Location: Pacific
Themes: Sustainable Tourism
The Challenge
Tourism is a crucial driver of economic development in the Pacific region. Yet, development of tourism is challenging due to the large distances between islands, which complicates transportation and logistics. The dependence of supply chains on external imports further exacerbates these challenges, increasing costs and environmental footprints. Sustainable tourism practices are essential to balance economic benefits with the preservation of natural and cultural heritage, ensuring the long-term viability of both the industry and the environment. The key priorities for the Pacific Region and its constituent countries are intricately linked with the imperative of proficient resource management and resilient economic growth. Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and circular economy (CE) practices are fundamental to achieving sustainable tourism in the Pacific. By optimizing resource use, reducing environmental impact, and promoting social and economic benefits, SCP helps create a tourism industry that is environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and economically viable.
The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), as the mandated body for tourism in the Pacific, plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable tourism across the region. In October 2021, the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework (PSTPF) was endorsed by the Council of Tourism Ministers in the Pacific, which sets out the vision, policies and actions needed to transform tourism to be more sustainable and to provide greater benefits for communities. In support of the framework, the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Industry and Destination Standards was developed and endorsed to provide guidance to the SPTO and its member nations to work towards improved sustainability in tourism. The standards were based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) criteria and adapted to reflect relevant and local issues on tourism across the region.
Based on the request of the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component (PSC) will implement the technical advisory (TA), Supporting Sustainable Tourism through SCP policy development and implementation in the Pacific: With considerations of the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standards for destination and for industry. This TA aims to improve existing or developing national standards towards sustainable tourism, with a particular focus on the SCP and CE practices, in consultation with SPTO member countries in the Pacific. It will provide the roadmap focusing on three selected participating countries in the Pacific.
Objectives
The overall objective of this TA is to accelerate and scale up the adoption of appropriate, national sustainable tourism policies in the purview of SCP and CE approaches in selected countries in the Pacific. This will be done by facilitating implementation of the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standards, viewed through the lenses of material production and use. More specifically, this project will:
- Enhance understanding and interest in the potential of SCP and CE as strategies towards sustainable tourism as reflected in the PSTS criteria.
- Identify the potential, opportunities and challenges of integrating SCP and CE aspects, policies and actions, in the tourism sector in selected Pacific pilot countries.
- Co-create policy recommendations to support the transition in the region towards SCP and Circularity in the Tourism sector, in line with the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standards for destination and for industry.
