Biodiversity, eco-system services and tourism – conflict or symbiosis?

Tourism depends on biodiversity for its very survival, and biodiversity conservation depends on responsible tourism. In this series of interviews we speak to scientists, policymakers, destinations, communities and industry leaders about the urgency of taking action, the options to take action and affect fundamental change, and innovative stories about best practice that can be scaled or replicated.

Biodiversity, eco-system services and tourism – conflict or symbiosis?

Professor Harold Goodwin and Doctor Shaun Vorster discuss biodiversity and what tourism can do to sustain it. Tourism has historically funded biodiversity projects, but this support has been threatened by COVID-19.

Biodiversity loss – industry knowledge

Industry insiders share their thoughts and learnings about biodiversity loss (and why we need to prevent it) in a series of videos hosted by Dr Shaun Vorster.

The science behind biodiversity

Want to know more about the science behind biodiversity (and why it’s important we prevent biodiversity loss?) These videos will keep you informed.

Best practice for biodiversity

Learn from the best about how best to prevent biodiversity loss and encourage more sustainable forms of tourism.

Biodiversity policy

The policies and projects that have been put in place to protect biodiversity.

Destinations and Biodiversity Loss

Learn how destinations are working to protect biodiversity with conservation projects.

 

The Treadright Foundation gives a beautiful and inspiring voice to the importance of recognising the important nexus between Tourism, Nature, Culture & Heritage, and Indigenous Communities.

Sarain Fox’s storytelling brings this too life when she explains how indigenous peoples worldwide are harnessing the power of travel to keep cultures alive.

Ami Vitale gives a voice to the need to “reimagine our relationship with nature and with one another” in this interconnected human-environment system.

Dr Shaun Vorster
Advisory Board of World Tourism Forum Lucerne & Professor Extraordinaire, University of Stellenbosch Business School

 

Shaun has specialised as strategy practitioner in complex, multi-stakeholder environments for the past three decades. During his 17 year track record in the travel and tourism industry and sustainable mega-project development, he served as special adviser to the South African tourism and environment minister and as vice president for commercial at Expo 2020 Dubai. Social impact and environmental stewardship cut across his portfolio of professional activities during his career in the private sector, government, think tanks and academia. He holds a doctorate in International Political Economy and a mid-career MBA cum laude. He is a widely published author across different disciplines, including scenario studies, corporate governance, sustainable tourism, low-carbon aviation, and climate change. He previously served on the judging panel for the WTTCs ‘Tourism for Tomorrow’ awards, and was one of the architects behind the inaugural T.20 (G20) Tourism Ministers’ Meetings when it was originally launched in South Africa in 2010.

Harold Goodwin
WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor

Harold is WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor, he puts together the flagship Responsible Tourism programme at WTM London which attracts 2000 participants each year and the programmes run at WTM Africa, WTM Latin America and Arabian Travel Market. Harold has worked on 4 continents with local communities, their governments and the inbound and outbound tourism industry. He is Managing Director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership and chairs the panels of judges for the World Responsible Tourism Awards and the other Awards in the family, Africa, India and Latin America. Harold works with industry, local communities, governments, and conservationists and undertakes consultancy and evaluations for companies, NGOs, governments, and international organisations. He is also a Director of the Institute of Place Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he is an Emeritus Professor, and Founder Director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism promotes the principles of the Cape Town Declaration which he drafted.