TorraTorra Conservancy &Conservancy &
DamaralandDamaraland CampCamp
Author: Anna Spenceley.
Photographs: Dana Alan, Wilderness Sa

20. RecommendaUon
2:
Tourism
products
&
services
Need:
Greater
supply
of
sustainable
tourism
products:
§ reach
‘Upping
point’
-­‐
sustainable
pracUces
are
the
norm
(i.e.
under
250
enterprises
cerUfied
in
southern
Africa)
Recommenda(ons:
§ Regional
markeUng
plan/brand
for
ST
southern
Africa
§ Mobilise
private
sector:
encourage
innovaUon
§ M&E
management
plans
for
ST
operaUons
§ Match
supply
and
demand
for
ST
§ Promote
local
community
involvement:
value
chains,
employment,
ownership
and
equity
Namibia
TorraTorra Conservancy &Conservancy &
DamaralandDamaraland CampCamp
Author: Anna Spenceley.
Photographs: Dana Alan, Wilderness Sa
Linking with the
‘green’ corporates
(remember –
business people
tale leisure trips
too!)
Using channels
like Trip Advisor’s
greenleaders
Enouraging
sustainable
destinations (e.g.
GSTC)

21. RecommendaUon
3:
Training
&
Capacity
building
Need:
Enhanced
understanding
by
government
agencies,
tourism
boards,
protected
areas:
§ IntegraUon
of
sustainable
tourism
in
their
work
Recommenda(ons:
§ Develop
capacity
at
universiUes
on
ST
training
&
knowledge
§ Train
and
build
capacity
key
stakeholders
in
ST
–
public
and
private
sector
§ DisseminaUon
of
informaUon
and
awareness
raising

22. RecommendaUon
4:
Technical
Tools
&
Guidance
Need:
Balanced
tools
and
guidance
on
sustainable
tourism
related
to
country
prioriUes.
Recommenda(ons:
§ Research
on
the
business
case
for
ST:
§ cost
savings,
market
access,
best
pracUces
§ Balanced
tools
to
encourage
uptake
of
ST:
environmental,
social,
economic
§ Share
informaUon
on
best
pracUces:
Scaling
up

23. RecommendaUon
5:
Networks
Need:
Encourage
relaUonship
and
linkage
building
between
professionals
and
insUtuUons
Recommenda(ons:
§ Support
networking
and
sharing
best
pracUces
§ Annual
conference
on
sustainable
tourism
§ Network
of
technical
advisors
on
ST
§ Develop
partnerships
to
promote
sustainability

24. Thank you!
Dr Anna Spenceley
Email:
annaspenceley@gmail.com
PresentaUons:
www.slideshare.net/AnnaSpenceley
Website:
www.anna.spenceley.co.uk