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Users of the CBD Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development should be aware of their origin,purpose and content, and how they relate to the wider context of international policies, initiatives andmaterials on sustainable tourism.1.1 The CBD, tourism and the GuidelinesFor many years, the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) has recognized tourism as an importantissue for biodiversity, as a positive force for conservationbut also as a source of various negativeimpacts if not effectively managed and routinelymonitored.In 1999, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to theCBD agreed to include tourism in an in-depth considerationof the sustainable use of biodiversity.In 2001, this was linked to an invitation from theCommission on Sustainable Development to prepareinternational guidelines for activities relatedto sustainable tourism development in vulnerableecosystems. Following a lengthy period of drafting,workshops and consultation involving a wide rangeof stakeholders the final CBD Guidelines on Biodiversityand Tourism Development were endorsed byCBD COP 7 in 2004.The Guidelines have remained a central pillar of theCBD contribution to addressing the many impacts oftourism on biodiversity. Subsequent meetings of theConference of the Parties have called for improvedapplication of the Guidelines.At COP 10, in Nagoya, Japan, in paragraph 20 of decisionX/20 on Cooperation with other conventionsand international organizations and initiatives, theConference of the Parties requested the ExecutiveSecretary to continue collaboration with the WorldTourism Organization, including on a review of theapplication of the Guidelines on Biodiversity andTourism Development.At COP 11, in Hyderabad, India, in paragraph 48 ofthe decision XI/6 the Conference of the Parties decidesto review the application of the Guidelines onBiodiversity and Tourism Development at its twelfthmeeting, in order to improve, inter alia, the provisionof updated and innovative tools and instruments onsustainable tourism management to Parties and interestedstakeholders and enhance their contributionto the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.At COP 12, in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, decisionXII/11 the Conference of the Parties recognizedthe ongoing relevance of the Guidelines. In additionto their general application, it called for their use indemonstration projects in tourism and conservationhotspots. It also requested the facilitation of voluntaryreporting by Parties on the application of theGuidelines.Beyond the Guidelines, the Secretariat of the CBDhas engaged in a range of issues relating to tourismand biodiversity which they have drawn to the attentionof the Parties and other stakeholders. Relevantinformation on tourism and biodiversity madeavailable to COP 12 and previous meetings of theCOP, together with decisions taken, can be found athttp://www.cbd.int/cop.1.2 Positioning within the wider sustainable tourism contextThe CBD engagement with tourism and use of theGuidelines forms just one part of a wider internationalmovement to promote and enhance the sustainabilityof the tourism sector. The impact of tourismon biodiversity should be seen as one elementof a range of interrelated environmental, socioculturaland economic impacts. Many policy areas, programmes,initiatives and tools aimed at sustainabledevelopment and resource management can directlyand indirectly affect the relationship betweentourism and biodiversity.Users of the Guidelines should be aware of relevantglobal initiatives, knowledge and materials relatingto sustainable tourism, which are referred tothroughout this Manual. While noting that the listbelow is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive,attention is drawn to relevant work by various partnersof CBD:Sustainable consumption and production of tourismThe 10-year framework of programmes on sustainableconsumption and production patterns(10YFP) includes a specific Sustainable TourismProgramme, led by the World Tourism Organization(UNWTO), co-led by the Governmentsof France, Morocco and the Republic of Korea,and supported by the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) as the 10-YFP Secretariat.The programme supports cooperationbetween stakeholders for the development andimplementation of innovations and good practicesin resource efficient and low-carbon tourismplanning, reducing the loss of biodiversity,Tourism Supporting Biodiversity 9