Overtourism refers to the negative impacts of excessive tourism on local communities and environments.

Overtourism in places like Ibiza pushes up rent and mortgage costs, displacing local tenants for holiday rentals.

Ibiza's public services are suffering and locals are struggling with unaffordable housing, forcing some to live in cramped conditions or relocate.

Overtourism can cause environmental problems like air pollution and water consumption that affect local residents.

The tourism industry often creates low-paying jobs that fail to provide a living wage.

Tourism supports 40% of employment in the Canary Islands, but creates inequalities and fails to distribute wealth effectively among locals.

Developing tourism infrastructure can improve interregional connections, but may also lead to overtourism.

Mass tourism accounts for around 8% of global emissions.

Fragile ecosystems are vulnerable to mass tourism's impacts, including overdevelopment and degradation of natural areas.

Investing in infrastructure and promoting eco-tourism and cultural tourism can help reduce overtourism's economic consequences.

Applying circular economy principles to tourism can minimize waste and promote sustainable development.

Digital technologies can promote sustainable tourism and reduce overtourism's environmental impacts.

Effective sustainable tourism initiatives include sustainable practices, cultural sensitivity, community involvement, visitor regulation, and tourist education.

Involving local communities in planning can help ensure infrastructure resilience to climate and disaster risks.

Collaboration is key to the success of community-based tourism initiatives.

The Egyptian Ministry of Environment launched "Stories from its People" to support local communities in natural reserves.

Diversifying tourism products can attract more visitors and support local economies.

Community involvement is crucial for Unesco recognition, as seen in Japan where children are trained as guides.

Overtourism refers to the negative impacts of excessive tourism on local communities and environments.

Title:

Content: Point of view
Lin Chi-yin
Lin Chi-yin: "Traveling Everywhere" and "Over-Travel"
Earlier, the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Hsia Baolong, advocated the concept of “travel everywhere ” to fully explore Hong Kong ’ s tourism resources.
To speed up the implementation of the concept, the authorities are planning to set up a "special class" to bring together people inside and outside the Government for in-depth discussions.
In recent days, officials and legislators have expressed their views on the development of "red tourism", exploring new spots in the community, beautifying the streets, and presenting some scenes in the movies.
Simply put, it may be the story behind the attraction, or the accumulated word of mouth on social media, and every tree and grass anywhere can become a tourist attraction.
Of course, the author hopes that the "class" can launch various new ideas; and since the task of the class is to implement the concept of "travel everywhere", then how to implement the concept is the best for Hong Kong, the industry, the community and the public, the class can not ignore.
The University of Hong Kong campus has been forced by tourists, and the school has implemented reservation measures this month.
HKU itself has a complete management structure, and the university can still implement crowd control according to the situation. However, if some scenic spots that go deep into the community or even close to residential buildings are really "red hot", it may not be easy to implement crowd control.
“Everywhere travel ” is a concept, the key to implementation lies in the ability of the authorities to foresee problems. If you rely only on“ see and see ”, it is very likely that good things will turn into bad things.
“Aggressive ” Travel
In 2018, the word “overtourism ” was chosen as the Oxford English Dictionary ’ s word of the year, referring to the negative effects of overloading the area, declining quality of life and environmental damage caused by the influx of tourists to tourist attractions.
For example, Venice, Italy, which has long been affected by “overtourism ”, is not a“ once in a lifetime ” – the local population is only 50,000, and the number of daily tourists has exceeded the local population; during peak season, the number of daily visitors has even doubled.
I have friends who visited the place more than a decade ago, and they all agreed to say that people are crowded and will not go again.
In addition to Venice, some European cities or small islands with a tourism-led economy (such as the Canarias in Spain) also face the problem of job opportunities, high prices, and a homogenization of shops. Multinational companies invest heavily in hotels and holiday cottages, which also lead to higher rents, which locals can ’ t afford.
Even if tourism brings a lot of jobs to the region, it does not mean that the average person can earn a living wage.
People in these places understand the importance of tourism to the local economy, but they do not want the tourism industry to be unlimited, resulting in the resources of the whole place are only for the service of tourists.
"Tourism Hazards" and How to Deal with them
In Japanese society after the epidemic, a similar term, "tourism nuisance", has also appeared to describe problems such as traffic, noise, nuisance, and garbage pollution caused by too many tourists.
This phenomenon, in addition to the popularity of exchange rates, affordable air tickets, and people's desire to travel after the epidemic, social media will also have the effect of focusing on specific hot spots.
In the era of image-led, everyone can follow the picture, some places that were not originally planned as tourist attractions have begun to face sudden overcrowding.
Hong Kong people who love to visit Japan will not be unfamiliar with two “attractions ”: the Daokou near Enojima Electric Railway ’ s Kamakura University Station, and a Lawson convenience store in Kawaguchi-cho.
The former is the "holy place" of the popular manga "When Men are in the bottle". In recent years, the crossing has been congested with traffic due to frequent visits by tourists to "punch", local people can not get on the electric train, and some tourists are dangerous for taking good photos. Lawson is also a "punch" attraction, and the picture is a convenience store with a beautiful view of Mount Fuji. of tourists are constantly crossing the road and parking without permission, causing local residents to feel troubled.
Too many tourists can also lead to a decline in the quality of service, even in Japan, which values the spirit of “work people ”.
When I visited Japan last year, I saw some shops find ways to deal with “tourism hazards ” on their own, such as not allowing diners to take photos in the store, so that after the photos are uploaded to social media, it will cause more people to come and see them; limiting the number of diners to the number of people that the staff can serve, even if the seats are not full.
However, some tourists always find it difficult to understand the intentions behind these arrangements, and I have heard some tourists complain: "Obviously there is still a place, why not let us sit?"
When these conflicts can no longer be handled by businesses and residents themselves, how to strike a balance between “tourism ” and“ public nuisance ” will gradually become a policy issue.
The most extreme way to deal with it is to “eliminate ” popular attractions – coincidentally, the authorities of Kawaguchiko recently erected a 20-meter-long and 2.5-meter-high“ black curtain ” in front of Lawson to drive away tourists who came to take photos.
The reason why the authorities have to take extreme measures is that management alone can not prevent tourists from rushing out of the road, which is actually to "play the spot".
In addition, there are more and more tourist cities and hotspots charging tourists "admission fees" or "admission fees", but this method can not play a large role.
In Venice, for example, the city has been charging a 5 euro entry fee (about HK $42) to “overnight ” travelers since last month.
However, these fees simply cannot curb the huge demand for tourists, and the revenue is mainly used as a financial source to cope with "excessive travel", which can only cure the symptoms, not the root cause.
The Real Meaning of “Travel Everywhere ”
At this point, some people may point out that the above problems will only become problems if we succeed in attracting tourists to Hong Kong; what we have to focus on is how to get more people to come to Hong Kong.
However, how much tourism can bring to a city depends on the management and policies of the city, not on the remedial measures that can be taken.
Although the share of tourism industry in Hong Kong's economy is far less than that of the "tourist city" mentioned above, Hong Kong can't wait to see that other places are looking for countermeasures for the "tourism nuisance", and even start to turn to attack, redefine the tourism industry from the planning level and actively promote tourist education.
In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for example, the government announced last month that it would ban new hotels and limit the number of cruise ships to return the city to a livable and tourism-friendly city. In Kamakura, Japan, people are no longer concentrated at certain points by decentralizing transportation (such as the launch of electric tricycle rental business) and proactively promoting multiple circumnavigation routes (such as the travel routes at 13 locations of Kamakura Shogunate).
The main disadvantage of post-event remediation is that the difficulty and cost of solving the problem are greatly increased, which will also affect the experience of tourists. More than 10 years ago, the North District of Hong Kong also experienced a pharmacy every few steps, and the situation of residents in the North District driving out water consignors on their own, which hurt the feelings of the people of the two places.
In particular, there are many policy issues that can be foreseen in advance, and we do not have to go through them personally before we know what the problem is (for example, the legal problems faced by cleaners under the garbage levy will not be known until the moment of trial).
Since there is a great deal of experience and policy measures in various places to refer to, the “Special Class ” must also strike a balance between tourism and city operations when formulating tourist routes and supporting packages, otherwise the attraction will only lead to losses. After the city of Kamakura solved the problem of overcrowding of tourists, the tourism industry representative of Kanagawa Prefecture (that is, the seat of Kamakura City) pointed out:“ Attraction is not tourism. ” The amount of time it takes to win is certainly not appropriate.
“Travel Everywhere ” is not just about adding tourist attractions, but promoting quality tourism in a more nuanced and proactive way to avoid problems.
The author is a public policy consultant.
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Overtourism in places like Ibiza pushes up rent and mortgage costs, displacing local tenants for holiday rentals.

Title:

Content: British tourists warned European island 'doesn't have enough locals left to run things'

Ibiza is the latest holiday hotspot in Spain where anger with overtourism is boiling over.

By Alice Scarsi, World News Reporter

Ibiza welcomes around three million tourists every year (Image: GETTY)

The cost of rents and mortgages, which activists say is being pushed up by over-tourism, is prompting people to leave Ibiza, one of the most popular Balearic Islands.

This, in turn, is harming public services, as there aren't enough people available to work in them, it has been claimed.

Iván Fidalgo, a Guardia Civil officer and local coordinator for the Spanish Association of Civil Guards, told Euronews Travel: "They sell Ibiza as a first-class resort, but it is not because it doesn’t even have the public services because there are not enough people to work in them."

Many of the locals who don't leave the island are forced to leave in cramped accommodations or relocate in caravans, campaigners have claimed.

Ibiza attracts on average three million tourists a year, some 800,000 of which are Britons.

Tourism is an industry important to the economy of the island (Image: GETTY)

In 2023, the Balearics as a whole saw an unprecedented surge of international interest, attracting 14.4 million visitors from abroad - who spent collectively £14.75bn (€17.22bn).

Tourism is a majorly important industry for the archipelago, creating 200,000 jobs locally and generating 45 percent of the islands' GDP.

However, an increased demand for temporary accommodation created by tourism reportedly means that many locals are pushed out of their homes as they are unable to afford the increasing housing costs.

Similar issues are being lamented by activists elsewhere in popular Spanish destinations - including the Canary Islands.

Last month, many of these islands including Tenerife held massive anti-overtourism protests, in which they demanded local governments to limit the number of visitors and curb the development of tourist stays.

Similar pleas were heard on Friday in Ibiza, where around a 1000 people took to the streets of the island's capital to demand limits on the number of tourist arrivals.

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Ibiza's public services are suffering and locals are struggling with unaffordable housing, forcing some to live in cramped conditions or relocate.

Overtourism can cause environmental problems like air pollution and water consumption that affect local residents.

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“Let the tourists go home! ” – Over-sightseeing is overwhelming the residents of Europe ’ s popular cities
Lisa Stüve
14 July 2024
Many of Europe ’ s holiday destinations are expected to see record numbers of visitors this summer.
However, local residents were deeply troubled by the development of mass tourism and took to the streets to protest.
Is there a solution?
Https: / / p.dw.com / p / 4iD5I
In many of Europe's most popular tourist cities, residents began to protest against the influx of tourists.
Venice is one of them, the local residents are plagued by tourism, the city's housing prices are rising, and the number of available housing is decreasing.
Venice ’ s Old Town also has a resident population of less than 49,000, compared to an estimated 20 million tourists visiting Venice each year.
Europe has the most visitors from all over the world, and Venice isn ’ t the only city to suffer from a surge in visitors.
In Barcelona and other tourist cities in Spain, there are increasing reports of local residents protesting against tourists.
In Lisbon, Prague and Amsterdam, large-scale tourism has led to growing tensions between tourists and locals.
Residents everywhere protested for the same reasons: rising rents, soaring property prices, and problems with access to resources.
Tourism is one of the economic sources
The EU estimates that tourism accounts for about 10 per cent of the economy's total output.
About 12.3 million people are employed in the industry.
“But these are just abstract numbers, ” says Sebastian Zenker, a tourism researcher at Copenhagen Business School.
He pointed out that if rents rise at the same time, property prices exceed residents' affordability, and restaurants are affordable only to tourists, then the income from tourism will not bring real benefits to local residents.
For locals, tourism development must provide them with the balance they feel – that is, liveability is not unduly negatively affected while benefiting from tourism.
Although a large number of people are employed in the tourism industry, "only a few have a good income or can make a living from it," Zeng said in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
He said low wages were a problem.
In Italy, where there is no legal minimum wage, the minimum hourly wage is 4.85 euros in Portugal and 6.87 euros in Spain.
Big tourist tax
Where did all the money go?
Paul Peeters, who studies sustainable tourism and transportation at the University of Breda in the Netherlands, says the money is mostly going to the airline industry, large hotel chains, international companies and cruise lines.
When calculating the flow of tourism, the choice of travel mode is crucial. Cruise tourists eat and drink on board, and passengers who order through large travel agencies usually sell their tickets, hotels, and meals in packages, which tend to spend less locally.
But at the same time, the arrival of tourists brings with it air pollution and water consumption – all at the expense of local residents.
This sense of imbalance has further exacerbated tensions between locals and tourists.
All stakeholders in the tourism industry understand that they need tourists, and the question is how to develop tourism and what kind of tourism to develop.
Copenhagen tourism researcher Zeng Ke said.
Restrictive marketing, rules and bans
The first policies are in place.
For example, new hotels are no longer allowed in Amsterdam.
In addition, the city is trying to control drug and party-themed tourism through targeted restrictive marketing measures.
“De-marketing ” refers to advertising strategies designed to reduce the demand for a product from a specific target group – for example, the city of Amsterdam.
In Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca, the housing market has long been disconnected from the needs of residents and economic realities.
Response: No new rental licenses will be issued to online short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb.
Mallorca has set a time limit for tourist rental housing.
Barcelona has taken a more radical step: the city ’ s 10,000 vacation apartment permits for tourists are set to expire in 2028.
The move aims to reduce pressure on the housing market.
Rents in Barcelona have risen by more than 60% in the past decade.
In addition, there will be further restrictions on the scope of cruise activities or additional charges.
From 2021, Venice will no longer allow large cruise ships to sail into its waters in its historic center.
Amsterdam plans to adopt a similar measure in 2026.
This will not only reduce the number of tourists, but also reduce air pollution.
Are tourists bad too?
Similar to Amsterdam, Mallorca wants to shake off the image of a party city.
They hope to reduce the overall number of tourists, and will be more willing to accept those who can afford to spend.
This is known in industry jargon as “high quality tourism ”.
But is this the solution to the problem?
“It ’ s not, ” says Macià Blázquez-Salom, a geography professor and activist.
He is also a resident of Mallorca.
He believes that excessive emphasis on “luxury tourism ” will only exacerbate inequality.
“‘ Party tours ’ and ‘ beach tours ’ are often limited to specific areas and operate on a scale and standardised basis similar to factory production lines, ” Blasker-Salon told Deutsche Welle.
Its immediate impact is often limited to a small part of the city.
In contrast, tourists with high spending power typically have higher demand, consume more water, tend to travel more excursions, and generally have the financial means to purchase property.
“This will further promote gentrification (Gentrifizierung) and with it the possibility of real estate speculation, ” explains Blaske Salon.
"This type of visitor will have a direct impact on the lives of all the residents," the statement said.
Making tourism sustainable
The tourism industry is still largely driven by pure data growth and is delighted with the growing number of visitors each year.
But for residents of places like Barcelona, Venice and Mallorca, further growth is no longer an acceptable option.
Is there a solution?
Peters says keeping visitor numbers within the limits of what cities and communities can afford or as a way to do it.
He said that ecological and social factors should be taken into account when formulating tourism development strategies and management measures.
For tourism to be sustainable, agreements must be reached with airlines, ports and airport operators, which are often driven by overcapacity – that is, by expanding growth.
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The tourism industry often creates low-paying jobs that fail to provide a living wage.

Tourism supports 40% of employment in the Canary Islands, but creates inequalities and fails to distribute wealth effectively among locals.

Title:

Content: Today, on April 20, 2024, the Canary Islands are witnessing a widespread protest aimed at challenging the current development model heavily reliant on tourism. This significant event is set to occur simultaneously across all eight islands of the archipelago, as well as in various cities internationally including Málaga, Granada, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, London, and Berlin. The protests are unified under the slogan “The Canary Islands have a limit.”

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The protest aims to reshape the development strategy on the islands, highlighting concerns about the tourism sector’s role in economic disparity and resource consumption. Despite tourism supporting approximately 40% of employment and being a primary contributor to the GDP, it’s also associated with creating inequalities and not distributing wealth effectively among the local population. This is exemplified by the Canary Islands recording their highest tourist numbers alongside their highest poverty rates in both 2017 and 2023.

Organizers clarify that the intent is not to expel tourists or eliminate the industry but to implement limits and conditions, and address governance that prioritizes economic gains over broader interests. Key issues fueling the protests include:

  1. Low Wages and High Poverty Rates: The Canary Islands have some of Spain’s lowest salaries and a significant poverty rate, affecting over 33% of the population. The islands have experienced rapid population growth, particularly in Tenerife and Fuerteventura, exacerbating these issues.
  2. Environmental and Infrastructure Concerns: Despite having numerous protected spaces, the islands face challenges such as insufficient protection agents and underdeveloped infrastructure in health, education, and sanitation. Notably, several islands struggle with untreated wastewater being discharged into the sea.
  3. Housing and Over-Tourism: The spread of holiday homes has dispersed tourists across the islands, impacting local communities by driving up rental prices and displacing residents. This issue is compounded by the government’s initiatives to attract digital nomads, further straining the housing market.
  4. Legal and Regulatory Challenges: Recent government stances on controversial tourism projects, like those on La Tejita beach and Cuna del Alma in Tenerife, have sparked outrage for perceived favoritism towards developers despite legal infractions.

The protest is seen as a venting mechanism for accumulated frustrations with the aim to initiate significant changes in how the islands develop and manage tourism. Proposals include imposing a tourist tax to fund environmental conservation, enacting a moratorium on new tourist accommodations, and establishing residence laws to curb speculative real estate purchases by non-residents.

This protest is part of a broader call to reconsider the islands’ economic models, prioritizing sustainability and equitable growth over mere economic output. This event might mark the beginning of a significant shift in policy and public discourse around tourism and development in the Canary Islands.

The Canary Islands are on track to set a new historical record for tourist arrivals in 2024, continuing a trend of increasing numbers which began in earnest following the pandemic. With official estimates indicating a potential total of around 17 million visitors for the year, this surpasses the previous high of 16.2 million in 2023. These figures are bolstered by a significant recovery in tourism since the slowdown during the COVID-19 years of 2020 and 2021.

This surge in tourism is seen as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it signifies a robust recovery and a boon for the local economy, driven by both foreign and domestic visitors. On the other, it underscores the challenges and pressures faced by the islands, particularly in terms of infrastructure, local community impact, and environmental sustainability. This has led to today’s widespread protests across the Canary Islands under the campaign “Canarias tiene un límite” (The Canary Islands have a limit), highlighting concerns over the sustainability of this growth model.

The protests reflect broader anxieties about the direction of tourism development, which, despite its economic benefits, is perceived to exacerbate local issues such as high poverty rates, environmental degradation, and the displacement of local communities due to rising housing costs. These concerns are amplified by predictions that the influx of tourists may continue to grow, particularly with the diversion of tourists from Eastern Mediterranean destinations affected by geopolitical tensions, such as the conflict in Gaza.

In response to these pressures, there is a growing call for more responsible tourism practices. Organizations like Exceltur advocate for strategies that alleviate the saturation of local spaces and services, promote more sustainable transportation options, and address the social impacts of tourism. This includes managing the explosive growth of vacation rentals, which have significant negative externalities on local residents.

The protests and the ongoing discourse represent a critical juncture for the Canary Islands, as the community seeks to balance the economic advantages of tourism with the need for sustainable development and equitable growth. The outcome of these discussions and the ability of the islands to adapt to these challenges will likely shape the future of tourism and community life in the archipelago.

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Developing tourism infrastructure can improve interregional connections, but may also lead to overtourism.

Title:

Content: Speech Gezaghebber tijdens congres IUCN sept 2021

Ladies and Gentlemen,

What a fantastic initiative by The International Union for Conservation of Nature to organize a conference like this every four years, where political leaders, policy makers, scientists, entrepreneurs and conservationists from around the world come together to discuss the importance of nature conservation.

As Island Governor of Bonaire, I am proud that my island can contribute to this program. Bonaire measures less than 300 square kilometers and has fewer than 22,000 inhabitants. We have been a special municipality of the Netherlands since 2010. Today is an official holiday for us, Dia di Boneiru, this is the day we celebrate the discovery of our island in 1499. Unfortunately I will have to miss the festivities, but on the other hand, it is also a very suitable day to speak to you about just how special Bonaire is.

Bonaire has been richly endowed by nature. Together with our Caribbean sister islands, we are the most biodiverse part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. As small as we are, we are home to multiple ecosystems. In addition to our worldfamous coral reefs, we also have mangrove forests, sea grass beds, brine lakes and tropical dry forest. These systems are home to a huge variety of animals, from sea turtles and flamingos to iguanas and bats.

For now… I must add, because from the perspective of many animal species, the threats they are facing are literally as large as life. The ’30×30 initiative’ to make sure that at least 30% of all terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the world will be legally protected by 2030 is therefore an absolute necessity. I hope that all countries will do everything in their power to meet that standard in no later than 9 years.

Ladies and gentlemen, laws and regulations alone will not save the planet. It’s excellent that so many professionals who have a warm heart for nature are gathered here in Marseille, but that by itself is not enough. In order to turn the tide, we must also convince those other 7 billion and more people, who are not present here, that we really have to change our attitude towards our earth and specifically towards nature.

We have to make sure that it becomes part of the DNA of the entire world population. Let Bonaire be a source of inspiration to this end. Bonaire may be a tiny speck in the Caribbean Sea, but we don’t feel too small for big ambitions when it comes to nature conservation. Beginning with our earliest ancestors, our people have always lived with nature and have learned to respect it. We grow up with nature and it has become an integral part of our genetic makeup from generation to generation.

This explains why we were one of the first islands in the Caribbean to take active measures to protect nature. In 1969 we started to protect all sea turtles. That year we also designated several former colonial-era plantations as Washington Slagbaai National Park. In 1979 we declared all reefs around the island a protected area, which became the Bonaire National Marine Park.

All in all, our nature reserves cover more than 30% of our island. So when it comes to the 30×30 initiative, we have already done our duty. But we are not going to sit back and just watch the rest of the world while they reach that same standard.

Because, I must admit that on Bonaire nature is still under pressure. Wastewater threatens the fragile corals in our marine park. The plastic that is brought to us by the oceans threatens the lives of the sea turtles that lay their eggs on our beaches.

And then there are the effects of climate change that will have disastrous consequences for our nature if we do not take drastic measures. I am more concerned about this than about the risk that we will not be able to keep our feet dry due to the predicted rise in sea level. After all, the Dutch know how to handle a rising sea… Together we can ensure that global warming is slowed down and, preferably, halted.

Bonaire can’t just blame climate change for the pressure on our island’s nature, as it is also partly due to tourism. As such, we are happy that people like to visit our island, because this contributes to our prosperity and thus the well-being of our population. It also generates income, which we may use to protect nature.

A few years ago we realized that we needed to shift the focus of tourism from quantity to quality. Not more and more tourists, but different tourists: tourists who will come to Bonaire not only to lie on the beach in the sun, but also to appreciate our unique nature. In the context of the transition from mass to quality tourism, we also chose to adjust the number of cruise ships to be more in keeping with what our island is able to accommodate. This may initially cost us some income, but continuing as we have done previously will ultimately turn out to be much more expensive.

I dare say that on Bonaire we were already working on sustainability long before the word was commonly established. We have translated it into what we call the Blue Destination concept. This sets out the ambition to realize a circular economy. Companies including hotels are encouraged to pursue an active sustainability policy; a ban on single-use plastics will soon be introduced; we strive for a society without waste; we have banned components of sunscreen that are harmful to coral; our energy company plans to make electricity production 80% greener within two years; we will actively encourage electric transport, both on land, in the air and on the water. And last but not least, we are considering bringing new areas of natural value under legal protection.

One of the challenges we face, however, protecting our nature is stray goats. We have 30,000 of those on the island. They literally eat up nature and by doing so cause erosion. This is why the island government is actively trying to solve the problem and we are taking the first steps in this direction in Washington Slagbaai Park. One of our biologists, Roxanne Francisca, will tell you more about this shortly.

Protecting nature is hard work, but sometimes it comes naturally. Nature may also emerge by accident. Since 2011 we have had a waste water treatment plant, which was funded by the EU. This is the first big step towards solving the problem of waste water on the island. The recovery of our coral reefs depends on it. The purified wastewater is made available to our farmers, but at the moment the amount of treated water exceeds demand, so the surplus of gray water is pumped away to a remote corner of the site.

And behind the scenes, a wetland has formed in just a few years, which turned out to be a great habitat for birds. There are even species we have not seen on Bonaire before. Currently we are looking at how to protect this area in such a way that it will remain accessible to bird watchers and scientific research.

In my opinion, this accessibility – in an ecologically responsible way of course – is vital because it causes the public to support investment in nature conservation. This would not be possible should we put nature entirely under lock and key. Our marine park is an example of how the protection of corals goes hand in hand with diving tourism. The fee that divers pay is used to fund a coral restoration program.

We do all these things in collaboration with a number of committed organizations, such as Stinapa and the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA), which are achieving great successes on Bonaire. They will also be addressing you today and I am proud of the program they have organized for you.

You may think: that little island of Bonaire has nailed it, but you will not hear me say that. Okay, we’re well on our way, but our goal is still a long way off. And let’s be honest, we cannot do it alone. Within the small community that we are, we do not have all the necessary expertise, the power to implement and the financial resources to realize our mission of becoming a Blue Destination. This is why I would like to invite you to visit me later or to e-mail me so we can discuss this further.

And to those who want to see it before they believe it, I say:
you are more than welcome to come and visit Bonaire.

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Connie Mudore: What footprints do we, as tourists, leave behind?

Like most tourists, I'd come to a tropical paradise without thinking about environmental problems caused by mass tourism. With tourists gone due to COVID, endangered species' outlook had brightened.

When COVID broke out, I was an expat living in northern Thailand. In 2020, and most of 2021, the country had no access to COVID vaccines. The Thai government shut its borders to prevent the spread of disease. Most foreigners were locked out of Thailand. I was locked in.

Thailand's shutdown of international tourism reduced the spread of COVID and was good for the natural environment. Local media reported that endangered animals were returning to coastal areas. Unfortunately, the Thai economy is heavily dependent upon international tourism. For the Thai people, the shutdown was a financial disaster.

The government launched a program to boost domestic travel and offset the money lost from international tourists. It allocated $640 million to make flights and hotels within Thailand available at a deep discount. It was a chance for Thais to travel to stunning spots in their own country they'd never been able to afford.

Since I love to snorkel, Koh Lipe, Thailand's southernmost island, was on my bucket list. Fellow snorkelers told me the island was touristy but still had healthy coral that was home to 25% of the world's tropical fish. Now that the tourists were gone, it was prime time to go. Snorkeling in the skeletal remains of dead reefs on other trips with mobs of people had been depressing. Most islands in Thailand have damaged or dead reefs due to unmanaged tourism, coastal development, bleaching, and destructive fishing.

There were no direct flights from my home in Chiang Mai to Koh Lipe, so I flew first to sprawling Hat Yai, a city 500 miles south of Bangkok. There I took a minivan to a ferry landing. From the landing, a speedboat whisked passengers across turquoise waters to Koh Lipe. Strictly enforced COVID precautions required wearing masks and getting temperature checked in all public spaces including the boat.

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There were only a handful of passengers. The ferry rammed into waves for what felt like days but was actually only a couple of hours. By the time the boat arrived at Koh Lipe, most of the passengers were seasick. One sidecar motorbike taxi waited for customers at the landing but the driver looked at me warily. I was a foreigner who seemed ill; he asked to take my temperature. Fortunately, it was normal. Satisfied that I probably didn't have COVID, he let me climb aboard the taxi and then drove the rutted road to my hotel.

Due to the pandemic, my hotel's restaurant had cut back on the hours it was open, reduced staff, and offered a limited menu. A booking site I checked for other lodging said there were 133 hotels on Koh Lipe. Since the island is only two miles long and 1.5 miles wide, that number of hotels — even partially occupied — would mean wall-to-wall people. The thought stopped me dead in my tracks. Like most tourists, I'd come to a tropical paradise without thinking about environmental problems caused by mass tourism. With tourists gone, endangered species were now returning to their homes. Walking along the deserted beach, it struck me that while I could live without ever having been to Koh Lipe, endangered animals had no choice.

After each snorkel, on my way back to the hotel, I walked past piles of plastic bags that had washed up from the sparkling sea onto the beach and through the island's deserted walking street. Its shuttered shops and restaurants made me wonder what the locals were doing to survive.

As hoped, Koh Lipe's snorkeling was good. The reefs were mostly healthy hump coral in shades of brown with patches of pink and purple. Many types of colorful fish glided through the clear water, including a school of silver trevally that formed a giant swirling funnel. But if things continued the way they had before the pandemic, the reefs' and its inhabitants' days were numbered.

The pandemic gave Thais, and everyone else, the chance to rethink business as usual. Thais questioned whether continuing to rely on international mass tourism was a good idea. The rest of us might wonder the same. Is it necessary to destroy the planet in order to take a vacation? For the sake of our world, there has to be another way.

Connie Mudore lived abroad for over a decade. Two years ago, she and her two cats put down roots in Rochester. Originally hailing from the Midwest, Connie enjoys Rochester's small town/big city vibe.

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Content: Data Hub

How Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh turned into a tourism hub

For 14 years, Kenya has harboured an ambitious plan to establish three resort cities to strengthen its tourism sector.

Kenya’s Vision 2030 provides for the construction of Lake Turkana, Lamu and Isiolo resort cities by the turn of the decade.

A resort city or town is an urban centre where tourism or holidaying are the main components of the local economy and culture.

Such a city is designed with an efficient transport system, financial, communication and trade infrastructure. A resort city will usually have an airport or waterway, roads, hotels and restaurants, souvenir shops, banks and shopping malls.

According to Vision 2030, these grand undertakings would be financed by the private sector for Sh145 billion. They would also form part of the Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) project.

Meanwhile, the government would have to put up the necessary infrastructure as a condition for these projects.

Eight years to the deadline, however, critical works have yet to begin on these sites as government records show that all three projects are still at the planning stage.

By May this year, renovation works at Manda Airport in Lamu, for instance, were still incomplete. At the time, the works had fallen behind schedule by 10 months.

The airport was to be upgraded and its taxiway and main terminal expanded to accommodate international tourists. Today, there is still no designated parking lot for aircraft at the airport.

At the current sluggish pace, meeting the 2030 deadline remains a pipedream.

Kenya, though, has many lessons to learn from Sharm-el-Sheikh, the Egyptian resort city in the Sinai Peninsula.

When the city was selected to host this year’s UN global climate conference, COP27, it was a celebration of its tremendous transformation from a nondescript town to one of the Middle East’s cultural and financial centres.

Only 60 years ago, this municipality south of Mount Sinai was a bare, sun-scorched and windswept outpost with little promise.

Today, Sharm-el-Sheikh, or simply Sharm, is a thriving trade, tourism and cultural hub that earns Egypt millions of dollars in revenue every year.

Its quaint white sandy beaches are always teeming with tourists, lounging in sunbeds, swimming or parasailing. According to the travel website wikitravel.org, the English alone account for 9,000 visitors here daily.

Agriculture, trade at the Suez Canal and tourism are the key pillars of Egypt’s economy, currently valued at $404 billion, according to World Bank estimates.

Sharm-el-Sheikh is at the heart of this equation, providing a lifeline to the predominantly desert country.

So, what did Sharm-el-Sheikh get right and what lessons can Kenya pick as it develops its resort cities?

In the last 20 years, organised development, heavy investment in infrastructure, aggressive promotion and a thriving hospitality industry have seen Sharm’s fortune turn a corner.

For three decades now, Egypt has embarked on relentless development of infrastructure in this city, putting up dual carriage roads, and water and power connections. Mass transport

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Content: 'Nuisance must be checked': Tourists chided over carelessness around Ladakh lakes; video goes viral

The 23-second clip shows unruly behaviour by the tourists. It showcases several drone shots of the SUV speeding around the lake in a zigzag pattern

FP Trending Last Updated:July 10, 2023 18:11:32 IST

Representational image. News18

With the soaring temperatures, tourists are looking for cool places to spend quality time. This is, however, brought up without considering the environmental consequences. In light of a similar incident, a 23-second clip from Ladakh has become viral. In the video, a black SUV moving at breakneck speed makes patterns at one of Ladakh’s sensitive Ramsar sites.

An intergovernmental treaty born in 1971, the Ramsar Convention provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the protection and conservation of wetlands and their resources.

The post was shared on Twitter by Mofussil_Medic, known as @Daak_Saab. It has garnered over 73,000 views. The clip shows various drone shots of the heavy vehicle speeding around the lake in a zigzag pattern. The user also shared how tourists’ unruly behaviour is becoming unmanageable over the years. Pointing towards the significance of the otherwise visibly ‘barren’ land, he expressed that such people need to be ‘named, booked and shamed.’

Check out the post:

Check out some of the comments below:

Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer-turned-conservationist Parveen Kaswan acknowledged the matter. He re-tweeted the post and captioned it: “This kind of nuisance must be checked.”

One user wrote: “When you promote tourism excessively in eco-sensitive zones, this is bound to happen.”

To which Mofussil replied: “Agreed to an extent. But tourism is the mainstay of Ladakh’s livelihood today. Instead of entirely doing away with it, ways and means to do it with minimal harm need to be found and implemented.”

Several users commented on the IFS officer’s post. Check out the comments:

“Do they even know that the people of Ladakh treat lakes with reverence and respect; some of them indeed have religious significance owing to their Buddhist beliefs. I am completely shocked at their irresponsible and condemnable behavior. Such people should be exposed naked,” suggested a user.

Another user, also an IFS officer, wrote: “Officers in charge of the Ramsar site. Please respond to such irresponsible tourism and institutionalize preventive actions on the ground.”

“Such disregard for nature,” said a third.

Amongst various Ramsar sites in India are Tso Kar and Tso Moriri, located in Ladakh. The ramsar tag makes it important to preserve the lake area with minimal human interference.

However, it is not the first time this has happened. In the past, a group of tourists drove their car through the PangongPso lake in Ladakh, leaving internet users angry.

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Content: Tourist Surge in Manali: Rohtang Pass Permits Fully Booked Until June 28; Over 11,000 Tourist Vehicles Flood Manali

Manali – The serene town of Manali is currently experiencing an unprecedented influx of tourists, resulting in a complete booking of permits for the iconic Rohtang Pass until June 28. Over the past three days, more than 11,000 tourist vehicles have made their way to Manali, causing significant crowding in the region’s most popular spots, including the ecologically sensitive Rohtang, Shinkula, Baralacha, and Chandratal.

Snow-covered mountains across these high-altitude areas, further fueling the tourist rush. Rohtang Pass, a major draw for visitors, saw continuous streams of tourist vehicles from 4 AM to noon. All permits to visit Rohtang have been pre-booked, underscoring the intense demand to experience this breathtaking location.

The influx of vehicles has been staggering. Data shows that 2,942 tourist vehicles arrived in Manali from other states on Wednesday, followed by 3,120 on Thursday, 3,130 on Friday, and about 3,400 on Saturday. In addition, more than 15,000 vehicles from various tourist spots within the state have converged in Manali over the same period. The result is a bustling town and jam-packed tourist spots.

The neighbouring areas of Jispa and Sarchu in Lahaul are also witnessing increased tourist activity. SDM Manali Raman Sharma confirmed that over 300 tourist vehicles headed towards Shinkula and another 300 towards Baralacha and Sarchu. Chandratal Lake, a favoured destination for Spiti-bound tourists, has also seen a substantial number of visitors. According to SP Lahaul-Spiti Mayank Chaudhary, all tourist destinations in the district are currently crowded.

However, this surge in tourism has raised significant environmental concerns. The high-altitude regions of Rohtang and others are ecologically fragile. The massive influx of tourists and vehicles poses a severe threat to these delicate ecosystems. Vehicles are a primary source of pollution, which can contaminate water bodies and disturb the ecological balance.

Local authorities face the challenging task of managing this tourist boom while ensuring the preservation of Manali’s natural beauty and ecological health. The current situation highlights the urgent need for sustainable tourism practices to protect these vulnerable environments. As Manali continues to attract visitors from all over, striking a balance between economic benefits and environmental preservation remains crucial.

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The day of environmental debt in 2022 will come on Earth July 28
The day of ecological debt, when humanity will spend resources that the Earth can restore in a year, will come in 2022 on July 28, a day earlier than in 2021, the press service of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported on Sunday.
Photo: TASSTASS
As explained in the fund, the day of environmental debt comes when the resources that the planet is able to recreate in a year, run out, and we begin to “borrow ” from future generations.
Every day, humanity cuts down 27 thousand hectares of forest, emits 90.4 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, sends up to 5.5 million tons of garbage to a landfill.
In order not to face catastrophic consequences in the future and reduce the ecological footprint, environmentalists called for a conscious and careful attitude to nature and its riches - to save water, electricity, not to buy excess, to monitor eco-labels on goods, as well as to behave responsibly in nature.
Video of the day
In 2022, the day humanity begins to borrow resources from the planet will come on July 28, a day earlier than in 2021.
This year, WWF launches a traditional campaign dedicated to the day of environmental debt, in anticipation of the tourist season.
The theme of the event is eco-tourism.
The Foundation will tell that responsible consumption is not only about saving resources and “right ” purchases, but also our behavior while traveling in nature.
As noted in the Fund, today domestic tourism is especially popular, including in nature reserves and national parks of Russia.
Nature lovers began to travel more to the most remote corners of the country, but entrepreneurs and national parks, which are engaged in receiving tourists, were not ready for a significant increase in the flow.
As the infrastructure was designed for fewer people, threats to wild animals and plants arose.
Ecology and tourism
"In pursuit of trends, representatives of the tourism industry began to often use the prefix" eco "in the description of their services.
Often they do not have sufficient grounds for this, and real harm is done to nature.
If tourism with visits to wildlife is organized in bad faith, then the landscape is destroyed, the balance of the ecosystem is disturbed, animals are disturbed, nature is polluted.
It would seem that in this case the easiest way is to ban visits to natural areas altogether.
But there is another, more constructive way in which we contribute to the multiplication of the country's natural resources - ecotourism.
Within the framework of the campaign "Eco-Debt Day - 2022", we talk about how mass tourism can bring not only joy to travelers, but also benefit nature, "said the director of WWF Russia, whose words are quoted in the message.
Calculation of the date of the day of environmental debt is carried out by an international organization - the Global Ecological Footprint Network (GFN).
Its experts compare the rate of human consumption of biological resources (human ecological footprint) with the ability of the planet to recover.
The earlier the day of eco-debt comes, the greater the debt to the planet and future generations, and vice versa, the closer to the end of the year the date shifts, the less debt.
In 2020, the day of eco-debt came on August 22, and in 2019 - on July 29.

Mass tourism accounts for around 8% of global emissions.

Title:

Content: Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
I'm sorry.
Mohamad Elbaz
Editor-in-Chief
Wael Lotfy
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
I'm sorry.
Mohamad Elbaz
Editor-in-Chief
Wael Lotfy
The Guardian: Tourism contributes significantly to the climate crisis
It is a terrible paradox of the climate crisis that some of the most beautiful – and popular – places in the world are also the most vulnerable, especially as most of them have poor infrastructure, which means that with rising temperatures, increasing weather extremes, drying up water sources and the death of natural habitats, these places face another devastating loss, especially tourists.
Tourism contributes significantly to the climate crisis – around 8% of global emissions – and hordes of visitors cause many problems, including excessive development and degradation of natural areas.
The revenue generated by tourists can bring enormous economic benefits to these destinations, and many do not own other forms of industry or otherwise rely on extractive industries such as mining or logging.
She added that tourism can also spread awareness of environmental problems, such as bleaching coral reefs or endangered animal species, and provide funding for conservation efforts.
This complex relationship was highlighted during the coronavirus outbreak, when tourism stopped, carbon emissions dropped, wildlife flourished, and leatherback turtles in Thailand laid the largest number of eggs in two decades, but all this has come at a cost, with the global tourism industry taking a heavy toll, triggering an emergency in developing countries, families struggling to find food, illegal logging in some places has increased, and overfishing has increased.
As the rebuilding of tourism begins, it has become impossible to ignore that the future of the industry is inextricably linked to the climate crisis.
Instead of becoming a major cause of the climate crisis, tourism can be used to raise awareness, increase tourism resources and improve infrastructure.

Fragile ecosystems are vulnerable to mass tourism's impacts, including overdevelopment and degradation of natural areas.

Investing in infrastructure and promoting eco-tourism and cultural tourism can help reduce overtourism's economic consequences.

Title:

Content: Making news

Con Dao set to become world-class eco-tourism destination by 2045

The province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has set a goal of developing Con Dao into a world-class eco-tourism destination by 2045, heard a seminar held by the provincial People's Committee on October 6.
  Con Dao is known for its beautiful maritime ecosystem and coral reefs.

Under the Con Dao development project till 2030 with a vision to 2045, Con Dao is expected to become an area that preserves special national relic sites, forest and marine ecosystems while fulfilling important missions related to national defence and security.

Speaking at the event, Associate Prof. and Director of the Institute for Circular Economy Development Nguyen Hong Quan pointed out that Con Dao is facing various issues such as waste management, water scarcity, and the risk of ecological degradation due to economic activities and climate change. Transitioning to a circular economy model is an inevitable trend that could meet requirements for socio-economic development.

Associate Prof. Nguyen Thi Van Hanh, from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities under the Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, suggested that Con Dao’s tourism development should be accompanied by the protection of its environment and unique cultural heritage. A sustainable approach to local tourism must rely on close collaboration between local authorities and community, tourism sector and tourists.

Delegates also proposed specific suggestions such as designing eco-tourism products that minimise plastic consumption. They also suggested creating healing and self-help tourism products, such as meditation and yoga retreats, and the development of volunteer tours, building hotels and resorts that use renewable energy, and education tours for students to learn about marine life, marine ecosystems, and conservation issues.

Con Dao is an island located in the southern part of the East Sea, belonging to Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. It consists of 16 large and small islets, with a total land area of around 75.78 sq.km and a marine area of roughly 140 sq.km within Con Dao National Park./.

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Applying circular economy principles to tourism can minimize waste and promote sustainable development.

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Content: European Tourism Data Sharing: Opportunities and Challenges

Cultivating Europe's Tourism Potential: A Journey towards a Common Data Space. Image: Shutterstock/ Mopic

TOURISM is a significant economic driver for the European Union, contributing to GDP, job creation, and cultural exchange. In recent years, data-driven technologies and digitalisation have transformed various sectors, including tourism. To harness the full potential of data in the tourism industry, the European Commission is taking proactive steps toward establishing a Common European Data Space for Tourism which was introduced by the European Commission at the end of July. This ambitious initiative aims to facilitate data sharing, interoperability, and collaboration among stakeholders to drive innovation, sustainability, and growth in the tourism ecosystem. In this article, we will delve into the key elements, objectives, and challenges surrounding this data space, followed by a discussion on the pros and cons of its implementation.

The Objectives of the Common European Data Space for Tourism

The primary objectives of the Common European Data Space for Tourism are to foster innovation, support data-driven decision-making for sustainability, enhance services and offers, and facilitate better access to data sources for producing statistical information. The tourism sector faces specific challenges related to data sharing, such as interoperability, access to data, and the provision of data by public and private stakeholders. To address these challenges, the data space aims to establish technical standards, governance models, and incentives to encourage data sharing among stakeholders.

The Key Enablers of the Data Space

The success of the data space hinges on several key enablers, including interoperability, data control, governance, technical data infrastructure, openness, and cybersecurity. Interoperability is crucial as the tourism sector draws data from various domains and sectors. The data space aims to ensure that data can be accessed, shared, and used in a lawful, transparent, and non-discriminatory manner. Technical standards and a governance model are being developed to guide data-sharing agreements and ensure compliance with EU rules and values.

The Role of the Private Sector

The private sector, including businesses and data intermediaries, plays a vital role in the success of the data space. Many platforms are already voluntarily sharing their accommodation data with Eurostat for producing European statistics. The European Commission supports non-personal data-sharing agreements initiated by the private sector and encourages the use of user-friendly tools for SMEs and destinations. The Code of Conduct for data sharing in tourism, developed by private stakeholders with Commission support, fosters trust and provides guidance for data sharing agreements.

Support for SMEs and Destinations

The European Commission is committed to supporting SMEs and destinations in transitioning to data space. Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) and the European Enterprise Network (EEN) offer technical expertise, financing advice, and skills development to SMEs. Meanwhile, the EU Competence Centre will support destinations in implementing data-driven management strategies. The Commission emphasises the importance of tailoring the data space to local specificities and requirements.

The Testing Phase and Future Prospects

The European Commission plans to initiate a case to test the enablers of the tourism data space and gather valuable feedback from stakeholders. Member States will explore the possibility of setting up an EDIC to manage the data space, and additional funding under the Digital Europe Programme will be allocated for its development. By 2025, the data space is expected to integrate unique identifiers, semantic rules, and technical interoperability standards to support data sharing across the EU.

Pros of the Common European Data Space for Tourism:

Innovation and Growth: The data space will encourage innovation and foster the development of new services and offerings, leading to growth in the tourism sector.

Sustainability: Data-driven decision-making will enable authorities and destinations to manage tourism flows sustainably, reducing environmental and social impacts.

Enhanced Data Access: SMEs and smaller destinations will have improved access to diverse data sources, levelling the playing field and promoting inclusivity.

Better Statistical Information: The data space will enhance the availability of data sources for producing statistical information, facilitating evidence-based policy-making.

Collaboration and Synergy: The collaboration between public and private stakeholders will create synergies and maximize the benefits of data sharing.

Cons of the Common European Data Space for Tourism:

Data Privacy Concerns: Data sharing may raise privacy concerns, and stakeholders must ensure compliance with GDPR and data protection regulations.

Technical and Implementation Challenges: Establishing technical standards and ensuring seamless data interoperability across different systems can be complex and time-consuming.

Cost and Resource Requirements: Building and maintaining the data space infrastructure may require significant investment and resources.

Lack of Participation: The success of the data space depends on active participation from all stakeholders, and some may be hesitant to share data due to competitive reasons or other concerns.

The Common European Data Space for Tourism is a visionary initiative that holds great promise for the European tourism industry. By fostering innovation, sustainability, and collaboration, it has the potential to transform the sector and improve services for tourists and stakeholders alike. While challenges exist, the commitment of the European Commission and the active engagement of all relevant actors can lead to the successful development of the data space, shaping the future of tourism in Europe.

Click here for the full communication from the commission

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Title:

Content: “Don ’ t worry, if you ’ re in a hurry. ”
A clear prophetic call that revolves around the idea of modern sustainability.
This approach paves the way for a thought that combats waste in all its forms.
In our time, the concept of a circular economy has emerged, which seeks to eliminate waste in all its forms in the hope of sustaining our natural resources.
Therefore, the fever of replacing plastic with natural materials such as wood or what can be degraded or recycled has risen in all sectors such as hotels, restaurants and public utilities.
To achieve this, we need more efficient methods of producing goods as well as how they are used.
For example, the circular economy seeks to reuse products more than once, take advantage of excess capacity, reduce waste, and so on, so that we can all achieve a more sustainable lifestyle.
I once read about the first factory in the world that produces wood panels from palm waste.
I saw a video of an Emirati woman standing in a factory that remanufactures forks, spoons and wood-like knives from palm leaves.
It is a safe and sustainable alternative.
The idea of a circular economy, then, is to combat the waste and waste of a life that does not deplete the bounties of nature.
The Muslims say, “Eat and drink, and do not overindulge, for he does not like overindulgences. ”
The French say it is a “waste of time. ”
Benjamin Franklin whispers in our ears, “When the well dries up, we realize the value of water. ”
The ancient Chinese say, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The second best time is now. ”
This means that the idea of sustainability is inherent in humans but we do not practice it seriously.
If this were the case, there would be no need for the sayings of the wise, proverbs and dissuasive laws.
The circular economy aims to use as little new resources as possible, reuse what is available, and limit the decision to buy new materials to a minimum.
We are actually mimicking the laws of the universe or nature that are adapted to available conditions.
Trees, for example, feed on falling fruit and leaves, and the bushes rejoice in showers of rain that quench their thirst.
Don ’ t complain, don ’ t be arrogant, nature goes quietly by making use of available resources.
That ’ s how we created it, and that ’ s how we should preserve it.
The same goes for almost everything.
Not to overdo it without any justification, to reuse packaging products, containers and utensils, and to use solar energy, which Britain began to buy surplus homes to meet the needs of other utilities.
Energy has become a new and sustainable source of income for home-dwellers.
It is also possible to re-use the water of ablution in mosques to irrigate their crops, a proposal that I made many years ago, but which has not been heeded.
Similar to cars, there are also those who rent bicycles to reduce vehicle exhaust emissions, and lend out evening and event clothes to reduce the obsession with buying new clothes.
Food waste and organic waste are also used to produce energy.
Even buildings have volunteered to be built using recycled and environmentally friendly materials.
Old buildings can also be rehabilitated in lieu of backfilling, demolition and waste.
In Europe, we often see an ancient building, such as a post office or a historic government headquarters, that turns into a hotel, resort or supermarket chain, but retains its old façade to attract the attention of tourists and passers-by on the one hand and preserve the country ’ s heritage on the other.
This seems to be prompting an emirate like Abu Dhabi to step up its efforts on important environmental issues as it has become the new global trend, in an attempt to reduce dependence on scarce or limited natural resources.
The idea of a circular economy means that we will return to where we started without waste.
The mere feeling that we will return to the same place drives us to the economy and rational decisions.
Wastage, like walking in a straight line, will not return to the starting line.
Therefore, the individual consumes, wastes, and throws his waste into the sea because he thinks that he will not return to where he started!
The environment loves circular behavior more than our straight lines, which are not straight in anything.

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Content: Friday, 19 January 2024 11: 29 GMT
5 Tracks Jordan Should Follow to Boost a Circular Economy
(MENAFN- Alghad Newspaper) Farah Atiyat Amman - A specialized local report identified five paths Jordan needs to follow to achieve sustainable consumption and production goals and boost the circular economy.
In the report, prepared by the Ministry of Environment and in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme, and funded by the European Union, the country ’ s commitment to sustainable consumption and production provides a solid foundation, but behavioural change at all levels of society will be necessary to achieve the transition to a low-carbon and resource-efficient world.
Not only that, according to the report titled “Sustainable Consumption and Production. ”
How is Jordan becoming a circular economy? ”, a agile, flexible and innovative approach can drive the circular economy forward, at a lower cost, while addressing any challenges that may arise in the future.
Whatever path Jordan decides to follow in the coming years, it is important that environmental, economic and social concerns, especially with regard to gender equality, remain at its core, as stated in this month ’ s report.
Among the ideas and paths that can be followed to build on successes and move forward, while aligning them with national priorities; integrating resource and energy efficiency, waste reduction, and plant and animal protection, while building resilience in the tourism sector.
In Jordan, the expansion of work underway in Aqaba, especially in the tourism sector, can be seen as a way forward, with consideration being given to low-carbon ecotourism projects, which encourage water conservation, along with training on craft projects offered to women in the governorate.
The second track, identified by the report, is the promotion of the circular economy as a strong first step on the road towards more sustainable consumption and production, as it encourages reduction, reuse and recycling.
Examples include setting standards for used or remanufactured goods, making them available in public procurement regulations, allocating incentives to buy them, and supporting factories and start-ups in the production of recycled goods.
Among the sectors targeted in this step is housing and construction, for example, where a large part of the waste produced can be reused, leading to the strengthening of the circular economic model.
The third track, according to the report, is to support change in the blue economy, as there is great potential for sustainable consumption and production within the maritime sector, through the creation of more environmentally friendly ports, the integration of resource efficiency into coastal and marine management plans, and the promotion of innovative clean technology solutions.
Protecting marine biodiversity and coral reefs through the establishment of nature reserves is a way to enhance environmental well-being, while improving local livelihoods through the development of small-scale ecotourism projects.
At the national level, a road map for the blue economy could be considered to raise awareness of the sector ’ s potential and guide development in a sustainable way, the report said.
Sustainable finance and digital transformation are the fourth and fifth tracks identified by the report, as achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals the world set for itself in 2015 will require commitment and innovation.
Companies working on innovative solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, or collecting and disseminating data, statistics and knowledge, will be important steps in the transition to a more sustainable society.
For example, in Jordan, sustainable agriculture may require investment in clean technology solutions, possibly backed by green financing options for the private sector.
Smart energy grids are another way in which digital transformation can support low-carbon development, and the digital delivery of workers, who upgrade their skills for new green jobs in a range of sectors, could be considered.
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Content: x
A hut in Kerala's Kanthalloor village I Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Kerala's Kanthalloor village panchayat bags Centre's 'Gold' award for Best Rural Tourism project

Kanthalloor earned this distinction following an exhaustive eight-month evaluation of rural village projects across the nation, said the Kerala state government.

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Kanthalloor village panchayat in Idukki district has been honored with the 'Gold' award by the Centre for its outstanding Rural Tourism project. Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas hailed this achievement as a strong endorsement of the state's commitment to sustainability, according to a government statement issued on Wednesday (September 27).

The sustainable and inclusive STREET tourism project of the State Responsible Tourism Mission was successfully implemented in Kanthalloor village panchayat, the Minister said in a release issued by his department.

Kerala Tourism Director P B Nooh received the award from the Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, V Vidyavathi at a ceremony held today at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on the occasion of World Tourism Day, the release said.

STREET, which stands for 'Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic, Tourism', is implemented in selected places across Kerala, based on United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) theme 'Tourism for Inclusive Growth', it said.

Kanthalloor was selected for the honour after an eight-month-long extensive evaluation of rural village projects along the length and breadth of the country, it said.

In all, 767 projects from around the country vied for the honour and five of them won 'Gold', 10 were selected for 'Silver' and 20 for 'Bronze', the release said.

'Huge endorsement'

"This honour is a huge endorsement for Kerala’s sustainable and responsible tourism initiatives led by the Responsible Tourism Mission," Riyas said.

He said it was even more heartening that the honour was presented to Kerala on World Tourism Day, for which the theme chosen this year by the UNWTO was 'Tourism and Green Investments.' After the award was given to the state, Tourism Secretary K Biju said Kerala was a global pioneer in sustainable and inclusive tourism development and Kanthalloor is a sterling example of how well tourism should be promoted based on these ideals, the release said.

After receiving the honour, Nooh recalled that this is the latest in a series of international and national awards to be bestowed on Kerala's RT initiative, which has set a globally-appreciated model of tourism development that protects ecology, values culture and brings benefits to the local community, it said.

Located close to the famed hill station Munnar in Idukki district, Kanthalloor village was first brought in the ambit of the participatory tourism initiative 'PEPPER' before moving onto the STREET project, with the active participation of the local community and the village panchayat, the Tourism department's release said.

"Kanthalloor has the distinction of being the country’s first panchayat to implement women-friendly tourism, for which several programmes were held in collaboration with UN Women. As part of this the 'destination security' scheme was implemented and special women tour packages were drawn up," it said.

The panchayat also stands as the first rural local body to implement a tourism project utilising the plan fund, it added.

(With agency inputs)

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Digital technologies can promote sustainable tourism and reduce overtourism's environmental impacts.

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
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General Supervision
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The role of digital transformation in tourism development.
Scientific Conference at Sadat University
The activities of the First International Scientific Conference (Sustainable Scientific Research and Digital Transformation: A Future Vision for Tourism, Hospitality and Impacts) concluded yesterday, within the framework of the keenness of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, University of Sadat City to keep abreast of the global digital transformations and take advantage of the opportunities it offers in enhancing the capabilities and competitive effects of the tourism sector....
The conference shed light on the role of digital transformation in achieving sustainable tourism development, building an accurate information system on the various types of Egyptian tourism, improving the quality of the tourism product, maximizing the use of modern technology in promoting tourism and Egyptian antiquities, and improving the added value of tourism services in Egypt.
In addition, the conference was accompanied by an exhibition of sponsors and collaborators, in which a large number of experts and pioneers in the tourism and hotel sector in Egypt participated to participate through specialized workshops on possible solutions to the challenges of digital transformation in the tourism and hotel sector in Egypt.
The conference was organized under the patronage of Dr. Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Shaden Maawiya, President of the University of Sadat City, and His Excellency Major General Khaled Fouda, Governor of South Sinai, headed by Dr. Noha Azmi, Dean of the Faculty and Rapporteur of the conference Dr. Amani Refaat.
The scientific sessions of the conference included several sessions, as follows:
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation in Tourism
• Sustainability and digital transformation applications in the hospitality industry
Ancient Egyptian Antiquities and Art - Museology - Heritage
• Sustainable tourism applications
Egyptian Civilization through the Ages
• Archaeology and arts of Egypt Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic
These sessions included the holding of specialized workshops:
• Digital transformation in tourism and hotel education
• Presidential initiatives and their role in the development of tourism patterns and sustainability
In the end, the organizing committee of the conference announced reaching many recommendations, which support global digital transformations and take advantage of the opportunities it offers in enhancing the competitiveness of the tourism sector, hotels and antiquities, the most important of these recommendations.
1.
The need to benefit from the technological development in the field of tourism marketing through the adoption of information technology and its applications such as electronic storytelling and integration into the official marketing campaigns of Egypt.
2.
The state and its official tourism agencies, in cooperation with the specialized ministries, adopt basic trends for the development of Egyptian tourist destinations through the provision of advanced technological infrastructure, the development of the quality of information and communication technology in terms of the speed of information and data exchange and the quality of content.
3.
Coordination between the Ministries of Tourism and Telecommunications to adopt a set of partnerships in the field of artificial intelligence applications to develop tourism applications in order to highlight Egypt ’ s tourism image around the world.
4.
Develop modern training matrices to raise the efficiency of workers in the tourism sector in the use of modern technologies in the field of artificial intelligence in order to prepare human cadres capable of dealing with tourism applications to be exploited in advertising and promotion of tourism services.
5.
Contracting with software companies to design sustainable tourism gaming apps for tourist destinations in Egypt, ensuring increased interaction with those areas virtually, and encouraging future visits.
6.
The need for tourism and hotel education institutions in Egypt to adopt the development of academic programs and courses in line with the contemporary technological revolution and link the courses with all new technological applications such as artificial intelligence.
7.
The need for specialized research topics in the field of tourism information technology to be at the top of the priorities of the research plans in the faculties and institutes of tourism.
8.
The use of AI in the field of cultural heritage such as digital restoration, heritage preservation, reconstruction of archaeological sites, restoration of images, revival of ancient languages, preservation of antiquities in museums, communication of information to people of determination, applications of holograms in museums, drawing of museums, electronic gamification, storytelling.
9.
Adding e-modules for tourism guidance studies to save time and effort and achieve easy communication.
10.
The need to develop methods of presentation in various Egyptian museums, especially in new museums such as the Museum of Civilization to satisfy the desires of visitors.
11.
Taking care of the use of modern technological means in the field of holding Egyptian exhibitions in foreign countries to avoid the mistakes that occurred previously and resulted in damaging the Egyptian antiquities.
12.
Taking care of the archaeological sites located in the path of the journey of the Holy Family.
13.
Inclusion of tourism and archaeological sites on the Index and in future plans for sustainable development and digital transformation.
14.
Encouraging the hotel private sector in Egypt to invest in virtual tourism technologies and electronic applications to enhance Egypt ’ s image abroad.
15. 15.
The need to spread the culture of sustainability among hotel professionals in Egypt, to raise awareness of the importance of applying sustainability practices in order to reach customer satisfaction.
16.
Hotels in Egypt embrace green transformational leadership and train managers and leaders to go green.
17.
Amend employee performance appraisal systems to include some environmental standards to ensure the commitment of employees to implement them and encourage employees to put forward more initiatives and proposals to enhance the ability of hotels in preserving the environment through the adoption of a policy of green rewards and incentives.

Title:

Content: Tourism works to adapt and leverage digital technology

Vietnam is rapidly embracing technology to develop digital and smart tourism, aiming to create fresh and attractive products, lure tourists, enhance competitiveness, stimulate growth, and achieve sustainable development.

A screenshot of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism's Vietnam Travel application. (Photo: vietnamtourism.gov.vn)

According to experts, digital tourism and smart tourism both rely on the application of information technology, digital communication, and data. The Party Central Committee’s Resolution No. 52-NQ/TW dated September 27, 2019, regarding certain orientations and policies for proactive participation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has set a focus on the development of priority sectors with high readiness level, including digital tourism.

The Prime Minister has also approved an overall plan for IT application in the tourism sector for 2018-2020, with a vision to 2025, which aims to develop a smart tourism ecosystem that connects various stakeholders.

Vietnam's tourism development strategy until 2030 has set directions for accelerating the sector’s digital transformation, serving the establishment and development of a smart tourism ecosystem.

As a result, many localities such as Hanoi, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City have actively joined the development process of digital and smart tourism.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism reports that advanced and modern technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, and 360-degree imagery have been used in destination management to introduce new and impressive products that attract tourists.

Some tourist destinations in Hanoi have adopted electronic ticketing systems, such as the Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature) and Quoc Tu Giam (the first university in Vietnam) site, President Ho Chi Minh's relic site at the Presidential Palace, and Quan Thanh Temple. This technology allows tour groups to use a single electronic ticket, reducing printing costs and waste, hence bettering environmental protection.

Da Nang, meanwhile, utilises the "Da Nang Fantasticity" chatbot application, the first of its kind in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

The City Tour Hop On-Hop Off double-decker bus service in Ho Chi Minh City has applied new technology, combining digital data on transportation and tourist preferences to design suitable tour routes, sell tickets and accept payments virtually, integrate free wifi, and provide automatic multilingual narration.

Moreover, the digital platform "Google Arts and Culture - Wonders of Vietnam" has contributed to promoting the country’s outstanding cultural and heritage values, such as Son Doong Cave, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, and the Imperial City of Hue.

The Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) recently reported that over 60 percent of domestic visitors book hotels and tours online, while more than 75 percent of international tourists use these services.

At a high-level forum on digital transformation in tourism development promotion, Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung underscored a focus on smart tourism to enhance state management efficiency, make tourists the center of attention, attract more international visitors to Vietnam, and stimulate domestic tourism growth.

Experts believe that travel companies need to capture trends from research and real-life activities, offering adaptive solutions, actively promoting creativity, and increasing investment in digital transformation. They consider this the key to stronger and more sustainable development.

Effective sustainable tourism initiatives include sustainable practices, cultural sensitivity, community involvement, visitor regulation, and tourist education.

Title:

Content: Monday, July 22, 2024 78° Today's Paper

Election

2024 Election: Kaialiʻi Kahele

Name on ballot:

Kaialiʻi Kahele

Running for:

OHA Hawaii Resident Trustee

Political party:

No answer submitted

Campaign website:

www.HawaiiNotForSale.com

Current occupation:

Hawaiian Airlines Pilot

Age:

50

Previous job history:

Hawaiʻi Air National Guard Pilot, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Lecturer

Previous elected office, if any:

State Senator, U.S Representative

Please describe your qualifications to represent the Native Hawaiian community.

I am deeply honored to represent the Native Hawaiian community, and my qualifications reflect a lifetime of commitment to our people and our culture. I am a proud Native Hawaiian from Miloliʻi, South Kona, and prior to elected office, I served as the Executive Director of Paʻa Pono Miloliʻi, a native Hawaiian non-profit dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage as well as enhancing the health and well being of the Miloliʻi and South Kona community.

I have the distinct honor of being the second Native Hawaiian elected to Congress since Statehood, where I have been a steadfast champion for Native Hawaiian and indigenous rights. My work in Congress focused on advocating for policies that protected our lands, enhanced our cultural practices, right historical injustices and supported the well-being of the Native Hawaiian people.

Furthermore, my personal life is deeply rooted in our culture. My two daughters attend Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu in Keaʻau, a Hawaiian language immersion school, ensuring that our family remains connected to our language and traditions. This personal commitment underscores my dedication to preserving and promoting our cultural heritage and language revitalization efforts for future generations.

I beliebe these experiences and commitments uniquely qualify me to serve and represent the Native Hawaiian community effectively.

What is the most-pressing issue facing Native Hawaiians and how would you address the problem?

The primary issue facing the Native Hawaiian community is our increasing diaspora due to economic challenges, which has led to a majority of Native Hawaiians (53%) residing on the U.S. mainland rather than in Hawaiʻi. This dispersal weakens efforts to advocate for community rights. To tackle this, focusing on the following key areas is essential:

Affordable Housing: Advocating policies for more affordable housing options to help families stay in their ancestral lands.

Economic Development: Supporting sustainable job creation, especially in sectors aligning with cultural heritage like local agriculture and renewable energy.

Education and Training: Investing in vocational programs for skills necessary in high-demand local jobs, reducing the need to seek work elsewhere.

Cultural Preservation: Strengthening Native Hawaiian identity and community unity by enhancing initiatives that protect and promote Hawaiian culture and language.

Community Support: Building networks for Hawaiians outside Hawaiʻi with virtual programs and language classes to stay connected.

Healthcare Access: Improving access to quality healthcare services in rural and underserved areas to ensure the well-being of the community.

These strategies aim to enable Native Hawaiians to flourish, maintain a strong unified voice in advocacy, and ensure community preservation and empowerment.

Do you support or oppose the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Hawaii island? Please explain.

No, I do not support the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).

The state has a constitutional duty to protect its natural and cultural resources for present and future generations. As Justice Michael Wilson’s November 30, 2018, dissent highlights, the TMT violates the constitutional and statutory protections afforded to natural resources in the state’s conservation district. This project contravenes the Hawaiʻi Public Trust Doctrine, the Hawaiʻi Constitution, and laws concerning conservation land, specifically HRS Chapter 183C.

The TMT will cause significant, adverse impacts to the existing natural and cultural resources on the proposed project site. Mauna Kea holds immense cultural and spiritual importance for Native Hawaiians, and its conservation status should be respected. No amount of compensation, mitigation, or economic benefit can legally justify the irreversible damage that would be caused. The state’s duty to protect Mauna Kea’s natural and cultural resources for future generations outweighs any potential economic benefits.

Preserving Mauna Kea’s integrity is crucial for respecting Native Hawaiian cultural heritage and ensuring the protection of this sacred site.

What do believe is the best use of OHA’s Kakaako Makai lands and do you support building residential high-rises there? Please explain.

I believe the best use of OHA’s Kakaako Makai lands should reflect the cultural, economic, and housing interests of the Native Hawaiian community. Hakuone, OHA’s planned development in Kakaʻako Makai, should prioritize cultural preservation, housing, economic development, environmental sustainability, as well as education and innovation.

In 2012, the State settled a 32-year-old debt by conveying to OHA 30 acres of land valued at over $200 million, with the understanding that residential development was included in the value. Today, OHA owns just 30 of the 221 acres in Kakaʻako Makai, which is only 14% of the total area. Of this 14%, OHA wants to develop three parcels for residential development.

Regarding building residential high rises, I support building residential high-rises in these parcels, however, it is essential that any development is carried out in a manner that respects and incorporates our cultural heritage, promotes sustainability, and benefits the community as a whole. Residential development in this area can address the housing needs of the Native Hawaiian community while also generating revenue to support OHA’s broader mission and programs.

Here are some considerations:

Impact Assessment: Conduct thorough assessments of the potential impacts on traffic, infrastructure, and local communities.

Community Input: Engage in extensive consultations with the Native Hawaiian community, the Kakaako community, area legislators and other stakeholders to ensure their voices are heard and considered.

Mixed-Use Development: If high-rises are considered, they should be part of a mixed-use development that includes cultural, commercial, and green spaces, ensuring they contribute positively to the community.

What role should OHA play in helping Native Hawaiians cope with Hawaii’s high cost of living?

OHA should play a proactive role in helping Native Hawaiians cope with Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living. One innovative approach I would like OHA to explore is implementing a guaranteed basic income program pilot project. This initiative would provide a recurring monthly payment directly to Native Hawaiian households that demonstrate a need, aiming to supplement, not replace, existing social safety nets.

During my time in Congress, I saw the positive impact of COVID-era monthly federal child tax credit payments, which essentially functioned as a form of guaranteed basic income and lifted many families out of poverty. This experience demonstrated that putting money directly into the pockets of those struggling is one of the most impactful ways to help them immediately cope with the high cost of living or weather financial challenges.

By exploring and potentially implementing a similar program in Hawaiʻi, OHA can provide direct support to struggling Native Hawaiian households, ensuring they have the resources needed to meet their basic needs and improve their quality of life.

What role should OHA play in the reshaping of Hawaii’s tourism industry?

OHA should play a significant role in reshaping Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry to ensure it balances economic benefits with the preservation of natural resources and cultural heritage. The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, which oversees destination management for Hawaiʻi, emphasizes place-based and indigenous tourism. This approach ensures visitors understand and appreciate the unique significance of Hawaiʻi, encouraging them to engage with local culture for a memorable and respectful experience.

Key areas for improvement include:

Sustainable Tourism Practices: Implementing policies that protect Hawaiʻi’s environment and natural resources is crucial. This ensures that tourism does not degrade the very assets that attract visitors.

Cultural Sensitivity: Promoting tourism that respects Hawaiian culture is essential. Native Hawaiian communities should be involved in tourism development and management to ensure their perspectives and needs are considered.

Community Involvement: Ensuring that tourism benefits local communities is vital. This can be achieved by supporting local businesses and creating job opportunities for residents, ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism are widely shared.

Capacity Management: Regulating visitor numbers is necessary to prevent over-tourism and the resulting strain on infrastructure and natural sites. This helps maintain the quality of life for residents and the quality of experience for visitors.

Education: Educating tourists about respectful behavior and the cultural significance of the places they visit fosters appreciation and understanding of Hawaiian culture. This can lead to more meaningful and respectful interactions between visitors and the local community.

By focusing on these areas, OHA can help reshape Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry into one that supports sustainable economic growth while preserving the cultural and natural heritage that makes Hawaiʻi unique.

What reforms, if any, would you propose to make OHA more transparent to the public?

Transparency within the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is crucial for trust and community engagement. If elected, I will focus on enhancing transparency through these initiatives:

Open Communication Channels: Implement regular community meetings and virtual town halls to discuss OHA’s activities and decisions, allowing for open dialogue and feedback.

Accessible Information: Ensure all OHA documents, including meeting minutes, financial reports, and strategic plans, are easily accessible online via a user-friendly digital portal.

Financial Transparency: Introduce a comprehensive financial transparency policy with detailed quarterly and annual financial reports, clearly explaining fund allocation and spending.

Stakeholder Engagement: Establish advisory councils of community leaders and cultural practitioners to provide input on key decisions, ensuring diverse voices are heard.
Performance Metrics: Develop and share performance metrics for OHA programs, demonstrating progress and areas for improvement.

Cultural Education: Invest in educational programs to inform the community about OHA’s mission, roles, and responsibilities, fostering greater engagement and participation.

These measures will create an environment of mutual respect and accountability, ensuring
OHA remains a trusted advocate for the Native Hawaiian people.

What will be your top priority if elected?

If elected to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, my top priority will be to strengthen and reestablish relationships at the State Legislature while enhancing constituent services on Hawaiʻi Island. These efforts are essential to effectively advocate for the needs and interests of Native Hawaiians.

Strengthening relationships with the State Legislature involves fostering open communication, building trust, and collaborating on policies that benefit our community. By doing so, we can ensure that the voices of Native Hawaiians are heard and their concerns are addressed at the highest levels of state government.

Enhancing constituent services on Hawaiʻi Island means providing more accessible, efficient, and responsive support to our community members. This includes addressing their immediate needs, offering guidance on available resources, and ensuring that their issues are promptly resolved. My goal is to create a stronger, more connected, and better-served Hawaiian community.

Combining these efforts will help create a solid foundation for achieving meaningful progress and lasting positive impact for the Native Hawaiian community.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

I would like voters to know that my commitment to service is at the core of who I am. Having served our nation as a combat veteran and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard, I understand the importance of dedication, sacrifice, and leadership. My experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have shaped my perspective on the value of national service and the duty we have to our communities.

In addition to my military service, I have dedicated the last eight years of my life to serving the people of Hawaiʻi as a State Senator and as a Representative for Hawaiʻi’s 2nd Congressional District. Through these roles, I have worked tirelessly to represent our community’s interests, fight for Hawaiiʻs working class families and advocate for policies that promote our well-being and cultural heritage. My goal is to continue this tradition of service, focusing on strengthening our community, preserving our culture, and ensuring that every Native Hawaiian has the opportunity to thrive.

With your support, I am committed to bringing my experience, dedication, and vision to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to make a lasting positive impact for our Native Hawaiians and those who call Hawaiʻi home.

View more candidate questionnaires or see more 2022 Hawaii elections coverage.

Involving local communities in planning can help ensure infrastructure resilience to climate and disaster risks.

Title:

Content: There were 731 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 400,150 in the last 365 days.

Empowering Local Governments for Effective Disaster Management and Climate Resilience

The successful implementation of the program strategy will have significant implications for disaster resilience in the Philippines, such as:

  • Enhanced preparedness. The Department of the Interior and Local Government, as the supervising entity of local governments, will be better equipped to train them just as the local governments will be better equipped to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to disasters. This reduces the potential impact of natural hazards on communities, saving lives and reducing economic losses.
  • Increased funding efficiency. By improving the utilization of disaster risk reduction and management funds, local governments can implement their programs more effectively and timely, enhancing their overall disaster response and recovery efforts.
  • Strengthened institutional capacity. The harmonization of capacity development initiatives under the institutional and capacity development strategy ensures a more coordinated and impactful approach at the national and local levels. This builds the technical skills of local personnel and fosters a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.
  • Sustainable development. Integrating disaster risk reduction into local planning and development processes promotes sustainable development, ensuring that infrastructure and community services are resilient to future climate and disaster risks.

Multistakeholder engagement is crucial for the holistic and effective implementation of the Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Program. Its strategy highlights the importance of a collaborative approach involving various stakeholders (national government agencies, civil society organizations, and local communities) to achieve the targeted objectives.

Disaster Risk Reduction at the Local Level Technical Assistance

In March 2024, the Department of Finance, Department of Interior and Local Government, European Union, and Agence Française de Développement launched the Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Program technical assistance to improve the local governments’ capabilities in key disaster risk reduction and management areas. It addresses critical gaps in:

  • Risk-informed planning
  • Integrated capacity development strategies
  • Effective utilization of local disaster risk reduction and management funds
  • Gender-sensitive and socially inclusive disaster response to protect citizens, especially the vulnerable.

The program also aims to facilitate high-level policy dialogues among government and nongovernment stakeholders to set key policy directions and foster co-ownership and accountability.

Co-funded by the European Union and Agence Française de Développement, the €4.28-million technical assistance supports the programmatic policy-based loan of €250 million provided by the French government to the Philippines in 2021. An additional €.6 million from Agence Française de Développement will structure the technical assistance, bringing the total grant to €4.88 million.

The Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Technical Assistance Program will be implemented from 2024 to 2027 in close partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, local government units, national agencies, and French institutions.

Collaboration is key to the success of community-based tourism initiatives.

Title:

Content: There were 1,428 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 477,408 in the last 365 days.

Caring Entrepreneurship: A Model For Sustainable Community-based Tourism in St. Lucia

Community Meeting in Rural St Lucia

Cox Travel Adventures donate back to school supplies to a kindergarten class in St. Lucia

Tourists Posing with Grade 5 Students of the Dugard Combined School in Choiseul, Saint Lucia

Ramping Up Community-based Tourism in Rural St Lucia Starting With Elementary School Students and Visitor Engagement and Then Building Outwards From There

While this notion of caring entrepreneurship is a counter-intuitive approach to success it was clear to me that this novel idea was a powerful pathway to success in community-based sustainable tourism”
— Kirk Elliott
CASTRIES, LC, SAINT LUCIA, August 10, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- A few years ago award winning St Lucia photographer Kirk Elliott got invited to a rural community in Saint Lucia to help it develop a sense of excellence in its tourism offering after his St Lucia Photo Tour won its first TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. Elliott was blown away by the tremendous potential of their tourism product. However, he couldn’t help lamenting that residents simply didn’t see its potential and were thus content to maintain the status quo.

In grappling with the conundrum of how best to effect positive and lasting change Elliott came to the realization that rural communities are largely ill-equipped to successfully manage and operate tourism enterprises. This led him to an idea he dubbed “Caring Entrepreneurship”.

Defining Caring Entrepreneurship

In the context of tourism Elliott defines the Caring Entrepreneur as someone who understands the business of tourism. The entrepreneur brings this expertise to the mutual benefit of both the community and his/her enterprise and in the process nurtures and empowers the community in tourism excellence.

To be successful the business arrangement must be based on mutual respect and trust. The entrepreneur must truly care about the community rather than exclusively about his/her bottom line. In turn the community must recognize and appreciate the caring entrepreneur’s value. This synergy is the foundation for an outcome that yields results that far exceed the sum of the community’s and the entrepreneur’s individual efforts.

“I will be the first to state that this notion of caring entrepreneurship is a counter-intuitive approach to success. However, from inception it was clear to me that this novel approach was an effective way of nurturing long-term success in community-based sustainable tourism development” Elliott explained when asked why would an entrepreneur sacrifice profit just to help a poor rural community.

Testing The Theory of Caring Entrepreneurship

After multiple false starts Elliott finally got the opportunity to test his theory in a different community after @CoxTravelAdventures of Danbury Connecticut, USA, outfitted an entire kindergarten class with an assortment of school supplies at the start of the 2022 school year.

The school supplies were donated to the Dugard Combined School in Choiseul, Saint Lucia. While Dugard is a rural community deep in the heart of Saint Lucia, whatsoever the school may have missed due to its remoteness it more than made up for with heart and soul. From the principal and teachers, to the students, to the school’s caretaker staff, they all operate like one big family and their love and caring comes shining through.

“From my initial telephone conversation with Mr. Elliott I felt like my prayers had been answered, as just the week before I had prayed that our small rural community school with limited resources would somehow gain greater visibility. Then seemingly out of the blue there was Mr. Elliott lending a helping hand and speaking of wanting to develop a long-term relationship with our school”, stated school principal Mrs. Tessa Charles-Calderon when asked about Elliott’s support for the school.

Connecting Young Students With Tourism

Since the post pandemic return of tourism Elliott has been taking patrons of his Private St Lucia Experiences to the Dugard Combined School where they get to engage with students first hand. Elliott invites his clients to bring over school supplies based on the needs of the school, and the general consensus of visitors is that their engagement with the students has been a highlight of their Saint Lucia vacation.

For the students – they have come to appreciate tourists as people just like themselves rather than as some abstract term they hear about on the radio or see on television newscasts.

What’s Next For The Dugard Combined School

Students at the school have said they would love to have a proper playground at their school and the principal and teachers consider this an excellent idea that will teach the children about caring and sharing, among other things.

Elliott has engaged many of his professional friends to lend a helping hand to the Dugard Combined School’s Playground Project. From an engineer who has assessed the required earth works, to an architect who has produced architectural renderings for the playground, just about everyone Elliott has reached out to has lent their support and even gone way beyond his wildest expectations.

“The overwhelming support of everyone I have reached out to has emboldened me to invite both the teachers and the students to dream big scary dreams and then together let’s go out and make those dreams come through!” Elliott passionately commented when asked his thoughts on this playground project and beyond.

During the 2022/23 school year Elliott worked with the school to complete Phase 1 of the Playground Project in the form of the painting of educational games in the schoolyard. Not to let an opportunity go to waste, the school incorporated the games painting project into students’ School Based Assessment (SBA). This SBA is a practical activity students must successfully complete in order to graduate and gain admission to a secondary school.

From the video below of the official launch of the games it is clear that the students’ efforts were well received.

Creating an International Benchmark of Sustainable Community-based Tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

When Elliott embarked on this journey of seeking to empower a rural community little could he have imagined where the journey would lead. In the process of understanding and overcoming the obstacles he encountered he has come to realize that those we consider rural poor enjoy a richness of life and living that remains largely unrecognized.

“I am super excited about this idea of Caring Entrepreneurship and my goal is to see this community engagement starting with the Dugard Combined School project manifest into an International Benchmark of Sustainable Community-based Tourism in Small Island Developing States” said Elliott when asked what was the overall outcome he envisions.

…and at the rate at which this intervention is progressing he just might be on to something.

Kirk Elliott
Kirk Elliott Photography
+1 758-518-5800
email us here

Dugard Combined School Playground Project - Painted Games

The Egyptian Ministry of Environment launched "Stories from its People" to support local communities in natural reserves.

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
Environment: Investment Support Week begins with a campaign of stories from its people in Wadi Degla Reserve
Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment from Wadi Degla Reserve, launched a campaign to support local communities in nature reserves to achieve sustainable livelihoods, within the framework of Egypt ’ s celebrations of the week of supporting environmental investment within the celebration of World Environment Day 2023 in the presence of Mr. Alessandro Fracassetti, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt, Ambassador Poli Ioannou, Dr. Ali Abu Sunna, Head of the Environment Affairs Agency Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Hanan Magdy, Deputy Governor of the New Valley, representatives of the National Bank of Egypt, the strategic partner of the campaign, a number of media professionals and stakeholders in the tourism industry, travel content makers and filmmakers.
The Minister of Environment stressed that the launch of the campaign comes within the framework of the Ministry ’ s celebration this year of World Environment Day, which runs over a week from 3 to 10 June under the auspices of the Prime Minister, under the title of supporting environmental investment, to shed light on our true definition of environmental investment. She explained that the week will include events in different governorates with the participation of citizens, local communities, civil society, youth and school students.
The Minister pointed out that the launch of the campaign "Hakawy of its people" is the most appropriate model to start our celebrations, which aims to maximize the role of local communities in the conservation and protection of nature reserves, pointing out that the idea of   developing nature reserves began years ago with the aim of creating activities and services for visitors to reserves. The tribes of the local communities of Egypt ’ s reserves, and invest their experiences, experiences and legacies and tell their wonderful stories in the conservation of biodiversity, based on the idea of   protecting nature on the nature of human life.
She pointed out that linking humans to land, water, girls and animals was an input in the discussions she participated in yesterday at the African Union in Ethiopia on the formulation of an African strategy for biodiversity, especially after the role played by Egypt in partnership with Canada in leading the negotiations of the Global Biodiversity Framework last December.
The minister explained that the integration of local communities is the title of the second phase in the Ministry of Environment ’ s path towards promoting ecotourism, through its media campaign ECO EGYPT, which aims to highlight the distinctive experiences that can be experienced in 13 ecotourism areas in Egypt, and the first phase of the campaign focused on the marine environment.
The Minister of Environment expressed her happiness with the distinguished participation of various stakeholders and partners in the launch of the campaign "Hakawy of its people", and the role of the team of natural reserves in the ministry, men and women, pointing to the importance of strengthening the thought of protecting nature and respecting it so that we avoid the harsh consequences of nature's negative practices and neglect.
For his part, Alessandro Fracassetti, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt, stressed that the launch of the “Hakawy of its People ” campaign today from the Wadi Degla Reserve provides a strong message during the celebration of World Environment Day 2023, and expresses the strong partnership between UNEP and the Ministries of Environment and Tourism in supporting sustainable ecotourism based on enhancing the role of local communities. To enable them to preserve their cultural heritage, customs and traditions, and to involve them in the decision-making process that directly affects their lives, thus contributing to the sharing of benefits.
Alessandro pointed out that the constructive partnership between the program and the Ministry of Environment played an important role in the introduction of community-based natural resources management, which heralded inspiring results in many Egyptian nature reserves, starting from supporting local communities in St. Catherine to strengthen their role in preserving medicinal plants.
Eng. Mohamed Aliwa, Director of the project of integrating biodiversity in ecotourism, said that the campaign is part of the campaign of ECO EGYPT, which is the media arm of the Ministry of Environment in its plan towards the sustainable use of nature reserves by creating a new product for ecotourism. Through the implementation of an integrated plan that includes all means of communication and awareness to support responsible and sustainable ecotourism, and work to inject new investments in this promising sector to support the sustainability of natural resources.
Aliwa added that “the complaints of its people ” target the local population, where they focus on 11 main tribes living in and around the Egyptian nature reserves, the first is the cultural heritage of the local people, based on how to live and deal with the nature that formed the cultural heritage of those tribes, making them a source of learning how to preserve nature, and the second axis includes diversity and similarity between the culture, customs and local products. To help them preserve their cultural heritage, and to spread it at the local and international levels, which will be within the framework of sustainable development of local communities, whether at the social or economic level through their integration in the product of ecotourism.
During the ceremony, the Minister watched the documentary film of the campaign, inspected models of the heritage products of some local communities, and opened a photo exhibition showing the traditional life of the tribes of the communities living in the nature reserves, and many tribes visitors to the celebration shared some of their traditional customs of drinks, food, clothes and jewelry.
The campaign is the first of its kind in Egypt to showcase the rich cultural and environmental heritage of the local community, which is organized through the project of integrating biodiversity in tourism in Egypt and the Eco Egypt campaign, with the aim of raising awareness about 11 different local communities living in and around protected areas in Egypt. Documentaries and portraits in partnership with Blue Camel Media.
There is also a handicraft fair, tribal food and drinks, and live music performances.
The campaign of complaints from its people covers five different areas throughout Egypt, including the region of South Sinai and includes the tribe of Jabaliya, the tribe of Mazina, the tribe of Tarabin, the people of the village of Gargan and the region of the southern Red Sea and includes the tribe of Ababda, the tribe of Bishariya in addition to the region of Nubia and the northern coast where the tribes of Matrouh and finally Western Sahara.
It is worth mentioning that ECO EGYPT is a national campaign promoting ecotourism in environmental sites and protected sites in Egypt.
The campaign was developed by the project on integrating biodiversity into tourism in Egypt, implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and supported by the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) as a strategic partner of the campaign.

Diversifying tourism products can attract more visitors and support local economies.

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Content: Kuching Resident’s Office engaging communities in efforts to boost local tourism

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Dayang Joanita responds to a question posed by a reporter, during a session after the opening ceremony for ‘Pesta Suntong Bako’ at the terminal of Bako National Park, near Kuching.

KUCHING (June 5): The Resident’s Office here has been working on the ground and holding engagements with the local communities in coming up with viable strategies towards boosting local tourism.

Kuching Resident Dayang Joanita Azizah Abang Morshidi underlines these efforts as important, in view of the goal to have Sarawak Delta Geopark recognised as a Unesco Global Geopark (UGGP) by 2026.

“In April and May this year, we took a group of local community leaders to Langkawi for a conference and in coming back, they brought along new ideas of ways to promote Sarawak as a global geopark.

“Because it’s something that we have exposed them to, they are getting more involved.

“On Sarawak wanting to be recognised by Unesco for its geopark, it is a part of our activities outlined for this year.

“Hopefully by next year, when they (Unesco) do the auditing, we would likely obtain that certification.

“To get that Unesco recognition, whatever efforts there are, they must involve the community. For example, in Japan, a part of the education there is training the children to be able to serve as guides.

“Hopefully in Sarawak, we would be able to emulate that.

“The focus should not be just on the school-leavers, but also on young children, like those still in kindergartens,” she said when met by reporters after declaring open the ‘Pesta Suntong Bako’ at Bako National Park’s terminal here on Monday.

Adding on, Dayang Joanita said the Kuching Resident’s Office would continue the efforts of diversifying the products and services under the umbrella of tourism.

“We had a ‘bako’ (mangrove) planting programme at Kampung Sibu Laut in early May, and this ‘suntong’ (squid) festival, and hopefully in July, we would be at SMK Paku in Bau District.”

On Pesta Suntong Bako she said it exhibited high potential into become one of Sarawak’s major tourism programmes, on the back of the renowned natural attractions in the whole Bako area, which is a part of the Sarawak Delta Geopark.

Moreover, she said the festival was a part of the activities that the Kuching Resident’s Office had been taking charge in as the coordinator of the Divisional Tourism Task Group (DTTG) for Kuching Division.

“The Kuching Division DTTG aims to establish Pesta Suntong Bako as one of the annual festivals included in Sarawak’s tourism calendar.

“At the same time, we want to use this opportunity to promote Kampung Bako Village, which is a part of the geopark and is rich in natural treasures and heritage.

“This, indirectly, can boost the local tourism industry and add value to other economic activities run by the local community,” she said.

The festival involved six villages under the Demak Laut state constituency: Kampung Bako Hilir, Kampung Bako Tengah, Kampung Bako Hulu, Kampung Bako Lot, Kampung Bako Hijrah, and Kampung Bako Mesra.

Adding on, Dayang Joanita expressed hope that the festival could involve those from outside Sarawak, such as participants from Indonesia.

Community involvement is crucial for Unesco recognition, as seen in Japan where children are trained as guides.