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In addition to planning and development control tools and processes, a range of practical managementactivity can be undertaken on the ground to reduce negative impacts on, and gain positive benefits for,conservation from tourism. This relates to the step in the Guidelines on Management and Mitigationand can draw on wider experience notably in the field of protected area management.8.1 Dimensions and purpose of the management processThe Guidelines list a wide range of potential impactsand issues that can be addressed through management(Paragraph 49). Many of these relate to practicalaction to reduce negative impacts but they alsoinclude a range of actions that the Guidelines referto as “supporting sustainable tourism activities thathave a direct commercial interest in maintainingvulnerable ecosystems in good condition”.Some management actions will be concerned withmitigating existing and potential future impactsfrom tourism. These should follow the mitigationhierarchy, a set of prioritized steps to alleviate environmentalharm as far as possible through avoidance,minimization (or reduction) and restorationof detrimental impacts to biodiversity. Biodiversityoffsetting should be considered to address residualimpacts only after appropriate avoidance, minimizationand restoration measures have been applied.A key opportunity is to use management activity toraise support, both financial and political, for conservationdirectly and indirectly from visitors andthe tourism sector. 82The Guidelines are not explicit about which bodiescan or should be leading and implementing managementon the ground. These could be local governmentor protected area authorities, land ownersand managers, private sector bodies, conservationNGOs or community bodies, amongst others. A considerablechallenge in many countries is the lack ofhuman and financial resources for management.Irrespective of the management agency, actionscan be broadly divided between those aimed respectivelyat tourism businesses, visitors and localcommunities.8.2 Working with tourism businesses to support conservationEngagement with tourism business to promote andundertake management actions and support conservationcan take various forms. Examples of themost common activities include:✤Checking on management and mitigation actionsrequired of businesses as a condition of developmentapproval✤Encouraging and supporting businesses in theirown individual management and conservationinitiatives✤Encouraging employees of tourism business toact as champions for biodiversity conservationin their communities✤Collecting rental and user fees from concessionairesand other businesses, with revenues usedfor conservation✤Imposing wider local management charges andtaxes on businesses, where appropriate✤Creating and promoting specific opportunitiesfor tourism businesses to sponsor local conservationprojects or provide voluntary stewardshipof areas✤Encouraging or requiring businesses to collect afee from their visitors, for example on behalf oflocal communities to support their managementand conservation activities or general welfare✤Encouraging well-designed tourism offers thatenable voluntary participation by visitors inpractical conservation work (“voluntourism” )✤Establishing active partnerships between localconcessionaires or other businesses and localgovernment or protected area authorities, toplan and undertake joint initiatives. Partnershipsmay also include NGOs and local communitybodies.Tourism Supporting Biodiversity 37