UNWTO Global Summit on Community-based Tourism

I come from a long line of farmers in Australia, and grew up on a farm involved on a daily basis in all the hard work and happenings on a diverse property.

My Maldivian friends will tell you that they got to experience my love of the rural areas of Australia very recently as a I shared the splendour of my photos hiking in the mountains, and taking the inevitable selfies with famous and intriguing Australian animals. With my second home being the global tourism destination of the Maldives, as an interweaving of my past and present life, the topic of agritourism is therefore one close to my heart.

Dear Friends,

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a universal plan of action for people, planet and prosperity, its set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlines a universal, integrated, and transformative vision for a better world until 2030. The SDGs entail that three dimensions of sustainable development - economic, social, and environmental - are managed in an integrated and balanced manner.

The cross-cutting nature of tourism is an incredible vehicle through which to advance the 17 Goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. In particular, it has been included as targets in Goals 8, 12 and 14 on inclusive and sustainable economic growth, sustainable consumption, and production and the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources.

A successful sustainable tourism story requires coordinated efforts from tourism authorities, infrastructure and transport planning, health and local governments, and internal domestic and foreign trade, amongst many others.  As such, it is incumbent on governments at all levels to ensure an integrated all of government approach.

At the heart of this visionary leadership is a dedicated focus on protecting the biodiversity that sustains us, ensuring that all citizens benefit directly from tourism activities and can participate without barriers.

In both the objective and the achievement of sustainable development therefore, we must zoom out from tourism to observe the entire ecosystem in which its operates. The 2030 Agenda requires a systems-thinking approach.

As policy, a whole of government systems approach will produce more jobs, reduce unemployment and poverty, improve living standards, ensure that people have access to education and health services, and strengthen food systems. Financially and economically it makes sense.

We often see that communities in rural areas are more prone to poverty, while of course this differs dramatically across the globe. In the Maldives as an example, there is a significant rise in vulnerability to poverty as your distance from the capital of Male increases.

As you will have seen from the skies as you flew in to Male, the small size of the islands and the vast distances between them are very significant obstacles to meaningful and sustained economic opportunities.

Spreading the economic benefits of tourism to these islands, and in other countries, to the rural communities, provides a tangible opportunity for community-led and appropriate tourism, supported by government service provision.

How so?

Remote locations offer a mystery which drives an avid traveller. For them to get from the capital, they need to know the places exist. They need to be able to make contact to arrange accommodation and experiences. There needs to be food for them to eat, medical services in case required. They need to be able to communicate with their host community. And most importantly, they need to be able to get there.

These are exactly the services that rural communities need to generate meaningful livelihoods. Smart government policy delivers multiple and flow on effects.

In this case, rural communities are economically empowered and are less dependent on government as a result of strategic and targeted support from government to rural communities.

In the Maldives I have joined the Minister on his journeys to many islands, where the team is offering the communities the resources and know how to create a unique branding for each island. In Dhigaaaru it is the Fishing Island. In Rinbudhoo, it is the jewellry island.

This is a targeted and selective resource which isolated communities would not normally have access to, and which will quite literally define and market the island for tourists with those interests to personally experience – beyond the standard Sun, Sand, Sea and Spice of course!

The Minister of Planning has launched a revamped and whole of country maritime transport plan. It takes into account the travelling distances and targeted government investment with the private sector for distances to regional airports, availability of public ferries, and the satellite connections from these points to outlying islands.

This same network provides outlying communities to access specialized health services in regional centres and Male, children and young people to access education at all levels, and a transport infrastructure for communities to sell their produce in both the domestic and foreign markets.

Looking ahead, the challenges that face us, and will continue to challenge us in the future will equally affect community livelihoods, and the productive capacity of tourism.  

As our climate changes, the nature of our tourism offer will adapt and change. Tourism is both highly vulnerable to climate change while at the same time contributing to it. Threats for the sector include more extreme weather events, increasing insurance costs and safety concerns, water shortages,  biodiversity loss and damage to assets and attractions at destinations, among others. Many of these threats will equally impact on rural communities and agriculture.

Prices of agricultural inputs will rise, food prices will rise, and the quality of our food produced will decline.

In many countries, we see statistics that indicate that the younger generation are uninterested in taking up agriculture. The pernicious nature of urbanization and congestion is not the answer.

As the primary benefit however for a nation, agritourism has the potential to develop the local economy of the farming community while retaining young people. Agritourism could provide them an opportunity to return to their roots.  Real and meaningful jobs exist for safeguarding the environment and the ecology of the place as a whole. We rely on biodiversity for food and health, and as an ally against climate change.

An inclusive approach for Agritourism might consider some key objectives:

• Focus on environmental, social, cultural and economic, and ecological sustainability criteria;
• Local communities benefit economically and culturally from tourism;
• Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect;
• Provide direct financial benefits for conservation;
• Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people;
• Provide opportunities for women and young people to bank loans, titles for land ownership; and
• Support international human rights and labour agreements.

Small Island Developing States face numerous challenges. For many, their remoteness affects their ability to be part of the global supply chain, increases import costs - especially for energy - and limits their competitiveness in the tourist industry.

But these are exactly the reasons why a viable agricultural sector needs to be nurtured.

Stress on natural systems and water resources and potential pollution resulting from poorly planned development in either sector could have serious negative environmental impact. In contrast, ‘environmentally friendly’ agriculture can help sustain the island contry’s pristine natural environment which is ultimately, the major attraction for tourism in the region.

Progress towards more organic agriculture in provides for potential synergies by helping to ensure a sustainable environment and also by providing a point of difference for restaurant cuisine, and encourages demand for local agricultural produce and increasing its value.

So what does a “good” plan look like?

Systems thinking considers the whole ecosystem – solid analysis of the multiple layers of context within a country. In the Maldives, this would look at local communities, in islands, in atolls, in regions, and finally at the national level.

It necessitates a long-term national development plan. The plan should be founded on futures-thinking, and anticipating and pivoting towards a world say, in 2050.

It projects and considers both population growth and movements.

We heard yesterday that Nicaragua and Timor Leste national plans include a targeted focus on the opportunities from tourism for achieving long term development priorities. This is very truly leading from the front, rather than gathering the crumbs on the trail of tourism from behind.

A good plan would include everyone.

And this ultimately, is what we are all trying to achieve!

Thank you