Tourism & CC Challenges & Opportunities - Global Commons Institute

Executive Summary
Overall, it is clear that a major challenge lies ahead for destinations such as the Caribbean region that rely heavily
on intense tourism products. Moving towards low-carbon tourism is an essential strategy to mitigate the effects of
climate change and avoid the potential impacts of rising world market prices for oil, in order to be in a strong position
to compete within a developing ‘carbon aware’ marketplace. In this way, the expectations of the international
community to address climate change will be met, as well as the demands from stakeholders for a sustained
response to potential declines in the growth of tourist numbers.
Climate change is a challenge not only for tourism and the environment, but it is a multi-dimensional problem
posing challenges also for the economy, investment, international development, trade, livelihoods and security.
Recommendations:
• Inter-ministerial cooperation and crossministerial
collaboration is required to assist
in the fulfilment and meeting of the following
recommendations.
• Caribbean states should embark on a proactive
strategy to support the Kyoto-integration
of aviation plus support voluntary carbon
offsetting.
• The countries should review the energy use of
their source markets in comparison with their
cost-effectiveness to restructure their tourism
economies with the overall goal of reducing
energy use and thus the vulnerability to oil
price volatility, climate policy, environmental
awareness of tourists, and the consequences
of unlimited climate change. Considering
economic bottom lines, there are now many
tools to achieve this goal. The overall goal should
be to reduce the dependency on highly energy
intense markets, while developing new products
to increase average length of stay and revenues
per tourist (i.e. begin to restructure markets to
focus on ‘low emissions, high economic yield’
segments).
• The Caribbean should seek to become the
world’s first ‘carbon neutral’ tourism region,
which would generate huge media attention
and create a positive, environmental image
for the region. Tourists are generally willing to
support pro-climate measures, and there is thus
considerable potential to co-finance energyefficiency,
renewable energy and adaptation
measures with payments and donations by
tourists. Ideally, projects should have multiple
sustainability dimensions, such as offset
provider Atmosfair’s proposition of saltwater
greenhouses providing locals and hotels with
organic vegetables, resulting in lower emissions
(imports), reducing dependency, and providing
local jobs.
• Voluntary or ‘opt-out’ carbon offsetting of
flights should be incorporated in packages as
soon as possible (by 2009), possibly based on
an incentive approach (i.e. tour operators would
match payments made by tourists on a 1:1
basis) or as part of a national hotel or departure
tax.
• The money collected from tourists should be reinvested
in the region. Projects should focus on
energy-efficiency and renewable energy, as well
as adaptation to climate change, and tourists
should be able to visit these. This will stimulate
positive feedback, and tourists may be willing
to make additional donations. Offset projects
in the Caribbean should include livelihood
enhancements as well as environmental
protection and enhancement.
• In order to guarantee a high level of
transparency and credibility, the region should
seek to cooperate with a high-quality voluntary
carbon offset provider offering GS CERs, i.e. all
projects should be registered through UNFCCC
and provide sustainable development benefits.
Some offset providers such as not-for-profit
Atmosfair offer comprehensive solutions, i.e.
they can provide the emissions calculator,