Climate report for 2022 and plan for 2023

In January 2020 I made a declaration to Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, and my first plan. My commitments included to make an annual report and update the plan.  I published my first two reports in 2020  and 2021. This is my report for 2022.

Reduce my footprint:

1. Continue to participate in meetings remotely by conference call wherever possible, to avoid travel.  I travelled to one meeting in 2022, which was to participate to the first Travalyst in-person convening in The Hague, as I volunteer on its Independent Advisory Group.  All work-related meetings were conducted by conference call, rather than in-person meetings.
2. Encourage others to present at conferences or meetings that I have been invited, where their carbon footprint for attending will be lower than mine. Done. For example, two events on tourism concessions and economic analysis of visitation took place at the IUCN African Parks Congress in Kigali Rwanda supported by the IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (which I chair), and I supported coordination of the events and preparation of materials used, and supported speakers from southern Africa, rather than my travelling there from Papua New Guinea. 
3. When I do fly for work or leisure, I will select options that generate lower emissions, including combining multiple-destinations on my trips. I made six international trips, including one for the Travalyst meeting (see above) and five for leisure.
4. Attend conferences and meetings in person only where my presence can have a meaningful impact by communicating sustainability messages, and when remote participation is not possible. I participated in several virtual events to share information about sustainable tourism and the climate emergency, including: (1) the launch of the 2nd Edition of the World Bank’s Tools and Resources for Nature Based Tourism (which I wrote); (2) a presentation for the World Bank on Sharing benefits from tourism in protected areas with local communities, and (3) completion of a Massive Open Online Course on Economic and value chain analysis for tourism in protected areas, based on two publications I co-authored: UNESCO and BfN’s Visitors Count! and the ITC’s Opportunity Study Guidelines.
5. Reduce my family’s carbon footprint further from the 15.3 tonnes CO₂e of 2021. Despite taking more trips than in 2021, the overall carbon footprint of our family of 3 people was 12% lower than in 2021, at 13.4 tonnes CO₂e. Obviously, there is still more to be done in reducing this further in future.

Offset my impact:

1. Offset carbon generated by flights for work and recreation, including through reputable offsetting organisations and/or planting trees with institutions I trust such as the Wilderness Wildlife Trust and others.  Travalyst included my travel to The Hague in their net-zero budget, and one flight was offset through an airline, so the remaining carbon balance of my family was 9.17 tonnes CO₂e. For the balance, it was difficult to establish how best to offset this, and various reports in the media about false claims of offsetting bodies made the decision difficult. I asked for advice from trusted colleagues who provided guidance on using at least a Gold Standard program, and selecting a scheme that was meaningful to me. Ultimately, I used a hybrid approach. I calculated the cost of offsetting 10 tonnes of CO₂e through Climate Impact Partners, which has several levels of accreditation and assurance.  I then paid that value in donations to the Wilderness Wildlife Trust to support reforestation around the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.  This regeneration program is meaningful to me – I have lived and worked in Rwanda previously, and this conservation program expands habitat for critically endangered mountain gorillas and other species, and I previously supported indigenous tree planting around Bisate Lodge in 2019 (and even planted one myself while I was visiting).
2. Include carbon offset allocations for flights within future project budgets, and ensure that my clients are aware of this as a direct project cost. Projects that I  worked on in 2022 were all remotely based, but for any new assignments that require travel, I will continue to do this.
3. Continue to preferentially use Ecosia as my web-browser. I continue to do so on GoogleChrome (but Ecosia seems to be no longer supported on Safari).

Planting a seedling in 2019

Bisate Lodge tree nursery

Indigenous seedlings

Advocate for change:

1. Continue through my role as Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group to promote knowledge and capacity building to support the network’s members. In 2021 we revised the strategy for the TAPAS Group, and included specific reference to encouraging members to sign up to Tourism Declares, and to make a plan and by the end of 2022 half of our ExCo members had done so.
2. Continue to actively contribute as a Board member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, to promote the GSTC criteria and sustainable tourism activities that integrate climate actions. I have continued on the GSTC Board throughout 2022, and also joined the Board Trustees of the Seychelles Island Foundation (with remote participation in meetings).
3. Initiate a new edited book volume on nature based tourism and climate change. Along with co-editors Ante Mandic and David Fennel, the TAPAS Group initiated development of a new edited book with Edward Elgar entitled the Handbook on managing nature-based tourism destinations amid climate change.
4. Continue to work on sustainable tourism assignments on projects that embed climate actions within them, and with clients who are addressing climate change. Done, including through: (1) co-authoring Opportunities for transforming coastal and marine tourism: Towards sustainability, regeneration and resilience from the High Level Panel for an Ocean Economy; (2) co-authoring Blue tourism in islands and small tourism-dependent coastal states: Tools and Recovery Strategies published by the World Bank, and (3) compiling the 2nd edition of the World Bank’s Tools and Resources for Nature Based Tourism.  Spenceley Tourism And Development Ltd (STAND) also became an affiliate partner of the groundbreaking white paper on ‘Climate Action through Regeneration: Unlocking the Power of Communities and Nature through Tourism’ published by Regenerative Travel.
5. Share this commitment on my blog and other social media sites. Done on my blog, LinkedIn and Facebook. I will also share this report on social media.
6. Encourage others in my networks to join the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency. Done, including members of the TAPAS Group, and its ExCo.  My company Spenceley Tourism And Development Ltd (STAND) remains a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration, and became a Contributing Expert on the Tourism Panel on Climate Change.

Adjusted plan for 2023

In line with the Glasgow Declaration I will continue my efforts to apply the five shared pathways (ie. measure, decarbonise, regenerate and finance), and in line with the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency structure as follows:

Reduce my footprint:

1. Attend conferences and meetings in person only where my presence can have a meaningful impact by communicating sustainability messages, and when remote participation is not possible.
2. Continue to participate in meetings remotely by conference call wherever possible, to avoid travel, and encourage others to present at conferences or meetings that I have been invited, where their carbon footprint for attending will be lower than mine.
3. When I do fly for work or leisure, I will select options that generate lower emissions, including combining multiple-destinations on my trips.
4. Reduce my family’s carbon footprint further from the 13.4 tonnes CO₂e of 2022.

Offset my impact:

1. Offset carbon generated by flights for work and recreation, including through reputable offsetting organisations and/or planting trees with institutions I trust such as the Wilderness Wildlife Trust, Climate Impact Partners, and others.
2. Include carbon offset allocations for flights within future project budgets, and ensure that my clients are aware of this as a direct project cost.
3. Continue to preferentially use Ecosia as my web-browser.

Advocate for change:

1. Continue voluntary efforts supporting climate action, including through: (1) the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group, (2) the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, (3) the Travalyst coalition on sustainable travel and (4) the Tourism Panel on Climate Change.
2. Complete the Handbook on managing nature-based tourism destinations amid climate change.
3. Continue to work on sustainable tourism assignments on projects that embed climate actions within them, and with clients who are addressing climate change.
4. Share this commitment on my blog and other social media sites.
5. Encourage others in my networks to join the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, sign  the Glasgow Declaration.

Advertisement

Sustainable Coastal and Marine Tourism Webinar recordings: Wednesday 18 January 2023

Opportunities for Transforming Coastal and Marine Tourism: Towards Sustainability, Regeneration and Resilience

Global webinar series convened by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy and IUCN Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group)

This virtual webinar series featured a new body of work commissioned by the Ocean Panel on coastal and marine tourism, including a special report: ‘Opportunities for Transforming Coastal and Marine Tourism: Towards Sustainability, Regeneration and Resilience’ on the economics of a shift to a sustainable model of coastal and marine tourism as part of recovery efforts from the global pandemic. The report provides a holistic assessment of the current state of coastal and marine tourism and draws on 32 case studies and examples from 23 countries to identify a set of priorities designed to help catalyse systemic change in destination-wide management through strategic investment and intervention by governments to support sustainable recovery from the global pandemic.

This webinar provided an opportunity to hear from experts across the tourism industry on innovation and best practice, with a view to understanding how different actors within the tourism sector are considering the future of coastal and marine tourism.

Links to each of the session recordings are provided below, and are also available together here.

Session 1:  Asia Pacific
Wednesday 18 January 2023,17:00-18:30 AEDT (06:00-07:30 GMT (UTC +0)) – Virtual
Recording here
128 participants from 35 countries

Session 2:  America/Europe/Africa
Wednesday 18 January 2023: 14:00-15:30 GMT (UTC +0) – Virtual
Recording here
90 participants from 28 countries

Doing It Better: Resources for the Resilient Recovery of Nature-Based Tourism

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 | 8:00 – 9:30 am DC

Time Zone Converter 

 This event is in English with simultaneous interpretation provided in French and Spanish 

Registration Link 

Overview   After three tumultuous years in the COVID-19 era, global tourism is rebounding as the pandemic recedes. Destinations are reopening, cautiously optimistic that travelers will return and bring with them much-needed revenues and jobs. For many nature-based tourism destinations that rely on tourism to support conservation and communities, the pandemic was a time to reflect and reset, adjust strategies and goals, and plot a more resilient course.    Join this webinar hosted by the World Bank-led Global Wildlife Program for a discussion of opportunities and challenges faced by nature-based tourism destinations and the launch of the second edition of the Tools and Resources for Nature-Based Tourism report, updated to capture new resources responding to COVID-19. Lightning talks from tourism experts will shed light on how nature-based tourism can innovate to further development and conservation by harnessing nature-based solutions, addressing climate change, and strengthening communities and economies.
Moderator  Vanessa Satur, Nature-Based Tourism Specialist Consultant, World Bank  Speakers  Anna Spenceley, Consultant, GWP and Chair, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group) and Wendy Li, Tourism and Environmental Specialist, World Bank  Eliza Northrop, Policy Lead, Global Ocean Programme, World Resources Institute  Daniel Turner, Director, ANIMONDIAL  Chloe King, Director of Conservation & Community Development, Solimar International   Carol Ritchie, Executive Director, EUROPARC Federation  Registration Link
Speaker Bios
	Anna Spenceley is Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group). An international tourism expert with over 20 years of experience, Anna sits on the board of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the Independent Advisory Panel of Travalyst. She is the editor of the Handbook for Sustainable Tourism Practitioners: The Essential Toolbox, co-author of Private Sector Tourism in Conservation Areas in Africa, and co-editor of the books Tourism and Poverty Reduction, Responsible Tourism: Critical issues for Conservation and Development, and Evolution and Innovation in Wildlife Conservation.She also co-edited the IUCN Best Practice Guidelines on Tourism and Visitor Management in Protected Areas.
	Eliza Northrop leads the policy work for the Global Ocean Programme at World Resources Institute, including as Secretariat for the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. She is an international environmental lawyer with over 15 years’ experience working in international law and policy, specializing in climate change, ocean governance, natural resource management, and indigenous rights.
	Chloe King is a marine conservationist, social scientist, and sustainable tourism consultant, with experience leading conservation and development projects in over a dozen destinations globally. As the Director of Conservation & Community Development for Solimar International, she has worked to utilize tourism as a catalyst for destination regeneration and resilience in communities on the frontlines of climate change—such as in the Maldives, Timor-Leste, and the Sundarbans Reserved Forest in Bangladesh. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge, working with stakeholders in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador on reimagining a more resilient tourism future in the post-pandemic era. She holds an MSc Marine Systems and Policy from the University of Edinburgh and an MPhil in Conservation Leadership from the University of Cambridge where she was a Marshall Scholar.
	Daniel Turner is an environmental biologist who has been working for the advancement of applied animal protection for over 20 years.Considered by many in the tourism industry as the pioneer of animal protection policy, Daniel is knowledgeable and experienced in the issues and in how to engage business to solve them. He instigated and co-drafted ABTA’s Animal Welfare Guidelines (2013). In 2018, Daniel co-founded ANIMONDIAL, a specialist consultancy providing practical guidance to help businesses better manage animal and nature protection. In collaboration with the World Travel & Tourism Council, ANIMONDIAL recently produced the report “Nature Positive Travel & Tourism” and an accompanying Vision to encourage tourism businesses to adopt measures to halt biodiversity loss and restore nature.
	Vanessa Satur is a consultant on nature-based tourism at the World Bank. She brings over 20 years of experience as Manager of Technical Cooperation and Services in the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Vanessa has implemented over 80 projects in more than 60 countries, including national and local tourism master planning, sustainable tourism development, institutional streamlining and strengthening, product development, marketing and promotion, capacity building in tourism management and hospitality services, hotel classification, tourism legislation and regulation, and statistical strengthening and economic measurement of tourism.
This virtual event is hosted by the Global Wildlife Program, a Global Environment Facility-funded World Bank-led program to combat illegal wildlife trade and promote wildlife-based economies. Please reach out to gwp-info@worldbank.org for questions. Registration Link

Call for papers: Edward Elgar Handbook on “Managing nature-based tourism destinations amid climate change’

Edited by Ante Mandić, Anna Spenceley, David A. Fennell

We are delighted to issue a call for papers for the forthcoming Edward Elgar handbook on ‘Managing nature-based tourism destinations amid climate change’. This Handbook seeks to bring together scientists and tourism experts to expand the knowledge on the impacts of climate change on nature-based tourism development by supporting multi and interdisciplinary collaborations globally.

The book will be structured around the five lines of action of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism:

1. Monitoring and measuring NBT-related emissions
2. Accelerating decarbonisation in NBT
3. Inspiring ecosystem regeneration in NB destinations
4. Fostering collaboration between critical stakeholders in NB destinations
5. Ensuring financial capacities to meet shared goals in NB destinations

Submit your idea for a paper

If you would like to contribute a paper of 6-7000 words, please send an 200-word abstract to ante.mandic@efst.hr, annaspenceley@gmail.com, and dfennell@brocku.ca.

The timeline for the book is:
-Manuscripts (1st versions) ready: March 2023
-Editorial feedback and revisions: April-May 2023
-Manuscripts (2nd versions) ready: September 2023
-Editing: October 2023
-Submission to the publishing house: by November 2023

About Edward Elgar Handbooks

Edward Elgar Handbooks are original reference works designed to provide a broad overview of research in a given field whilst at the same time creating a forum for more challenging, critical examination of complex and often under-explored issues. Often widely cited, individual chapters present expert scholarly analysis and offer a vital reference point for advanced research. Taken as a whole, they achieve a wide-ranging picture of the state-of-the-art. See for example, the  Handbook for Sustainable Tourism Practitioners, edited by Anna Spenceley.

Strengthening Sharing of Benefits from Tourism with Local Communities: Webinar recording and presentations

The World Bank, the Global Wildlife Program, and the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program hosted a webinar Strengthening Sharing of Benefits from Tourism with Local Communities on 27 July 27 2022.

Speakers and presenters included:

Dr Anna Spenceley from the IUCN Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group): Sharing benefits from tourism in protected areas with local communities: Options, challenges and recommendations

Vanice Mirembe Daawa from Uganda Wildlife Authority: Uganda’s experiences with benefit sharing from protected areas

Phonesuck Inthavong from Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, Lao PDR: Wildlife ecotourism and benefit sharing model in Nam Et-Phou Louie National Park, Lao PDR

Mayra Castellanos and William Alexander Rojas Melendez from Cerro Azul community-based tourism project, Colombia: Cerro Azul: Community-based sustainable tourism Sane Jose del Guaviare, Columbia

Adam Thalhath and Shaha Hashim from Six Senses Laamu, Maldives: Six Senses: strengthening of benefits from tourism with local communities

With Genevieve Connors and Vanessa Satur from the World Bank for opening and moderating the session, respectively.

These are the resources and information from the session through the hyperlinks below:

• The event presentation
• You can watch a recording of the event in English or Spanish.
• The questions and answers from the chat, with links to relevant resources on benefit sharing.

World Bank Webinar 27 July: Strengthening Sharing of Benefits from Tourism with Local Communities

Wednesday, July 27, 2022 8:00 am – 9:15 am DC / 7:00 am ECT / 2:00 pm CAT / 6:00 pm ICT Register for Zoom Link Time zone converter This event is in English with simultaneous interpretation provided in French and Spanish
Overview Tourism in protected areas can generate benefits for local communities living around them, supporting local development and strengthening their collaboration in biodiversity conservation. To share benefits of tourism with local people, benefit sharing arrangements have been established across the world by public authorities, private businesses, communities, and NGO partners. These have provided a range of tangible and intangible benefits to communities. But without effective design and implementation, even established mechanisms may fail to deliver and threaten the premise of sustainable and inclusive tourism. This webinar will discuss benefit sharing models, challenges and opportunities, and recommendations to strengthen these complex arrangements. Diverse models of tourism initiatives that are benefiting local communities will be highlighted to improve the impact of global protected area tourism. Opening Remarks Genevieve Connors, Practice Manager, Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Environment, Latin America and Caribbean Region, World Bank Speakers Anna Spenceley, Chair, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group) Vanice Mirembe Daawa, Manager, Awareness & Human Wildlife Relations, Uganda Wildlife Authority Phonesuck Inthavong, Ecotourism Head, Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, Lao PDR Mayra Castellanos, Tourism Professional, Heart of the Amazon Project, Cerro Azul, Colombia William Alexander Rojas Melendez, Leader, Fantasias Community Association, Cerro Azul Puerta de Chiribiquete, Colombia Adam Thalhath, Sustainability Manager & Community Outreach Manager, Six Senses Laamu, Maldives Shaha Hashim, Chairperson, Maldives Resilient Reefs and Maldives Programme Manager, Blue Marine Foundation
Moderator Vanessa Satur, Nature-Based Tourism Specialist Consultant, World Bank

Consultation process for the EU on financing nature-based tourism & benefit sharing

The European Commission is conducting a series of policy analyses to support nature-based tourism, conservation and local livelihoods in sub-saharan Africa. Two consultation surveys have been launched on (a) financing nature-based tourism and (b) benefit sharing from nature-based tourism. You are warmly welcomed to share your thoughts on both, through two online surveys on these topics by 17 July 2022.

1. Development financing options for nature-based tourism and local livelihoods in sub-saharan Africa

An analysis of blended and guarantee financing options was undertaken for the European Commission in 2021 which identified a number of funding vehicles that support nature-based tourism (NBT) investment in sub-saharan Africa. These included: The EU’s European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (ESFD+), providing grants and technical assistance, financial instruments, blending and budgetary guarantees and other guarantee projects and blending projects (e.g. Boost Africa, EURIZ, REGMIFA, and the Uganda Development Bank / EU Tourism COVID-19 Response Facility); Grants from Development Finance Institutions; and Funds supporting NBT (e.g. the Africa Conservation and Communities Tourism (ACCT) Fund; Conservation International Ventures; the African Conservancies Fund; the Mara Rescue Fund; the Africa Land Stewards Rescue Fund (ALSRF) and platforms linking enterprises with funders (e.g. the Nature-Based Tourism Collaborative Platform).

Building on this analysis, the EU is now gathering more detailed information on the broad array of financing options to support NBT and linked local livelihoods available in sub-saharan Africa.

Based on information collected, guidance will be developed on how to use technical assistance facilities to support sustainable NBT development financing, including a decision tree to help direct users to identify applicable financing options depending on their financing needs.

Please contribute to the consultation on NBT financing using one of these survey links:

Questionnaire for finance institutions, support agencies, donors  and NGOs: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Finance_NBT

Questionnaire for tourism operators working in protected areas: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Finance_NBT_Operator

2. Benefit sharing from nature-based tourism in Africa

The European Commission is conducting research on benefits that local communities attain from tourism from protected areas and nature-based tourism operators in Africa.  The results of this study will be used to form policy recommendations for protected areas and EU projects that make benefit sharing mechanisms more effective.

To contribute to this process, kindly share your experience and opinions on:

• benefit sharing mechanisms that protected areas and tourism operators use;
• how to create fairer relations between communities and the private sector; and
• how to reduce risks and problems associated with benefit sharing from tourism.

Please contribute to the consultation using this survey link, with one response for each protected area that you work with:

Questionnaire for protected areas, protected area authorities, support intuitions and NGOs: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBTourism_Benefit_PAs

Questionnaire for tourism operators working in protected areas: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBTourism_Benefit_Operators

For more information, please contact: Dr Anna Spenceley, annaspenceley@gmail.com

 

White Paper released on Climate Action through Regeneration

London | New York (June 6th, 2022) Spenceley Tourism And Development Ltd (STAND) is proud to be an affiliate partner for a groundbreaking study which has been released in the form of a whitepaper  ‘Climate Action through Regeneration: Unlocking the Power of Communities and Nature through Tourism’. Published today by Regenerative Travel, a benefit corporation and a collection of independent hotels and lodges committed to regenerative hospitality, in partnership with The University of Edinburgh and Solimar International.

The White Paper evolved from academic work performed by The University of Edinburgh researcher Chloe King who surveyed travel businesses around the world to understand how tourism, in the face of climate change, can ground their work in both the ability of communities to thrive and the protection, management, and restoration of nature.

“When Chloe approached RT to engage our members in her academic work, we saw an opportunity to work collaboratively together with her and O’Shannon Burns, who has worked closely with our hotel members on best practice sharing, to create a framework and actionable recommendations for small businesses seeking to take climate action through regeneration. We are excited to use our global network of travellers and partners to amplify the impact of the research,” Amanda Ho, co-founder & CEO of Regenerative Travel.

Dr Anna Spenceley, the founder of STAND, said that the company’s support of the whitepaper launch aligns with its mission to support sustainable nature-based tourism, and address the climate emergency. STAND is a signatory to both the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency.

Using the IUCN Global Standards for Nature based Solutions to assess participating businesses, the findings reveal five core principles for businesses that seek to make a regenerative shift placing greater value on human wellbeing and nature through a holistic, place-based, community-led, and environment-centred approach.

“A growing number of travel businesses are acknowledging the important role they can and must play if we as a sector are to effectively address the climate crisis.  But tourism has lagged behind other industries and we need to quickly build stakeholders’ capacity to evaluate impacts and solutions. The white paper seeks to shine a light on the important role nature can play and to identify which factors make Nature-based solutions to climate change successful, or not.” O’Shannon Burns, white paper co-author.

This new white paper outlines practical examples, available support, and clear action steps so that travel businesses can take action today to begin utilising the power of Nature-based Solutions to draw down emissions and help destinations adapt to climate change.

Website | Instagram | Linkedin |

Organisations Featured: Blue Apple Beach, Binna Burra Eco Lodge, Borana Conservancy, Chole Mjini Treehouse Lodge, Chumbe Island Coral Park, Finca Rosa Blanca, Grupo Rio Da Prata, Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort, Misool Eco Resort, Nikoi Private Island, Playa Viva, Regenerative Travel, Samara Private Game Reserve, Six Senses Laamu Atoll, Solimar International, The Brando, The Datai Langkawi, The Long Run, Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, and University of Edinburgh

Affiliates: B-Tourism, Conservation Capital, George Washington University, Global Sustainability Index, Global Wellness Institute, Green Destinations, Miles Partnership, SUNx, Planeterra, Regeneration 2030, Salva, Spenceley Tourism And Development (STAND) Ltd, The Long Run, The University of Edinburgh and the Transformational Travel Council

About Regenerative Travel:  Regenerative Travel is a shared benefit corporation and membership offering providing marketing and hospitality services to a network of independently owned eco-luxury boutique hotels dedicated to the highest levels of social and environmental impact. Through sharing individual best practices and through collaboration, Regenerative Travel enables the Regenerative Travel Member hotel collection to work together to achieve significant economies of scale and to make a deeper impact.

About the Affiliate Partner, STAND Ltd: STAND Ltd is a boutique consultancy company specialising in technical advice on sustainable tourism and conservation. STAND offers tailored tourism and conservation services to the tourism sector, development organisations, non-governmental organisations, corporates, governments and communities. STAND specialises in meeting the sustainable development needs of its clients. The objective of STAND is to achieve poverty alleviation by supporting income generating opportunities, developing constructive partnerships and promoting good conservation practices, while addressing the climate emergency. STAND operates under the direction of Dr Anna Spenceley, who is a leading authority in sustainable tourism. Anna is Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group), is on the Board of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and sits on the Independent Advisory Group of Travalyst.  She is also editor of the  “Handbook for sustainable tourism practitioners: The essential toolkit” from Edward Elgar.

—

Media Contact:

Kerry Skinner  kerry@regenerativetravel.com

Updating the World Bank’s ‘Tools and Resources for Nature-Based Tourism’

The World Bank is committed to tackling the world’s toughest development challenges – especially poverty and inequality. All of our resources – our global development knowledge, investment capital, financial expertise and country presence – are devoted to making the world a more just and prosperous place. Tourism can play an integral role in helping us fulfil this mission.  In many developing countries, tourism promotes inclusive economic growth, creating jobs and attracting foreign investors.

Nature-based tourism is a growing sector and in 2020 the World Bank published ‘Tools and Resources for Nature-Based Tourism‘ and an online resource directory with 370 resources following an extensive international consultation process. Since then, further important resources that have been produced – particularly relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, biodiversity, and waste.

Through this short survey we want to invite you to share any important materials published since mid-2019 that could be included in the 2nd edition of ‘Tools and Resources for Nature-Based Tourism‘.  The survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete, and it will be open until Friday 27 May 2022.

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WorldBank_NBT_2022_Update

Note: Please focus your responses on tools for nature-based tourism specifically, rather than tourism, sustainability or conservation in general

2021 Climate Emergency report

In January 2020 I made a declaration to Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, and my first plan. My commitments included to make an annual report and update the plan. Last year I published a report for 2020, and this is my report for 2021.

Reduce my footprint:

1. Continue to participate in meetings remotely by conference call wherever possible, to avoid travel. I didn’t travel to any meetings during 2021. I participated in a number of virtual events to share information about sustainable tourism and the climate emergency, including those in the table below. The virtual symposium on “Crisis response and recovery – nature-based tourism, biodiversity and livelihoods” included a session on “Sustainable Tourism Blueprints and Solutions”, where representatives of the Travel Foundation and Intrepid were invited to share lessons regarding Tourism Declares, the Glasgow Declaration, and moving towards net-zero.

Conference / Venue / Webinar	Presentation & events	Dates
Crisis response and recovery – nature-based tourism, biodiversity and livelihoods, virtual symposium, IUCN WPCA TAPAS Group, Centre for Responsible Travel, WWF, and Arizona State University	Event 1: Recording of Event 1: Session 1: Biodiversity Conservation Financing through Sustainable Nature-Based Tourism – watch here Session 2: Visitors Count: Establishing the Economic Impacts of Tourism in Protected Areas – watch here Session 3: Sustainable Livelihoods and Human Health through Tourism – watch here Event 2: Recording of Event 2:  Session 4: Visitation and Biodiversity Conservation in Protected Areas in Light of COVID-19 – watch here Session 5: The Resurgence of Overtourism in Protected Areas in Crisis Recovery – watch here Session 6: Sustainable Tourism Blueprints and Solutions – watch here	17/18 November 2021
COVID-19 crisis: Impacts and Recovery in Protected and Conserved Areas in Africa, IUCN Green List, DNPW, GiZ, IUCN WCPA	Sustainable tourism in protected and conserved areas: Impacts and implications of the pandemic in Africa	29 October 2021
2021 Virtual Conference on Improving Protected Area Tourism in a Post-COVID World, Centre for Protected Area Management, Colorado State University	Keynote: Protected area tourism & the COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts and implications for sustainable recovery	11 October 2021
IV International Conference “Sustainable tourism: Global Challenges and Russian Perspective, Russia	Panel event: Sustainable tourism: Global challenges and Russian perspective Recording available here	7 October 2021
Ecotourism in protected areas towards green recovery, UNDP Philippines, Manilla	Part 1: Ecotourism in protected areas towards green recovery: Impacts of the pandemic Recording available here Part 2: Ecotourism in protected areas towards green recovery: Recovery from the impacts	17 & 24 September 2021
Sustainable & Social Tourism Summit, Cancun, Mexico	Keynote: Sustainable tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and building back better	7 September 2021
‘Green List’ tourism recovery for communities in and around protected and conserved areas and World Heritage sites, IUCN World Conservation Congress	Protected area tourism and COVID-19. Recording available here	5 September 2021
Visitors Count! Guidance for protected areas on assessing visitation and its economic impacts, Protected Planet Pavilion, IUCN World Conservation Congress	The Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group Recording available here	4 September 2021
10th International Conference on Monitoring and Management of Visitors in Recreational and Protected Areas	Keynote: The impacts of the pandemic on tourism in protected and recreational areas. Recording here (Plenary session day 2)	17 August 2021
Wildlife Tourism Australia, Annual General Meeting	Wildlife tourism amid COVID and recovery options	21 June 2021
Sustainable Tourism Training for Tomorrow, EUROPARC Webinar	A global perspective on sustainable tourism and the need for skills and capacity building – Recording and presentation here	17 June 2021
International Conference on Responsible Tourism and Hospitality (ICRTH), UCSI University, Sarawak, Malaysia	Ecotourism and COVID-19: Impacts, responses and recovery – Recording here	27 May 2021
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Steering Committee Meeting	COVID-19 and protected area tourism: Impacts and the way forward	17 May 2021
2021 ITB Convention, Berlin; ITB Tourism for Sustainable Tourism track	COVID-19 and tourism in developing countries: Needs, challenges and options –        Recording and presentation here	12 March 2021

2. Encourage others to present at conferences or meetings that I have been invited, where their carbon footprint for attending will be lower than mine. Done in part. For example, we had hybrid meetings at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, where some participants based in Europe were present in person, and myself based in Papua New Guinea participated remotely. On other occasions, where I could not participate remotely, I would  nominate another person to also participate remotely from a more suitable time zone.
3. When I do fly for work or leisure, I will select options that generate lower emissions, including combining multiple-destinations on my trips. I made one international trip this year, which was a flight from Papua New Guinea to the UK via Singapore and Doha for leisure. For two domestic flight my family made in 2021, we flew with the national air-carrier, rather than smaller charter aircraft.
4. Attend conferences and meetings in person only where my presence can have a meaningful impact by communicating sustainability messages, and when remote participation is not possible. I did not attend any in-person meetings in 2021, and only participated remotely – either in real time, or by sending a recording if the time difference was challenging.

Also, for 2021, I calculated that the carbon footprint of my family was 15.3 tonnes CO₂e, which was 61% lower than in 2020. We will continue to work towards reducing this further during 2022.

Offset my impact:

1. Offset carbon generated by flights for work and recreation, including through reputable offsetting organisations and/or planting trees with institutions I trust such as the Wilderness Wildlife Trust and others. For 2021 I have offset the 15.3 tonnes of CO₂e generated by my family through Climate Care.
2. Include carbon offset allocations for flights within future project budgets, and ensure that my clients are aware of this as a direct project cost. Projects that I  worked on in 2021 were all remotely based, but for any new assignments that require travel, I will continue to do this.
3. Continue to preferentially use Ecosia as my web-browser. I continue to do so on GoogleChrome (but Ecosia seems to be no longer supported on Safari).

Advocate for change:

1. Continue through my role as Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group to promote knowledge and capacity building to support the network’s members. In 2021 we revised the strategy for the TAPAS Group, and included specific reference to encouraging members to sign up to Tourism Declares, and to make a plan. Monitoring and reporting of TAPAS Group member signatories has been initiated for 2021 in annual membership surveys and reported to WCPA.
2. Continue to actively contribute as a Board member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, to promote the GSTC criteria and sustainable tourism activities that integrate climate actions. In 2021 the GSTC became a launch partner of the Glasgow Declaration.
3. Continue to work on sustainable tourism assignments on projects that embed climate actions within them, and with clients who are addressing climate change. Done, including through (a) a World Bank project in Uganda on community-based tourism, to support them in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, including by helping to reduce their carbon footprints; (b) a diagnostic assignment for UNEP on environmental impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector in the Pan European region, including measures to scale up good practices.
4. Edit a ‘Handbook of applied research tools for sustainable tourism: a guide for practitioners’ that embeds chapters on climate change to share workable and rational step-by-step approaches. The Handbook was published in 2021 as the “Handbook for Sustainable Tourism Practitioners: The essential toolbox ”. Unfortunately though, the two planned chapters planned relating to climate change and tourism were not submitted, due to challenges the authors had with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Therefore, a box on climate and tourism (including a link to Tourism Declares) was included in the book’s introduction. A new co-edited book volume is at the early stages of planning, which will help to address this gap.
5. Share this commitment on my blog and other social media sites. Done on my blog, LinkedIn and Facebook. I will also share this report on social media.
6. Encourage others in my networks to join the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency. Done, including members of the TAPAS Group, and ensuring that joining is a condition for new TAPAS Exco members to make a declaration.  The TAPAS Group will report annually on the number of members who have made a declaration, and whose institutions have signed the Glasgow Declaration.

In addition to these activities, in 2021 my company Spenceley Tourism And Development Ltd (STAND) was launch partner signatory of the Glasgow Declaration. This consolidated my commitment to address the climate emergency through my work.

Adjusted plan for 2022

Reduce my footprint:

1. Continue to participate in meetings remotely by conference call wherever possible, to avoid travel.
2. Encourage others to present at conferences or meetings that I have been invited, where their carbon footprint for attending will be lower than mine.
3. When I do fly for work or leisure, I will select options that generate lower emissions, including combining multiple-destinations on my trips.
4. Attend conferences and meetings in person only where my presence can have a meaningful impact by communicating sustainability messages, and when remote participation is not possible.
5. Reduce my family’s carbon footprint further from the 15.3 tonnes CO₂e of 2021.

Offset my impact:

1. Offset carbon generated by flights for work and recreation, including through reputable offsetting organisations and/or planting trees with institutions I trust such as the Wilderness Wildlife Trust, Climate Care, and others.
2. Include carbon offset allocations for flights within future project budgets, and ensure that my clients are aware of this as a direct project cost.
3. Continue to preferentially use Ecosia as my web-browser.

Advocate for change:

1. Continue through my role as Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group to promote knowledge and capacity building to support the network’s members.
2. Continue to actively contribute as a Board member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, to promote the GSTC criteria and sustainable tourism activities that integrate climate actions.
3. Initiate a new edited book volume on nature based tourism and climate change.
4. Continue to work on sustainable tourism assignments on projects that embed climate actions within them, and with clients who are addressing climate change.
5. Share this commitment on my blog and other social media sites.
6. Encourage others in my networks to join the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency and the Glasgow Declaration.

@tourismdeclares

Want to declare, too?

If you work in tourism and feel similarly about the Climate Emergency, please visit Tourism Declares. The goal is to encourage and enable as many travel companies, organizations and individuals to get involved, declare a climate emergency, and to take action.

Tourism Declares supports tourism businesses, organisations and individuals in declaring a climate emergency and taking purposeful action to reduce their carbon emissions. Visit the Tourism Declares website, and find resources and guidance on how to declare.