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Sustainable Development of Tourism in Deserts

Guide for Decision Makers

Copyright 2007 World Tourism Organization Calle Capitn Haya, 42 28020 Madrid, Spain

Sustainable Development of Tourism in Deserts Guide for Decision Makers ISBN-13: 978-92-844-1193-1

Published and printed by the World Tourism Organization, Madrid, Spain First printing 2007 All rights reserved

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinions whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Tourism Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

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Table of Contents

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Characteristics and Potential of the Worlds Deserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 The Worlds Main Deserts: a Great Diversity of Landscapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 The Potential Offered by Nature and Heritage in Desert Areas, by Continent . . . . . . . 1.3 People of the Deserts: Their Culture, Their Specificity, and Their Fragility . . . . . . . . . . The Impact of Sustainable Tourism Development in Desert Areas and the Issues at Stake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Sustainable Tourism Development in Desert Areas: the Issues at Stake . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1.1 The Negative Impacts of Tourism on Desert Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1.2 The Beneficial Impact of Sustainable Tourism in Desert Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . Characteristics of Desert Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 General Trends in Desert Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 An Increasingly Diverse Clientele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 What Type of Tourism is Involved? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3.1 The Case of Ecotourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3.2 The Case of Solidarity Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3.3 The Case of Fair Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.4 The Types and Modalities of Tourism Products Involved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guidelines and Recommendations for Sustainable Tourism in Desert Areas . . . . . . 4.1 Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism in Desert Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 The Role of Tourism Actors: the Challenge of Sustainable Tourism in Desert Areas . . 4.2.1 Governments: Central Stakeholders in the Quest for Sustainability . . . . . . . . . 4.2.2 Tourism Enterprises: Drivers of Product Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2.3 Tourists: a Pressure Group for the Promotion of Responsible Tourism . . . . . . 4.2.4 Local Populations: the Key to a Successful Tourism Experience . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 Implementation of Sustainable Tourism Strategies in Desert Areas: what Tools and what Methods? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3.1 The Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3.2 Method of Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3.3 The Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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2006 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 978-92-844-1193-1

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Sustainable Development of Tourism in Deserts

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Conclusion and Outlook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1 The Role of Governments in Developing Sustainable Strategies and Deploying Integrated Destination Management Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1.1 Egypt, the Sinai: Protected Areas as a Tool for the Sustainable Management of Land and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1.2 Morocco: Combating Poverty and Desertification by Revitalizing Integrated Destination Management in the Land of Oases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1.3 Algeria: Rehabilitation of the Built Heritage the Route of the Ksour . . . . . . . 6.1.4 Australia: Enhancing the Value of Aboriginal Culture and Traditions Through Private Sector Involvement and the Development of a Label for Product Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2 The Role of NGOs and Networks of Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.1 CARI: At Tin Zaouaten, CARI Provides Support for Local Initiatives Through Solidarity Tourism Visits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.2 Association CroqNature: Strengthening Local Cooperation and Activities to Benefit Local Populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.3 The T2D2 Network: The ALTICOBA21 Methodology, Local Community-Based Agenda for Tourism Development. Djibouti, Ethiopia and other Countries. . . . 6.3 The Role of Private Enterprise in Developing Sustainable Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.3.1 Negev Desert Ecotourism : The Succah [shelter] in the Desert Project, Bamidbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.3.2 Central Asia Kazakhstan, Kan Tengri Mountain Service LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.3.3 Ecotourism Camp: Namibia, Southern Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4 Tools for Promoting Visitor Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4.1 The Charter for Visits to the Banc dArguin National Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4.2 Example of a Sustainable Tourism Charter: the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A list of some of the tour operators offering tourism in desert areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Partial list of NGOs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Existing charters and codes of ethics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . List of word heritage sites in desert areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Foreword

The rapid growth in tourist flows in recent decades has been accompanied by diversification, both geographically, and in terms of tourism segments or products. Desert destinations have shared in the benefits of this double diversification process, making it an ever more pressing priority to define a sustainable approach to tourism development in desert areas. The World Tourism Organization has fully embraced the principles of sustainability ever since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. UNWTO has devoted itself to studying each form of tourism at each type of destination urban, cultural, rural, nature, coastal, island, and others and then to offer sustainability criteria and guidelines for application by international agencies, national and local tourism administrations, and the private sector for use in planning, management, and monitoring tourism activities in specific socio-geographic contexts. UNWTO has also embraced the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) since their inception and worked on ways to achieve the goals bearing a particular or potential relationship with tourism: (a) reducing extreme poverty; (b) promoting equality and autonomy for women; (c) ensuring a sustainable environment; and (d) establishing a world partnership for development. On the occasion of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification, 2006, UNWTO presents this guide to the international community, and more particularly to the governments of countries with desert areas, the private sector, and international, national, and local actors operating in those areas. The Organization stands ready to help them carry out the recommendations recommended in the following pages. Eugenio Yunis Chief, Sustainable Development of Tourism Department

2006 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 978-92-844-1193-1

Acknowledgments

This guide was prepared by Sabrina Benmecheri, consultant Azur EcoDveloppement, in collaboration with Laure Veirier, a cultural tourism consultant. It has been reviewed by UNWTO officials Philippe Lemaistre, Programme Officer, and Stphane Kefferstein, Technical Adviser, under the Supervision of Eugenio Yunis, Chief, UNWTO Sustainable Development of Tourism Department. The following people contributed with case studies: Azzedine Abdenour, consultant to the Algerian Ministry of Tourism Sylvie Blangy, Consultant, specialized in community tourism Patrice Burger, member of CARI Alain Laurent, consultant, T2D2 Erik Mah, Project Chief for the Moroccan oasis programme

The following tour operators also contributed: Christophe Leservoisier, Atalante Sylvain Philippe, Hommes et Montagnes

Immersion in the desert deepens life, disengages it from all responsibility, frees it of nonessentials. Thodore Monod

2006 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 978-92-844-1193-1

Introduction

This work is a contribution from the World Tourism Organization to the international debate initiated in 2006 with the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. The United Nations undertook to mobilize the entire international community against the challenge of desertification that has affected 20% of the planets lands1 and 2,000 million human beings and is now in the process of doubling these proportions. Faced with this alarming trend, the United Nations has launched a major awareness programme throughout the world to promote joint measures and a common strategy to combat desertification and poverty in desert areas. The principal objective of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification is to convey, by means of various meetings and events around the world, recommendations to promote the sustainable management of desert ecosystems. Desertification affects approximately 110 countries around the world. According to World Bank estimates, the income lost by regions affected by desertification around the world could reach as high as US$ 42,000 million, whereas the annual cost of combating desertification comes to only US$ 2,400 million. The impact on living conditions for local populations in arid zones, deriving their main income from natural resources and their subsistence from agricultural and pastoral activities, is particularly significant. Desertification degrades the land, gradually destroying natural resources, affecting trees, the biodiversity of animals and plants, soil fertility and water resources. Desert tourism has certain paradoxical qualities. If it is well managed and attentive to the highly specific and fragile character of desert ecosystems, it can provide a vehicle for development and poverty reduction. But if not properly controlled, it can quickly mean destruction for local ways of life and the natural environment. The environmental and human context for tourism in the desert is a fragile one. In the desert more than anywhere, with destinations still relatively untouched by the adverse effects tourism can bring, sustainability represents a particularly critical challenge. The messages conveyed in this guide are therefore preventive in character. At the same time, they offer stakeholders at international as well as local levels the advice and tools they need to combat poverty and desertification while enabling tourism to properly play its role as a vehicle for development.

Who should use this guide?


This guide is designed for all of the stakeholders in desert tourism, and governments in particular. It provides guidance on the choices governments must make, based on considerations of quality, sustainability, viability, responsibility, and respect for the desert environment, to create a quality label for desert destinations, guiding them through the steps required to implement sustainable tourism practices. Governments can play a critical role in the choices required for sustainable desert tourism. They already have most of the tools they need to be effective: the power to issue regulations and offer economic incentives, and the resources and institutions with which to promote and disseminate good practices. In short, they can create the conditions required for sustainable tourism and can support the private sector and local communities with resources and steps to facilitate their efforts.

Le courrier international : Tous les dserts du monde, August 2005.

2006 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 978-92-844-1193-1

Sustainable Development of Tourism in Deserts

Objectives
This publication proposes guidelines for governments and their partners as a means to heighten awareness about the complexity and the specificity of issues connected with desert tourism, and to help them formulate and implement related policies and activities. It provides a vision of sustainable tourism that is specific to deserts, taking into account their special characteristics, their fragility, and their wealth of natural, human, and cultural resources tangible and intangible, archaeological and historical. The various issues associated with tourism development in deserts are viewed from the perspective of stakeholders and their responsibilities. Among these responsibilities, respect for the local environment and its people must take precedence over economic considerations if sustainable and ethical forms of tourism are to prevail. This guide is based on work conducted by UNWTO in particular pursuant to the conclusions of a seminar on the development of ecotourism in desert areas held at Algiers in 2002, as part of the International Year of Ecotourism. The main issues of discussion at Algiers were as follows: The importance of all forms of local community participation in the development of ecotourism. The role of national and local governments in managing ecotourism. The need for concerted action by the various actors in developing ecotourism products and destinations. The impact of ecotourism activities on society, the economy, and the environment as key factors for sustainability.

This seminar resulted in a number of conclusions with respect to desert areas, which can be consulted online. They can be summarized as follows: Recognition of the strong potential offered by deserts for the development of ecotourism. This potential must be developed according to strict sustainability criteria. There is a delicate balance to be achieved among the objectives of ecotourism development, the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, and direct benefits to local communities. Local communities are the prime stakeholders in all such decisions and must therefore be consulted systematically. Consultative mechanisms must be clearly explained to all local and foreign promoters. All actors in the ecotourism chain (tour operators, local suppliers, national public authorities, local groups, civil society, NGOs, etc.) must act in concert. It is also essential to make consumers aware of the need to adapt ecotourism infrastructure so as to respect the natural, cultural, and social environment of desert destinations sometimes at the expense of comfort. Lastly, desert tourism must be considered on its own terms, with due regard for the special character of desert areas. The existing general definition of ecotourism2 should be broadened to encompass the specific aspects of desert areas.

This guide takes the recommendations of the Algiers Seminar one step further, directing a critical and realistic look at sustainable tourism development in desert areas.
2 See the Qubec Declaration on Ecotourism. Note: Recommended reading to complement this publication: Tourism and Deserts a Practical Guide to Managing the Social and Environmental Impacts in the Desert Recreation Sector, published jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Tour Operators Initiative (TOI).

Chapter 1 Characteristics and Potential of the Worlds Deserts

This chapter maps out the worlds deserts and gives an indication of their highly specific and diverse character. It will look at their particularities; at the fragile balance of their ecosystems; at the technical ingenuity of their peoples, and how their ways of life have adapted to extreme climatic conditions; and at the traditions and cultures of desert peoples.

1.1 The Worlds Main Deserts: a Great Diversity of Landscapes


Map of the worlds deserts

Deserts cover a third of the planets land area, or about 50,000,000 km2.3 They are spread over two discontinuous zones on either side of the equator, generally in the inland regions of continents. In Africa: the Sahara, Kalahari and Namib Deserts. In the Middle East: the Arabian Desert. In Asia: the Gobi, Turkistan and Indian Thar Deserts. In the Americas: North America: the Great Basin; the Sonoran, Mojave and Chihuahua Deserts and the Grand Canyon, South America: the Patagonian, Atacama and coastal Peruvian Deserts.

GEO - Dserts du Monde, Edition SOLAR 2002

2006 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 978-92-844-1193-1

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