With the theme of Tourism & biodiversity, proposed by the World competent, the World Tourism Day to offer its contribution for 2010, declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations' International Year of Biodiversity.
This decision stems from a deep concern for the social, economic, environmental and cultural benefits resulting from the loss of biodiversity, including the adverse consequences it entails for the achievement of the MDGs, and wants to put in emphasis on the need to take concrete steps to reverse this loss "[1].
Biodiversity refers to the wealth of living beings on Earth, as well as the delicate balance of interdependence and interaction between them and the physical environment that accommodates them
conditions. It results in different ecosystems, which are good as forests, wetlands, savannahs, deserts, coral reefs, mountains, oceans or polar regions.
conditions. It results in different ecosystems, which are good as forests, wetlands, savannahs, deserts, coral reefs, mountains, oceans or polar regions.
About three serious dangers of their obligations, which require an urgent solution: climate change, desertification and biodiversity loss. In recent years it has grown at an unprecedented rate. Recent studies indicate that, worldwide, are threatened or at risk of extinction for 22% of mammals, 31% of amphibians, birds, or 13.6%, 27% of coral reefs [2].
These changes contribute to a large extent, many areas of human activity, including no doubt there is tourism, which is among those who have experienced higher growth and faster. In this regard, we recall the figures provided by the World Tourism Organization (WTO). If the arrivals of international tourists in 1995 were 534 million and 682 million in 2000, the report forecasts that appear in the Tourism 2020 Vision are 1.006 billion for 2010, and will reach 1.561 billion in 2020, with an average annual growth of 4.1%. [3] To these figures must be added those of the international tourism even more remarkable in domestic tourism. All this shows the strong growth of this business, which includes some important effects for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, with the consequent danger that it becomes a serious environmental impact, especially with regard to the enormous consumption of limited resources ( such as drinking water and land) and the great production of contaminated waste, which exceeds the amount that a given area can absorb.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that tourism demand is directed increasingly targets of nature, attracted by its many beauties, which would require a major impact on the people visited, on their economy, environment and cultural heritage. This may be a detrimental factor or a significant and positive contribution to heritage conservation. Tourism is alive, well, a paradox. If, on the one hand, created and developed thanks to the attraction of some natural and cultural sites, on the other they themselves can be damaged and even destroyed by tourism itself, so end up being excluded from the tourist destinations because they have lost the 'attraction that distinguished them rise
In view of this, we can say that tourism can not shirk its responsibility in the protection of biodiversity, but on the contrary, should assume an active role. The development of this economic sector must be inevitably accompanied by the principles of sustainability and respect for biological diversity.
All this has seriously concerned the international community, and these issues have been subject to repeated pronouncements [4]. The Church wants to join his voice in the role that is right, starting with the same conviction that it "has a responsibility for creation and enforcing this responsibility in the public realm. And in doing so must defend not only the land, water and air as gifts from all of creation. Must above all protect against the destruction of man himself "[5]. Without going into the question of practical technical solutions that fall outside the jurisdiction, the Church is anxious to draw attention to the relationship between the Creator and the created human beings [6]. The Magisterium repeatedly stresses the responsibility of humans in the preservation of a healthy environment and healthy for everyone, starting from the belief that "environmental protection is a challenge for humanity: it is the duty, common and universal respect a collective good [7].
As the Holy Father Benedict XVI Encyclical "Caritas in Veritate," in nature, the believer recognizes the wonderful result of God's creative, that man can use responsibly to meet our legitimate needs - materials and intangible assets - while respecting the intrinsic balance of creation "[8] and the use of which for us is" a responsibility towards the poor, future generations of all humanity "[9]. Therefore, tourism should be environmentally friendly, and try to reach perfect harmony with creation, so that, by ensuring the sustainability of the resources on which it depends, do not cause irreversible ecological changes.
contact with nature is important. Therefore, the travel must strive to respect and appreciate the beauty of creation, in the belief "that many find peace and quiet, you feel renewed and invigorated when they are in close contact with the beauty and harmony of nature. There is therefore a kind of reciprocity: as we care for creation, we realize that God, through creation, takes care of us "[10].
There is an element that makes even more demanding, if possible, this effort. In his search for God, the human being finds some ways to approach the Mystery, which have as their starting point the creation [11]. The nature and biodiversity we speak of God the Creator, who is present in his creation, "For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator" (Wis 13, 5), "because it created the same Author of beauty "(Wis 13, 3). That is why the world in all its diversity, "is offered to the human eye as a sign of God, a place where it reveals its creative power, providence and redemption" [12]. Tourism, therefore, closer to creation in all its variety and richness, can be an opportunity to promote or enhance religious experience.
becomes urgent and necessary, therefore, finding a balance between tourism and biodiversity, in which both are mutually supportive, so that economic development and environmental protection do not appear to be conflicting and incompatible elements, but is tent to accommodate the needs of both [13].
Efforts to protect and promote biodiversity in its relationship with the tourism spend in the first place, for the development of participative and shared, they are involved the sectors concerned. Most governments, international institutions, trade associations in the tourism sector and NGOs must defend, in a comprehensive vision for the need of sustainable tourism as the only possible form in order for its development both at the same time, economically viable and protects the natural and cultural resources, and is real help in the fight against poverty.
public authorities, then, must offer a clear legislation that protects and enhances biodiversity, increasing benefits and reducing the costs of tourism, in the supervision of compliance [14]. To this must surely accompany a important investment in terms of planning and education. The government efforts will be more severe in the places most vulnerable and where the degradation was more intense. Probably some of them in tourism should be limited or even avoided.
It requires, however, the tourist businesses "to conceive and develop their activities with minimal adverse effects on the protection of sensitive ecosystems and the environment in general, actively contributing to their protection and pass the benefits on local communities" [15]. To achieve this will need previous study on the sustainability of each tourism product, highlighting the positive contributions as well as the real potential risks in the belief that the sector can not pursue the maximum benefit at all costs [16].
Finally, tourists should be aware that their presence in a place is not always positive. To do this, they should be informed about the real benefits that entails the conservation of biodiversity and educated in sustainable tourism. They should also claim that tourism businesses actually contribute to the development of the site. In any case, the territory or the historical-cultural heritage of destinations to be prejudiced in favor of the tourist, adapting to their tastes or desires. A important effort, especially that must carry out the ministry of tourism, education is the contemplation that will help tourists to discover the traces of God in the great wealth of biodiversity.
Thus, a tourism that develops in harmony with creation will resonate in the heart of the tourist praise of the Psalmist: "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name over all the earth" (Ps 8, 2).
+ Antonio Maria Veglio
President
+ Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary
a) Organization UN Resolution A/RES/61/203 adopted by the General Assembly, December 20, 2006.
2) See J.-C. Vie, C. Hilton-Taylor and SN Stuart (eds.), Wildlife in a Changing World. An analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Gland, Switzerland, 2009, p. 18: http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/RL-2009-001.pdf
3) See http://www.unwto.org/facts/eng/vision.htm
4) A document from the first record is the Charter for Sustainable Tourism, which was approved during the "World Conference on Sustainable Tourism", celebrated by the English island of Lanzarote 27 to 28 April 1995. Jointly, in 1996 the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Earth Council drew up the Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism: Towards Environmentally sustainable, which translates into an action program for tourism Agenda 21 of the United Nations for the promotion of sustainable development (adopted in the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992). Another significant landmark is the Berlin Declaration, the concluding document of the "international conference of Environment Ministers on Biodiversity and Tourism, which took place in the German capital six through eight by March 1997. Probably this document represents the most important contribution, because of its development, influences, and dissemination of its signatories. A few months later he signed the Manila Declaration on the social impact of tourism, which had highlighted the importance of a set of principles to promote sustainable tourism. As a result of the "World Ecotourism Summit, held in May 2002 from the MTO, with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), was published in the Quebec Declaration on ecotourism. In the framework of the Conference on Biodiversity, in 2004 were published the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development. All such documents must be added the many international guides and compendiums of good practices published in relation to this matter from the MTO, chief among them called for more sustainable tourism: a guide for policy makers, published in 2005 in collaboration with the UNEP.
5) Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 51: AAS 101 (2009), p. 687.
6) See Benedict XVI, Message for the celebration of World Day of Peace 2010 XLIII, December 8, 2009, No 4: L'Osservatore Romano, No. 290 (45 333), December 16, 2009, p. 6.
7) Pontifical The Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City 2004, n. 466. See John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 40: AAS 83 (1991) p. 843.
8) Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 48, lc, p. 684.
9) Ibid.
10) Benedict XVI, Message for the celebration of World Day of Peace 2010 XLIII, No 13, lc, p. 5.
11) See Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City 1997, n. 31.
12) Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No 487, lc
13) See ibid, n. 470.
14) See Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 50, lc, p. 686.
15) World Ecotourism Summit, Final Report. Ecotourism declaration in Quebec, May 22, 2002, World Tourism Organization and Joint United Nations Programme for Environment, Madrid 2002, Recommendation 21.
16) See World Tourism Organization, the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, 1 October 1999, Art. 3 § 4: http://www.unwto.org/ethics/full_text/en/full_text.php?subop=2
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