Multistakeholder Working Group on Tourism

>
> First Meeting
>
> Multistakeholder Working Group on Tourism
>
> Heredia, Costa Rica, 20-21 January 2000
>
> FINAL REPORT
>
> MULTISTAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP ON TOURISM (WGT)
>
> (Heredia, Costa Rica, 20-21 January 2000)
>
> Report on 1st Meeting
>
> Introduction
>
> This report refers to the first meeting of the Ad-hoc open-ended
> informal working group on tourism, held in Heredia, Costa Rica, on 20
> and 21 January 2000.
>
> This Working Group on Tourism (WGT), was established as a result of the
>
> 7th meeting of the UN – Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-7,
> April 1999), which in its decision 9:
>
> “Invites the United Nations Secretariat and the World Tourism
> Organization, in consultation with major groups and other relevant
> international organizations, to jointly facilitate the establishment of
> an ad hoc informal open-ended working group on tourism to assess
> financial leakages and determine how to maximize benefits for indigenous
>
> and local communities; and to prepare a joint initiative to improve
> information availability and capacity-building for participation, and
> address other matters relevant to the implementation of the
> international work programme on sustainable tourism development.”
>
> Further to CSD-7, the Inter Agency Committee on Sustainable Development
> (IACSD), meeting in Vienna in September 1999, entrusted the World
> Tourism Organization (WTO) with the task of convening this WGT prior to
> its next meeting, scheduled for 24-25 January 2000, and reporting to it
> on the results achieved.
>
> Participation
> The WTO Secretariat sent invitations, in October 1999, to all major
> groups (stakeholders) represented at CSD-7, as well as to all UN
> agencies members of the IACSD. The government sector was to be
> represented by the WTO Committee on Sustainable Development of Tourism,
> made up by 9 Member States plus France -on behalf of its Executive
> Council- and one representative from the WTO Business Council.
>
> The meeting was kindly hosted by the Government of Costa Rica and it
> was chaired by the President of the Costa Rica Tourism Institute. The
> complete list of participants is appended to this report.
>
> The UN-Division on Sustainable Development was asked to further
> stimulate the participation in the WGT activities of two important major
>
> groups, namely, the local authorities and the trade unions, both of
> which did not send representatives to this first meeting.
>
> Agenda
> The agenda of the meeting was set up by WTO and it evolved around the
> constitution of the WGT, its membership, the way in which it would
> undertake its tasks, its internal communications procedures, its funding
>
> and other such operational and logistic aspects.
>
> The actual work and study themes stipulated in the CSD-7 decisions’
> document were deliberately excluded from the first WGT meeting agenda,
> since it was thought important to sort out first the nature and
> composition of the working group.
>
> Participants were also invited to pay a technical visit to the Costa
> Rican Institute for Biodiversity (INBIO), a non-governmental research
> organisation that has been promoting biodiversity conservation, its
> sustainable utilisation, education and, more recently, recreation
> activities for local residents and tourists.
>
> Deliberations and Resolutions
>
> After initial introductions by representatives of the UN-Division of
> Sustainable Development and WTO, all participants exchanged views on the
>
> role and functioning of the WGT.
>
> It was noted that CSD-7 had decided on a long list of tasks but had
> made no funding provisions to undertake them. It was further recognised
>
> that several of the institutions present in the WGT as well as others
> had already carried out research or had ready made information on the
> topics to be covered. Therefore, such information could be put at the
> WGT’s disposal in order to avoid duplication, save time and resources,
> and show evidence of some progress being made.
>
> The WGT deliberations lead to the adoption of the following
> resolutions:
>
> 1. The composition of the Working Group will remain as established by
> UNCSD 7, namely governments, the four major groups (private sector,
> local authorities, NGOs and trade unions) and international
> organisations. Each stakeholder will have two representatives on the
> WG, however, the NGOs will have four representatives that will include
> two from its North sector and two from its South sector.
>
> 2. The government representatives will be the members of the WTO’s
> Committee for Sustainable Development of Tourism, i.e. ten Member
> States.
>
> 3. The Secretariat of the WG will rotate between stakeholders for
> periods of six months each. The first period will be held by WTO,
> followed by UNEP. After the initial period WTTC and NGOs will take
> turns.
>
> 4. There will be an Executive Steering Committee (ESC) consisting of one
>
> representative of each of the stakeholders. This ESC will be chaired by
>
> WTO with the UN Division for Sustainable Development as Deputy-Chair and
>
> it will provide continuity and direction to the efforts and activities
> of the WG.
>
> 5. The attached programme of activities has been agreed upon, within the
>
> four priority areas established by the resolutions of UN CSD-7:
> a) Assessment of financial leakage;
> b) Methods of maximising benefits for local people;
> c) Information availability and dissemination, and
> d) Capacity building for participation.
>
> And utilising the following criteria for establishing priorities:
> a) Does the activity fit within the four priority areas?
> b) Is there a responsible stakeholder that could lead the work?
> c) Is there sufficient documentation, human and financial resources to
> carry it out?
> d) Can it realistically be implemented before the Rio + 10 Summit in
> 2002?
>
> The programme of activities could be extended and priorities decided
> upon according to the above criteria and resources available.
>
> 6. Stakeholders will take responsibility (as lead agency) for activities
>
> in which they have expertise and can make a significant contribution to
> the work of the WG. Each lead agency will prepare a budget for each
> activity and submit it to the ESC.
>
> 7. Organisations or institutions outside the membership of the WG can be
>
> invited to participate in the work by taking responsibility for, or
> contribute to a programme in an area where they have particular
> expertise.
>
> 8. Consultations and communications between members will take place
> through e-mail and other technological means. Meetings will be reduced
> to a minimum.
>
> 9. All members will continue to search for additional sources of
> manpower and finance for the Secretariat and the various programmes of
> the WG.
>
> Priority issues to be addressed by the WG from
> February 2000 through to the UN – Rio + 10 Conference in 2002
>
> Issues Lead agency Assisting agencies
>
> 1. Capacity building activities and multilateral and bilateral financial
>
> and technical assistance for the application of appropriate technologies
>
> on all aspects of sustainable tourism development (Decision 4-b) UNEP
> WTO
>
> 2. Development and application of indicators for sustainable tourism
> development
> (Decision 4-k) WTO WTTC, ICT
>
> 3. Preparation for the International Year of Ecotourism 2002 (Decision
> 4-i) WTO, UNEP The Ecotourism
> Society
>
> 4. Encourage more responsible behaviour among tourists (Decision 4-c)
> NGOs
>
> 5. Promote the implementation of Voluntary Initiatives and Guidelines
> for sustainable tourism (Decision 4-l) ICT WTO, UNEP
>
> 6. Encourage business and industry to take steps to implement
> eco-efficiency approaches (Decision 4-o) WTTC UNEP
>
> 7. Compile information on national strategies and master plans for
> sustainable tourism development (Decision 2-a) The Earth Council WTO
>
> 8. Collect and disseminate information on best practices and techniques
> for sustainable tourism development (Decisions 4-e & 1) WTO UNEP, NGOs
>
> 9. Clarify the concepts of sustainable tourism and ecotourism (Decision
> 4-j) WTO WTTC, NGOs
>
> 10. Consider an exchange of experiences and best practice on sustainable
>
> tourism development and biological diversity (Decision 7) CBD
>
> 11. Assess financial leakage from tourism
> (Decision 9) WTO WTTC
> WTO: World Tourism Organization
> UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme
> WTTC: World Travel and Tourism Council
> NGOs: Non-Governmental Organisations (Tourism Caucus)
> ICT: Costa Rican Tourism Institute
> CBD: Convention on Biological Diversity
>
> A n n e x
>
> LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
>
> I. GOVERNMENT SECTOR
> (Represented by the members of the WTO Committee for Sustainable
> Development of Tourism)
>
> ALGERIA
> M. Noureddine Ali MANKOUR
> Directeur d’Etudes
> Ministère du Tourisme et de l’Artisanat
> 7, rue des Frères Ziata, El-Mouradia
> Alger
> Tel.: (2132) 590.370
> Fax: (2132) 590.664 / 593.220
> BOLIVIA
> Ing. Edgar TORRES SARAVIA
> Viceministro de Turismo
> Ministerio de Comercio Exterior e Inversión
> La Paz
> Tel.: (5912) 350.969 / 358.213
> Fax: (5912) 374.630
> E-mail: turismo@mcei-bolivia.com
>
> COSTA RICA
> Sr. Eduardo LEÓN-PÁEZ
> Presidente Ejecutivo
> Instituto Costarricense de Turismo
> Apartado 777
> Calle 5/7, Avenida Cuarta
> 1000 San José
> Tel.: (506) 233.9605
> Fax: (506) 223.5107
> E-mail: leonpaez@sol.racsa.co.cr
>
> COSTA RICA (cont.)
> Sr. Rodolfo LIZANO R.
> Instituto Costarricense de Turismo
> Apartado 777
> Calle 5/7, Avenida Cuarta
> 1000 San José
> Tel.: (506) 233.9605
> Fax: (506) 223.5107
> E-mail: rlizano@turismo-sostenible.co.cr
>
> Sr. Bary ROBERTS
> Asesor CST
> Instituto Costarricense de Turismo
> Apartado 777
> Calle 5/7, Avenida Cuarta
> 1000 San José
> Tel.: (506) 233.9605
> Fax: (506) 223.5107
> E-mail: advtikal@sol.racsa.co.cr
>
> Sr. Marco Tulio PICADO
> Asistente CST
> Instituto Costarricense de Turismo
> Apartado 777
> Calle 5/7, Avenida Cuarta
> 1000 San José
> Tel.: (506) 233.9605
> Fax: (506) 223.5107
> E-mail: microict@sol.racsa.co.cr
> Piborsa@sol.racsa.co.cr
>
> Sra. Rosaura MONGE
> Asistente CST
> Instituto Costarricense de Turismo
> Apartado 777
> Calle 5/7, Avenida Cuarta
> 1000 San José
> Tel.: (506) 233.9605
> Fax: (506) 223.5107
> E-mail: rosmonge@turismo-sostenible.co.cr
>
> GREECE
> Mr. Athanasios ZACHAROGLOU
> Director of International Relations
> National Tourist Organisation of Greece
> 2 Amerikis Street
> 10564 Athens
> Tel.: (301) 327.1639
> Fax: (301) 323.8468
>
> ISRAEL
> Mr. Yaron ERGAZ
> Director, Tourism Planning
> Ministry of Tourism
> 24 King George Street
> Jerusalem 91009
> Tel.: (972-2) 675.4932
> Fax: (972-2) 624.9693
> E-mail: yarone@tourism.gov.il
>
> MALAWI
> Mrs. Tressa MANDEULE
> Deputy Secretary
> Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Wildlife
> P.O. Box 326
> Old French Embassy Bldg., City Centre
> Lilongwe 3
> Tel.: (265) 782.702 / 781.295 / 781.073
> Fax: (265) 782.982 / 750.650 / 784.059
> E-mail: tourism@malawi.net
>
> Mr. Isaac KATOPOLA
> Senior Tourism Officer
> Responsible, Planning and Development
> Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Wildlife
> P.O. Box 326
> Old French Embassy Bldg., City Centre
> Lilongwe 3
> Tel.: (265) 782.702 / 781.295 / 781.073
> Fax: (265) 782.982 / 750.650 / 784.059
> E-mail: tourism@malawi.net
>
> II. AFFILIATE MEMBER
>
> Mr. Jens Friis JENSEN
> Deputy Manager
> Danish Tourism Development Centre
> Vester Farimagsgade 3
> DK – 1606 Kobenhavn V
> Denmark
> Tel.: (45-33) 765.400
> Fax: (45-33) 765.429
> E-mail: jfj@tuc.dk
>
> III. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
>
> U. N. Division for Sustainable Development
> Mrs. Zehra AYDIN-SIPOS
> Coordinator
> Mayor Groups Programme
> U.N.D.E.S.A.
> 2 UN Plaza, Room 2262
> New York, NY 10017
> USA
> Tel: (212) 963.8811
> Fax: (212) 963.1267
> E-mail: aydin@un.org
> United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
>
> Mr. Andrés CALVO BARRANTES
> Programme Officer
> UNDP Office in Costa Rica
> Tel.: (506) 296.1544
> Fax: (506) 296.1545
> Email: andres.calvo@undp.org
> United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
>
> Mme Hélène GENOT
> Adviser UNEP
> Tour Mirabeau, 39-43 quai André Citroën
> 75739 Paris – Cedex 15
> France
> Tel.: (33-1) 4437.1450
> Fax: (33-1) 4437.1474
> Email: jaloisi@unep.fr
> World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
>
> Mr. Oscar ARANGO
> Representative
> Subregional Office for North America,
> Central America y the Caribbean
> Costa Rica Office
> P.O. Box 7-3350-1000
> San José - Costa Rica
> Tel.: (506) 258.2370
> Fax: (506) 256.8240
> E-mail: arango@meteoro.imn.ac.cr
>
> World Tourism Organization Secretariat
>
> Dr. Dawid DE VILLIERS
> Secretario General Adjunto
> Capitán Haya, 42
> 28020 Madrid
> España
> Tel.: (34) 91.567.8161
> Fax: (34) 91.571.3733
> E-mail: omt@world-tourism.org
>
> Sr. Eugenio YUNIS
> Jefe
> Desarrollo Sostenible del Turismo
> Capitán Haya, 42
> 28020 Madrid
> España
> Tel.: (34) 91.567.8211
> Fax: (34) 91.571.3733
> E-mail: eyunis@world-tourism.org
>
> IV. MAJOR GROUPS
>
> NGOs Representatives
> Mr. Frans DE MAN
> Director
> RETOUR/Northern Co-Chair Tourism Caucus
> Tourism and Sustainable Development
> P.O. 1570
> 6501 BN Nijmegen
> The Netherlands
> Tel.: 31(0)24-360.6224
> Fax: 31(0)24-360.6224
> E-mail: Retour@DO.NL
>
> Sr. Francisco MATA, Ph.D.
> Consejo de la Tierra
> P.O. Box 2323-1002
> San José
> Costa Rica
> Tel: (506) 256.1611
> Fax: (506) 255.2197
> E-mail: fmata@ecouncil.ac.cr
> Internet: www.ecouncil.ac.cr
> www.ncsdnetwork.org
> www.earthcharter.org
> www.earthforum.org
>
> NGOs Representatives (cont.)
> Mrs. Terry PRATT
> Representante
> The Ecotourism Society
> P.O. Box 1780-1002
> San José
> Costa Rica
> Tel: (506) 222.2022
> Fax: (506) 255.4513
> E-mail: horizont@sol.racsa.co.cr
> Internet: www.horizontes.com
> Private sector representatives
> Mr. Graham Wason
> Vice-President
> World Travel and Tourism Council
> (WTTC)
> 20 Grosvenor Place
> London SW1X 7TT
> United Kingdom
> Tel: (44-171) 838.9400
> Fax: (44-171) 838.9050
> E-mail: RGWason@aol.com
> Internet: www.wtts.org
>
> Sra. Marisa P. DE CHOUZA
> Asistente Director
> IH&RA
> Homero 136, piso 10
> Colonia Polanco
> México D.F.
> México
> Tel: (525) 531.9443
> Fax: (525) 250.7375
> E-mail: g.rocha@hj.com.mx
> Rocha1486@aol.com
Received on Mon Apr 3 17:50:41 2000