Indicate which actions have been carried out to implement this Resolution :
Capacity-building
Field activities
Describe the results/achievements of the actions taken:
The Secretariat has trained nearly 100 ecotourism stakeholders, including protected area managers and local SMEs working in ecotourism, on how to apply ecotourism standards and monitor/improve performance over time.
The Secretariat has developed and pilot tested in more than 20 protected areas a standard for managing the quality and sustainability of ecotourism products, and have developed an online monitoring tool to support protected areas in measuring and improving ecotourism performance. In order to improve protected area capacity in understanding the environmental impact of ecotourism products, we have also developed and tested a methodology based on the Ecological Footprint which has been applied to ecotourism for the first time.
The standard has now been integrated into the MEET Network model for protected areas and is being used to support protected area members in managing ecotourism and developing ecotourism products that benefit conservation.
What challenges/obstacles have been encountered in the implementation of this Resolution and how were they overcome :
Briefly describe what future actions are needed for the implementation of this Resolution:
The online platform will evolve to be more user-friendly and will incorporate capacity building modules related to the standards in order to improve their effectiveness and uptake and increase the likelihood of scalability. The next phase of improving the standard will entail strengthening and pilot testing criteria and indicators related to socio-economic impacts and impacts on biodiversity, with a goal of utilizing the standard to measure and manage the net impact of ecotourism in regards to conservation of protected area destinations.
Are these actions planned for yet:
