Marine iguanas in the Galapagos – Image: Alan Alquist/Unsplash
Nature is the backdrop to tourism, from the oceans we swim in, the city parks we visit, the mountains we climb, to the flora and fauna that we observe. 80% of travel and tourism’s value of its goods and services relies on nature and its ecosystems according to the World Economic Forum – it’s a critical asset that can make or break business success. Yet despite this significant dependency, nature does not have a voice or a seat at the table. It’s an invisible partner often overlooked.
Nature as equal partner
Some destinations have taken matters into their own hands, giving rights to nature such as the precedent set in New Zealand with the legal personhood and values of the Whanganui River, giving equal rights for nature.
Ecuador was the first country to enshrine the Rights of Nature into its legal constitution, being home to the Galapagos Islands – including the right to exist, thrive and regenerate. Ecuador also agreed a milestone debt for nature swap with The Nature Conservancy and other partners to release USD460 million for conservation funding for the Amazon Biocorridor Programme.
In both countries, these initiatives were led by Indigenous Peoples exemplifying how communities that are often excluded from the conservation conversation can be powerful proponents of change.
Globally, the 30 by 30 target from the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework aims to protect 30% of land and sea for nature and mitigate the impacts of climate change with 100s of countries signed up. These are positive signals of changing attitudes to nature and biodiversity going beyond protection to regeneration.
Interconnected crises with multiplier effects
With Europe braced for further wildfires, there is a sense that climate change is now accepted as the threat it always was. Yet talk of hectares lost does not provide the full picture to the sheer scale of devastation to nature and wildlife.
For example, during Australia’s black summer of 2019/2020, 3 billion mammals, reptiles, birds and frogs were impacted (destroyed, displaced or affected) according to WWF. This is a tragedy of epic scale.
Yet the tragedy has been unfolding over decades. The Living Planet Report from the WWF shows a 73% average decline in monitored wildlife populations over 1970–2020. Where tipping points are not sudden, pressure builds up over time and then thresholds are breached leading to changes that are self-perpetuating.
The IUCN Red List stats make difficult reading, where 49,500 species are threatened with extinction, amounting to 28% of monitored species.
Travel and tourism businesses therefore should not wait for more tipping points before acting on the interdependent crises of climate change and biodiversity loss where often these are treated in silos.
Putting nature front and centre
When it comes to nature-positive strategies, players like Iberostar are ahead of the game. Its Wave of Change strategy looks across the entire travel supply chain to ensure that all its activities protect, restore and help oceans and nature thrive. Key pillars include sustainable fishing practices and engaging with communities for empowering destination stewardship and nature protection, embracing circular economy and harmonising the hotel experience with nature.
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau allows guests to swim with Manta Rays in a responsible way and collaborates with the Manta Trust and Maldivian Manta Ray Project which are science-based NGOs. Collaborating with science-based organisations helps ensure that conservation, protection and visitor education initiatives are grounded in credible evidence, reducing the risk of greenwashing while helping nature thrive and visitors enjoy meaningful experiences.
Nature on the board
By taking nature seriously at a strategic level, not just at the experience level, tourism companies can be a fundamental driver of positive change . Already some companies, led by Faith in Nature, have joined the Nature on the Board movement giving nature a voice and a vote. Consultancy, ANIMONDIAL, focuses on animal welfare protection, stopping biodiversity loss and creating sustainable tourism businesses and destinations. Their six pillars encompass: assess with its measuring tool Natour Impact; commit; transform; educate, including capacity building; disclose; and restore for regenerative tourism.
Supporting nature-positive businesses, engaging local communities and Indigenous knowledge holders, investing in nature restoration and measuring and monitoring ecosystem health can all help destinations to safeguard and restore the ecosystems on which tourism depends.
Kakadu national park – Image: Rod Long/Unsplash
Avoiding tipping points with proactive solutions
In Australia, Indigenous cultural fire stewardship is a notable example of not letting things go beyond tipping points, where fire is treated as an ongoing relationship rather than a hazard to suppress until it becomes disastrous.
Kakadu National Park is co-managed with Traditional Owners, where they conduct early dry-season patch burning along with Indigenous ranger-led visitor experiences. The cultural burning is part of ‘Caring for Country’ and avoiding a build up of fuel that could lead to bush fires, working in partnership with Parks Australia leveraging ancient and new techniques.
In Canada, Destination Indigenous promotes a variety of Indigenous visitor experiences across nature, culture, reconciliation, the arts, shopping and gastronomy, with its own distinct ‘the Original Original’ brand to convey its values and show that the business is majority indigenous owned. There are over 700 Indigenous Peoples in Canada – each telling their own story – creating diverse tourism experiences as well as promoting cultural understanding.
At Travel Forward, we recognise the value that nature brings to tourism. Our developing Nature RiskScan project is one way we’re supporting destinations to identify and respond to these risks by using key data to guide planning, investment and action. The project is run in partnership with Risklayer, Connect Seven, The Long Run, Kate Rivett Carnac and Cuidadores de Destinos.
We are now seeking destinations to help pilot and shape the methodology. The opportunity is particularly relevant for nature-based destinations looking to future-proof both tourism and the natural assets on which it depends.
NAN/Caroline Bremner 07-08-26
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