One Health principles for sustainable tourism in protected and conserved areas

The wide-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have included immense loss of life and serious health and economic consequences across communities and  ecosystems. One key message made clear from the pandemic crisis has been that sustainability must be a leading priority across all sectors to ensure a healthy and  safe future. Tourism, which itself suffered a sharp disruption in the pandemic, is among the industries that have a strong interest to reduce risks and increase resilience  toward a more sustainable model in line with a One Health approach. Protected and conserved areas (PCAs) are an especially important setting for sustainable tourism and can serve as a catalyst for wider adoption of best practices anchored in One Health principles that help to sustainability balance the health of people, animals, and  ecosystems. This report presents six core principles, which have been developed and refined through a series of workshops and expert consultations. They provide practical strategies for tour operators and wider tourism industry stakeholders in PCAs. They are intentionally broad, allowing for use and adaptation in any PCA context.