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Tourism and Biodiversity Fund

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries and has become an important source of foreign exchange for many developing countries. Tourism depends on natural and cultural assets, but if not planned and managed well, tourism can easily destroy the resources it so highly depends upon.

IUCN NL launched the Tourism and Biodiversity Fund in 2004 with the objective to use sustainable tourism as an instrument for biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. This fund can be applied to maximize the benefits of tourism, but also for actions to mitigate the negative environmental impacts that are related to tourism development (or a combination of both).

The Tourism & Biodiversity Fund is part of the IUCN NL Ecosystem Grants Programme (EGP) and therefore part of the ‘Ecosystems and Human Well-being programme’ which is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS) and aligned to the IUCN Global Program.

The EGP contributes to the following overall goal: ‘To reverse trends of ecosystem degradation and loss in the South, and the subsequent impoverishment of vulnerable groups in society, through the sustainable use and conservation of ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations.’

The general objectives of the EGP programme are:

  • To promote sustainable use of land and ecosystem resources
  • To protect ecosystems and biodiversity
  • To create an enabling environment at local, national and international levels

The Tourism & Biodiversity Fund will contribute to achieve the overall goal and general objectives by financing sustainable tourism projects that contribute to the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity and that can be linked to the Dutch (or European) tourism market. Projects could for example focus on themes like:

  • Tourism as an alternative for other less sustainable forms of land use
  • Tourism management in a protected area
  • Market analysis, marketing and promotion of a nature tourism product/destination
  • Defining and managing tourism’s ecological carrying capacity (and limits of acceptable change)
  • Linking ecotourism initiatives with mainstream tourism
  • More sustainable use of natural resources (water, energy) by (mass) tourism
  • Lobbying/advocacy for sustainable tourism policies and regulations

 

The next deadline is 10 April 2008 (see criteria for more details)

More information

Destination Conservation