A forum highlighting the link between tourism and climate change brought the Tourism Week 2017 to a close on Monday October 2, 2017.
The forum organised by the Seychelles Tourism Board was themed: Tourism and Planet: How relevant is sustainable tourism to climate change issues?
The event held at the STC conference room, allowed deep reflection and discussions on the important link between tourism and climate change.
It brought together key personalities with vast knowledge and expertise in various fields including environmental management and conservation, meteorology, tourism and hospitality, who were all eager to interact and debate upon significant questions relating to the topic, in front of an attentive audience.
In her opening remarks, the Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Sherin Francis shared her concerns vis-à-vis the issue of climate change and the relevance of this year’s theme for Tourism Week,[Sustainable tourism – A tool for development] as pressure mounts globally to ensure sustainable development and take action to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“We look aghast at the calamity that has just befallen the islands of the Caribbean and we cannot help but ask the question: ‘could this ever happen to us – and what can we do about it? The very backbone of our economy is tourism and tourism in turn relies on not only social, political and economic stability, but also on a friendly climate,” said Mrs Francis.
The guest speaker at the forum was Professor Geoffrey Lipman, a vastly experienced and respected voice in the global tourism industry. Mr Lipman who was an executive director of IATA in the 1970’s, first president of World Travel and Tourism Council and assistant secretary general of UNWTO is currently Director of Green earth and Green growth Travelism institute.
In his initial intervention, Mr Lipman gave an overview of the intersection between climate change and sustainable development and what he calls travelism.
He was then joined in a panel discussion by the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Ambassador Maurice Loustau Lalanne; CEO of Seychelles Island Foundation, Dr Frauke Dogley; CEO of Nature Seychelles, Dr Nirmal Shah; Principal Policy Analyst at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Theodore Marguerite, and the General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel, Adrian Messerli.
Guided by Glynn Burridge, consultant and copywriter for the Seychelles Tourism board who acted as moderator, the panellists were asked individual questions centred on sustainability and climate change, with a particular focus on the Seychelles context.
The panellists answered based on their expertise and knowledge in their respective fields and their reflections were from the stand point of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), primarily the Indian Ocean islands.
Several key suggestions were brought forward, including the act now mentality which they feel should be taken on board by the government, private sector, international organisations as well as individuals when it comes to climate change and its effects on Small Islands Developing States.
They also reflected upon the synergy which should exist between various organisations in Seychelles and the need for policies to be adjusted to continue pushing the renewable energy agenda forward, with the aim of lowering carbon emissions.
“We should start to act now; the parameters are very clear in regards to climate change and sustainable developments. We need to marry the roles of all the shareholders of the industry. What can we do immediately? We made general suggestions today and key is the renewable energy policy which is crucial to lower carbon emissions,” said Minister Loustau-Lalanne.
The panelists agreed that the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were among the key tools that can further assist the tourism sector in addressing shortcomings when faced with the issue of climate change impacts.
“There are 17 SDG’s where tourism has three SDG responsibilities. 8 of which concern poverty, 12 of which are about sustainable development for economic growth and 14 which focus on sustainable use of marine sources, all directly linked to tourism. But when I look at them and given the importance of tourism as the third economy of the world, tourism indirectly and indirectly touches all 17 SDGs and I believe if all nations work together, we can make a change towards climate change,” the minister added.
Panelists agreed that they should all endeavour to ensure that the travel and tourism sector play a pivotal role in ensuring sustainable developments. They urged those present to re-think the “vulnerable” tag which they often attach to Small Island Developing States, and to see themselves as leaders of change.
After analyzing all the threats and proposing solutions, the forum concluded that with all the information available, all stakeholders from policy makers down to the individual should come together and network and move into action.
The lecture was attended by staff of the Seychelles Tourism Board and the Minsitry of Tourism Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, governmental organisations such as the ports authority, hotel and environmental group representatives, as well as students from the Seychelles Tourism Academy and the University of Seychelles.
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