3rd Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism Development and Sustainable Expo Competitiveness Issues in Coastal Ecotourism: Best Practice Lessons from a CARIFORUM Ecotourism Value Chain Analysis Shellyanne Wilson COMPETE Caribbean Consultant
Best Practices for Shoreline Protection & Certification Competitiveness Issues in Coastal Ecotourism: Best Practice Lessons from a CARIFORUM Ecotourism Value Chain Analysis Coastal Ecotourism Value Chain Analysis & Competitiveness of CARIFORUM Ecotourism Industry Ecotourism Certification
Best Practices for Shoreline Protection & Certification Private Sector Promotion through Value Chain and Cluster Strengthening in CARIFORUM Priority Industry Ecotourism identified as priority industry by 7 of 14 countries that identified tourism as priority sector Broad Geographical Coverage Potential for moving up value chain Potential for Extra-regional Penetration Potential for Productivity via Technology Promoted by 12 of the 14 countries that identified tourism as priority sector Product, Process and Functional upgrading opportunities CARIFORUM is established destinations for US, UK and European markets Tourism industry & e-commerce
TOURISM Coastal Ecotourism COASTAL TOURSIM SUSTAINABLE & RESPONSIBLE & ALTERNATIVE TOURISM NATURE TOURISM ECOTOURISM OUTDOOR TOURISM COMMUNITY TOURISM ADVENTURE TOURISM WILDLIFE TOURISM CULTURAL TOURISM FARM TOURISM
Challenges to Competitiveness & Industry Growth Industry Ambiguity Limited Industry Collaboration Absence of Ecotourism Standards Unstructured Product Strategy Limited Product Distribution Limited Financing Options
Implications of Lack of Standards to Competitiveness & Industry Growth Serve as quality assurance to build in sustainable practices Ecotourism Standards Serve as quality control to detect and correct deviations from sustainable practices Allow for product differentiation and market segmentation
Tourism Certification Programmes Types of Certification Process- Based Performancebased Hybrid- Programmes Certification Mechanisms Voluntary Self- Assessment On-site External Assessors Issues Programme Proliferation Cost & Time Unit of Analysis Measures
Ecotourism Certification Schemes
Eco-certification programme Process-based Product-specific: accommodation, attraction & excursion + tour activities Best practices: Business, Environmental & Socio-cultural Ecotourism Australia
Eco-rating Scheme Performance-based Focuses on accommodation providers Prioritized community development agenda Best practices: environmental, economic, social, cultural Ecotourism Kenya
System of sustainability levels Performance-based Programme focuses on natural & cultural resources, local communities & economic success Targets accommodation providers and tour operators Ecotourism Costa Rica
Implications for Coastal Ecotourism in CARIFORUM Formal adoption of global certification schemes by member states Current Status Introduction of regional sustainable practices certification programmes from CTO Development of national quality assurance programmes
Formal Adoption of Global Certification Schemes By CARIFORUM Member States
Lessons for Grenada & CARIFORUM Coastal Ecotourism Ecotourism certification must address both Environmental & Socio-cultural concerns Context critical in determination of type of certification programme adopted Use of Tiered System to account for the range of suppliers and ecotourism product offerings Body to implement and manage the adopted certification programme
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