Impact of climate change

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (http://www.unwto.org/ climate/bkg/en/bkg.php?op=1) notes that there is now a wide recognition of the urgent need for the tourism ‎industry, national ‎governments and international organizations to develop ‎and implement strategies to face the ‎changing climate conditions and to ‎take preventive actions for future effects, as well as to ‎mitigate tourism’s ‎environmental impacts contributing to climate change. Furthermore, such ‎‎strategies should take also into account the needs of developing ‎countries in terms of poverty ‎alleviation and other Millennium ‎Development Goals.‎

In small island states and developing countries, where tourism is a major ‎economic activity, any ‎significant reduction in tourist arrivals will have ‎serious employment impacts and generate ‎further poverty.‎ ‎The people of the Pacific Islands have always been at risk from the climate and have continually sought ways of adapting. Variations and extremes of climate often exceed abilities to cope, often with devastating effect. This ‘adaptation deficit’ threatens to widen the deficit. (www.start.org)

A key task and opportunity of OSTA programs is to deliver on several issues of importance tourism and climate change in the Pacific Island - adaptation, transfer of climate friendly technology, strengthened capacity building and progress on reducing emissions due to deforestation.

Research and actions could be undertaken to establish community benefit carbon offset programs where tourists can pay and plant themselves, or pay others from the community to do it for them. On a national or regional level work can be undertaken to design the planting of biodiversity corridors to link isolated stands of old forests. Its growth can be charted on websites, and individual PDAs, so tourists can watch the "corridors" grow and continue to support its growth long after they have returned home. This technique enables stay-at-homes and corporations to be involved - giving people tangible and easily trackable results for carbon offsets.

Project Description – July 2009
An AusAID International Development Research Grant has been awarded for a three year Pacific Tourism – Climate Adaptation Project (PT - CAP). It will be led by Victoria University Centre for Tourism and Services Research (CTSR) in collaboration with the University of New South Wales’ Natural Hazards Research Laboratory and the University of the South Pacific’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, together with industry/NGO partners, Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI), South-Pacific. Travel (SPTO), and Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd (PAT). The project is a key activity of the Oceania Sustainable Tourism Alliance (www.oceaniatourismalliance.net). Pacific Tourism - Climate Adaptation Project

OSTA Founding & Managing Partners

OSTA Implementing Partners:

Tonga Community Development Trust, Solomon Islands Development Trust, Foundation for People and Community Development Inc. in PNG, Tuvalu Association of NGOs, FSP Kiribati, OLSSI Samoa, Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific Vanuatu, Partners in Community Development Fiji, Timor AID, Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and Pacific, National Geographic Society, Solimar Pacific Asia, University of the South Pacific and University of NSW.

Committed to travel and tourism’s contribution to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals