Recognizing both the benefits and the pressures of tourism on cultural heritage sites around the world, the World Monuments Fund and American Express are partnering on a global initiative focused on sustainable tourism.
Unmanaged tourism can damage heritage sites, and high-profile sites often suffer the most. Managing the numbers of tourists and traffic flow is an essential component of sustainable tourism.
Sustainable tourism minimizes the negative impact of visitors on heritage sites and the surrounding environment, but also produces income and jobs for local communities. Responsible tourism is both culturally and environmentally sensitive.
The Sustainable Tourism initiative is part of the American Express Partners in Preservation program. The initiative rewards and encourages responsible stewardship of historic sites by supporting projects that integrate historic preservation, tourism management, and visitor education into efforts to protect and preserve cultural heritage sites around the world.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
hawaii's tourism in crisis mode
Hawaii’s tourism industry is in “crisis mode” and is underappreciated, according to a new economic report.
The report, “Assessing Tourism’s Contribution to the Hawaii Economy,” said that tourism touches jobs, tax revenues and other areas of Hawaii’s economy, and the downturn in the visitor industry is impacting the rest of the local economy.
First Hawaiian Bank commissioned economist Leroy Laney to produce the report.
“Foremost, the tourism industry has an overwhelming economic importance for Hawaii,” Laney said in a statement. “It is imperative that all possible actions be taken to remedy the situation. If that does not happen, or until it does, the Hawaii economy will remain anemic. Employment in all sectors will be down, as will tax revenues, business profits and overall economic well being.”
Tourism touched an estimated 74 percent of jobs in Hawaii in 2007, according to the report.
State taxes attributed directly to the visitor industry in 2007 accounted for 25 percent, or $1.2 billion, of general fund revenues, the report said. And based on Council on Revenue estimates, the downturn in tourism caused a 2.5 percent decline in the general fund in 2008.
Laney said in the report that local attitudes toward tourism vary, but it is underappreciated by many. Residents view visitors as competing with them for resources. “There is often a strong, unfounded perception of competition (versus partnership) between visitors and residents over limited resources,” Laney said. “Residents often identify the tourism industry with the higher cost of living in Hawaii, and also with traffic congestion. There is little appreciation that tourism enhances the quality of life of our citizens and the economic development of other industries. Marketing efforts that are internally as well as externally focused can help alleviate this problem.”
Laney also said Hawaii’s infrastructure — parks, roads and other public facilities — need to be upgraded and maintained so that visitors can feel safe in comparison to other destinations.
The report forecasts that over the next three years the visitor industry in Hawaii -- a major tourist destination for Californians -- may return to positive growth, but the growth will be slow. Laney estimated a 1 percent and 3 percent growth in visitor arrivals for 2010 and 2011, respectively.
The report, “Assessing Tourism’s Contribution to the Hawaii Economy,” said that tourism touches jobs, tax revenues and other areas of Hawaii’s economy, and the downturn in the visitor industry is impacting the rest of the local economy.
First Hawaiian Bank commissioned economist Leroy Laney to produce the report.
“Foremost, the tourism industry has an overwhelming economic importance for Hawaii,” Laney said in a statement. “It is imperative that all possible actions be taken to remedy the situation. If that does not happen, or until it does, the Hawaii economy will remain anemic. Employment in all sectors will be down, as will tax revenues, business profits and overall economic well being.”
Tourism touched an estimated 74 percent of jobs in Hawaii in 2007, according to the report.
State taxes attributed directly to the visitor industry in 2007 accounted for 25 percent, or $1.2 billion, of general fund revenues, the report said. And based on Council on Revenue estimates, the downturn in tourism caused a 2.5 percent decline in the general fund in 2008.
Laney said in the report that local attitudes toward tourism vary, but it is underappreciated by many. Residents view visitors as competing with them for resources. “There is often a strong, unfounded perception of competition (versus partnership) between visitors and residents over limited resources,” Laney said. “Residents often identify the tourism industry with the higher cost of living in Hawaii, and also with traffic congestion. There is little appreciation that tourism enhances the quality of life of our citizens and the economic development of other industries. Marketing efforts that are internally as well as externally focused can help alleviate this problem.”
Laney also said Hawaii’s infrastructure — parks, roads and other public facilities — need to be upgraded and maintained so that visitors can feel safe in comparison to other destinations.
The report forecasts that over the next three years the visitor industry in Hawaii -- a major tourist destination for Californians -- may return to positive growth, but the growth will be slow. Laney estimated a 1 percent and 3 percent growth in visitor arrivals for 2010 and 2011, respectively.
sustainable tourism in context of nepal
About NepalNepal is a country lying between China on the North and India on the South. It is a landlocked country on the collision zone between two plates, so large mountain ranges are formed in the creasing – including the Pahar Hill region and the Mountain region, both with large altitudes and populated valleys. Tourism is especially large in Mount Everest and a large amount of conflict has arisen there – as we will study later. Mountaineers with ambitions to travel, view and climb the spectacular slopes come in their ten thousands. 39% of the GDP comes from agriculture; 76% of people use it as their principle employment. Services (which would include tourism) equal 42% and industry 21%. The lack of natural resources means that agriculture is the main primary industry, while tourism probably the main tertiary. Main exports are clothing, leather, jute goods and grain.
There are lots of places to visit in Nepal. That is why people often term Nepal as "a place where there are more temples than houses". Similarly because of Gods and Goddesses we term it as a place where the number of gods and goddess is more than the population of people.
Inside the Kathmandu Valley, there is lots of sight seeing. For example, you can go to Kasthamandap which was build of one tree, Pashupati nath of the capital and several other temples, historical places and monuments.
However, one of the most amazing thing of the Kathmandu Valley is the excellent view of the valley from all the hilltops!
Similarly when one goes outside of the valley, he or she can see countless natural beauties never explored. Tourists stare with amazements of the gift of God to the Himalayan Kingdom. Nepal is a must visit place.
PROBLEM OF TOURISMTourism began in Nepal as people discovered the land around the tallest peak in the world, Mt. Everest. Development around Mt. Everest was slow to start, however the scenery waiting to be viewed would soon attract many tourists. So tourism began: people had ambitions to climb the slopes of the great mountain, and, as always, local people began to expand their living to fit that of the tourists and began to, in some areas, become richer and more developed. However, visitors would share their culture, good or bad, and this had some major disadvantages, principally litter. Locals also began to, as they used more developed equipment, drop litter on the slopes that no-one wanted to take down. This includes oxygen bottles, bottles of water, snack bars and tissues etc – all of what we enjoy at home, but without any bins. Landfill sites were set up.
Other problems include the volume of tourists wearing the mountain away, which causes mudslides through erosion which can be deadly for lower communities. Trees are cut down at an alarming rate, adding to this problem – a tourist uses three times more wood then a Sherpa. In the towns, toilet facilities involve no sewage system, and therefore local water, which the people are used to it being clean, is neglected and polluted with human waste. Locals, who can’t afford the bottled water that tourists are buying have no real choice about using the polluted water and suffer the increased health costs and deadly diseases. Now tourists are buying and pushing up the price of products that the locals are selling, agriculture in growing potatoes for the local population has decreased and problems have occurred because of the price rise: locals can no longer buy their community’s food and often must either eat less or find another way to make a living. Large non-localised organisations often refuse responsibility concerning waste, forcing local people to clean up to keep the area attractive to tourists.
due to the ongoing chronic power shortages and political instability nepal may face serious consequences in the days to come.
Benefits of Tourism
There are lots of places to visit in Nepal. That is why people often term Nepal as "a place where there are more temples than houses". Similarly because of Gods and Goddesses we term it as a place where the number of gods and goddess is more than the population of people.
Inside the Kathmandu Valley, there is lots of sight seeing. For example, you can go to Kasthamandap which was build of one tree, Pashupati nath of the capital and several other temples, historical places and monuments.
However, one of the most amazing thing of the Kathmandu Valley is the excellent view of the valley from all the hilltops!
Similarly when one goes outside of the valley, he or she can see countless natural beauties never explored. Tourists stare with amazements of the gift of God to the Himalayan Kingdom. Nepal is a must visit place.
PROBLEM OF TOURISMTourism began in Nepal as people discovered the land around the tallest peak in the world, Mt. Everest. Development around Mt. Everest was slow to start, however the scenery waiting to be viewed would soon attract many tourists. So tourism began: people had ambitions to climb the slopes of the great mountain, and, as always, local people began to expand their living to fit that of the tourists and began to, in some areas, become richer and more developed. However, visitors would share their culture, good or bad, and this had some major disadvantages, principally litter. Locals also began to, as they used more developed equipment, drop litter on the slopes that no-one wanted to take down. This includes oxygen bottles, bottles of water, snack bars and tissues etc – all of what we enjoy at home, but without any bins. Landfill sites were set up.
Other problems include the volume of tourists wearing the mountain away, which causes mudslides through erosion which can be deadly for lower communities. Trees are cut down at an alarming rate, adding to this problem – a tourist uses three times more wood then a Sherpa. In the towns, toilet facilities involve no sewage system, and therefore local water, which the people are used to it being clean, is neglected and polluted with human waste. Locals, who can’t afford the bottled water that tourists are buying have no real choice about using the polluted water and suffer the increased health costs and deadly diseases. Now tourists are buying and pushing up the price of products that the locals are selling, agriculture in growing potatoes for the local population has decreased and problems have occurred because of the price rise: locals can no longer buy their community’s food and often must either eat less or find another way to make a living. Large non-localised organisations often refuse responsibility concerning waste, forcing local people to clean up to keep the area attractive to tourists.
due to the ongoing chronic power shortages and political instability nepal may face serious consequences in the days to come.
Benefits of Tourism
policy to promote tourism in nepal
KATHMANDU - The Nepali government has brought new tourism policy to promote tourism industry, The Himalayan Times reports.
Addressing a press meeting, Minister for Tourism and Civial Aviation Hisila Yami said the ministry is planning a curriculum regarding tourism and the development of a separate Tourism University.
"European arrivals are declining due to the global financial crisis as they are investing in short distance tourist destinations," she said, adding that the focus of Nepal will now be on boosting regional tourism.
"The new policy will also promote rural, agro, adventure, health and educational tourism," Yami said. The ministry is planning to include tourism industry in Special Economic Zones.
The government is planning to construct a second international airport in Nijgadh of Bara district in central Nepal to avoid congestion. "Korean company LMW has shown interest in the construction of a second international airport and submitted a proposal that is under consideration," Yami said.
"To provide air services to people in rural areas also, single-engine aircraft, cargo and air taxis will soon become operational and that will reduce airfare by 25 percent in the Karnali and western regions," said Yami.
The ministry is also reviewing the Air Service Agreements (ASAs) with India and Qatar. "The ASAs with Bahrain and Sri Lanka were reviewed recently," she said.
"To make Nepal Tourism Year 2011 a grand success, the government has formed 14 different sub-committees along with regional committees," the minister said, adding that to develop the tourism industry, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Airlines Corporation and Hotel Association of Nepal are jointly working on special packages.
There are also some modifications in the civil aviation sector aiming at reducing air congestion." We are planning separate parking places for helicopters and Twin Otters," said Yami.
According to the daily, the Nepali government will provide 10 Nepali rupees (0.125 U.S. dollar) subsidy on diesel and has withdrawn electricity demand charge for hotels, just like manufacturing industries.
Addressing a press meeting, Minister for Tourism and Civial Aviation Hisila Yami said the ministry is planning a curriculum regarding tourism and the development of a separate Tourism University.
"European arrivals are declining due to the global financial crisis as they are investing in short distance tourist destinations," she said, adding that the focus of Nepal will now be on boosting regional tourism.
"The new policy will also promote rural, agro, adventure, health and educational tourism," Yami said. The ministry is planning to include tourism industry in Special Economic Zones.
The government is planning to construct a second international airport in Nijgadh of Bara district in central Nepal to avoid congestion. "Korean company LMW has shown interest in the construction of a second international airport and submitted a proposal that is under consideration," Yami said.
"To provide air services to people in rural areas also, single-engine aircraft, cargo and air taxis will soon become operational and that will reduce airfare by 25 percent in the Karnali and western regions," said Yami.
The ministry is also reviewing the Air Service Agreements (ASAs) with India and Qatar. "The ASAs with Bahrain and Sri Lanka were reviewed recently," she said.
"To make Nepal Tourism Year 2011 a grand success, the government has formed 14 different sub-committees along with regional committees," the minister said, adding that to develop the tourism industry, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Airlines Corporation and Hotel Association of Nepal are jointly working on special packages.
There are also some modifications in the civil aviation sector aiming at reducing air congestion." We are planning separate parking places for helicopters and Twin Otters," said Yami.
According to the daily, the Nepali government will provide 10 Nepali rupees (0.125 U.S. dollar) subsidy on diesel and has withdrawn electricity demand charge for hotels, just like manufacturing industries.
Tourism
Recognizing both the benefits and the pressures of tourism on cultural heritage sites around the world, the World Monuments Fund and American Express are partnering on a global initiative focused on sustainable tourism.
Unmanaged tourism can damage heritage sites, and high-profile sites often suffer the most. Managing the numbers of tourists and traffic flow is an essential component of sustainable tourism.
Sustainable tourism minimizes the negative impact of visitors on heritage sites and the surrounding environment, but also produces income and jobs for local communities. Responsible tourism is both culturally and environmentally sensitive.
The Sustainable Tourism initiative is part of the American Express Partners in Preservation program. The initiative rewards and encourages responsible stewardship of historic sites by supporting projects that integrate historic preservation, tourism management, and visitor education into efforts to protect and preserve cultural heritage sites around the world.
Unmanaged tourism can damage heritage sites, and high-profile sites often suffer the most. Managing the numbers of tourists and traffic flow is an essential component of sustainable tourism.
Sustainable tourism minimizes the negative impact of visitors on heritage sites and the surrounding environment, but also produces income and jobs for local communities. Responsible tourism is both culturally and environmentally sensitive.
The Sustainable Tourism initiative is part of the American Express Partners in Preservation program. The initiative rewards and encourages responsible stewardship of historic sites by supporting projects that integrate historic preservation, tourism management, and visitor education into efforts to protect and preserve cultural heritage sites around the world.
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