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In applying the Guidelines, it is necessary to understand the different directions and dimensions of theimpact of tourism on biodiversity.2.1 Tourism, biodiversity and sustainable developmentTourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenonwhich entails the movement of people tocountries or places outside their usual environmentfor personal or business/professional purposes. 23Tourism accounts for 9 per cent of the world’s grossdomestic product and 6 per cent of exports andcontributes (directly or indirectly) to one in elevenjobs. It is growing rapidly. In 2013, 1,087 million internationaltourists travelled the world generatingUS$ 1.4 trillion in exports. The UNWTO forecaststhat international arrivals will grow at an averageof 3.3 per cent per annum to 2030, with even fastergrowth in Africa, Asia/Pacific and Latin Americawhich contain much of the world’s natural heritagedestinations. A trend observed in more maturesource markets, especially in Europe and NorthAmerica, has been towards soft adventure and authentic,transformative experiences, which ofteninclude an element of visits to natural areas and observingwildlife. Up to date information on tourismperformance is available from UNWTO. 24Biological diversity means the variability amongliving organisms from all sources, including terrestrial,marine and other aquatic ecosystems, and theecological complexes of which they are part; thisincludes diversity within species, between speciesand of ecosystems. In simple terms, it can be describedas the diversity of life on Earth. Key trendsin biodiversity are described in the fourth editionof the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-4) released bythe CBD Secretariat and UNEP at COP 12. 25 The reporthighlights good progress towards achieving targetson protected areas, access and benefit sharing,and national biodiversity strategy and action plans(NBSAPs). However, significant additional effort isrequired to meet the objectives of the Strategic Planfor Biodiversity 2011-2020, 26 and to achieve many ofthe Aichi Biodiversity Targets. 27Data related to visitation and tourism to protectedareas is a basic piece of information necessary to understandhow stakeholder and community involvement,revenue flows and pay-back mechanisms canbe effective. However, information regarding theglobal magnitude of visitation is insufficient, as notedalso by Parties at COP 12 when they invited governments,with the support of relevant partners, tomonitor and review recreation, visits and other tourismactivities in protected areas, as well as impactsand relevant management processes in ecologicallysensitive areas, and to share results appropriately.Projecting on existing data, a study published onFebruary 2015 compiled a globally-representativedatabase of visits to PAs and built models to predictvisits rates. The results suggests that together, PAslisted in IUCN’s World Database of Protected Areasreceive roughly 8 billion visits per year (8 times thenumber of global international arrivals according toUNWTO), which resulted in up to US$ 600 billion indirect in-country expenditure and US$ 250 billion inconsumer surplus. 28While the above information relates to global trends,the tourism and biodiversity situation at a local levelwill vary significantly between destinations. TheGuidelines stress the need to obtain good local data,as covered later in Section 4.The Guidelines advocate an ‘ecosystems approach’to planning for tourism and biodiversity. 29 This is anapproach which involves the integrated managementof land, water and living resources that promotesconservation and equitable use in a sustainableway. It recognizes that tourism is dependent onhealthy, functioning ecosystems.This approach is in line with the regularly used conceptof sustainable tourism, which “takes full accountof its current and future economic, social andenvironmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors,the sector, the environment and host communities”.Biological diversity has been recognized asone of 12 interrelated aims of sustainable tourism,with others covering a range of economic, social andenvironmental impacts. 30Providing an experience of nature to tourists canbe seen as a key ecosystems service, benefitting notonly the visitors themselves but also many otherswho can gain from this process, including tourismbusinesses, indigenous peoples and local communitiesand conservation interests. Payment for EcosystemsServices (PES) has gained wide recognition asa significant approach, with strong implications fortourism development, planning and management. 31and underpins work on the economics of ecosystemsand biodiversity. 32 Tourism Supporting Biodiversity 13