ISE10/18-19

• Green tourism, also known as nature-based tourism or ecotourism, involves visitation to natural areas.^{1Legend symbol denoting The Hong Kong Government uses the term "green tourism" for tourism activities in natural areas. However, the terms "ecotourism" and "nature-based tourism" are also used interchangeably in overseas places such as Australia.} Across the globe, green tourism is a growth sector in the tourism industry. It is estimated that nature-based tourism ventures worldwide are worth US$100 billion (HK$779 billion) per year.^{2Legend symbol denoting See United Nations World Tourism Organization (2017).}

• Hong Kong is a city with numerous natural attractions, including 24 country parks and 22 special areas totalling 44 312 hectares, or 40% of its land mass.^{3Legend symbol denoting See AFCD (2017).} In her 2017 Policy Address, the Chief Executive remarked that the Government would promote the development of sustainable green tourism.^{4Legend symbol denoting In her 2018 Policy Address, the Chief Executive added that the Government is enhancing the supporting facilities of key hiking trails and piers with a view to strengthening the development of Hong Kong's green and ecotourism.} Indeed, travellers visiting Hong Kong appear increasingly interested in its green destinations. According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, in 2018, 11% of overnight visitors from the long-haul market have visited "green treasures" such as country parks, hiking trails and beaches, compared to just 6% in 2015.^{5Legend symbol denoting See Hong Kong Tourism Board (2017 & 2019).}

• This issue of Essentials begins with an overview on the development of green tourism in Hong Kong. This is followed by a discussion on Australia, which formulated its first ecotourism strategy in the 1990s. In recent years, Australia has continued to entrench its edge in green tourism by diversifying its ecotourism products, implementing robust policy frameworks, and ensuring compliance of operators.

Green Tourism in Hong Kong

• Green tourism or ecotourism is defined as tourism which minimizes the impact on, and supports the long-term maintenance of, natural areas.^{6Legend symbol denoting See IUCN (1996).} International bodies such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature^{7Legend symbol denoting IUCN is the world's largest environmental network comprising both government and civil society organizations. Its work includes formulating measures needed to safeguard the natural world, such as species survival and protected areas. In Hong Kong, AFCD is a registered member of IUCN.} ("IUCN") and Convention on Biological Diversity^{8Legend symbol denoting The Convention on Biological Diversity was developed by the United Nations Environment Programme and was open for signature in 1992. China is a signatory of the Convention.} recognize that sustainable green tourism helps generate revenue, provide economic opportunities, and raise awareness for the conservation of protected areas. Indeed, many overseas places have focused on developing green tourism in light of its economic and environmental benefits.^{9Legend symbol denoting See Convention on Biological Diversity (2017).}
• In Hong Kong, the development of green tourism is one of the implementation goals under the Government's tourism strategy. The Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry promulgated in October 2017 sets out the initiatives for green tourism, including development of green products and attractions through funding support to the Hong Kong Tourism Board and collaboration with local districts, as well as enhancement of support services such as public piers and kaito transport.
• More recently in February 2019, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department ("AFCD") launched a public consultation on proposals to enhance the recreation and education potential of country parks. In particular, AFCD sought the public's view on four proposals, namely (a) enhancement of existing facilities; (b) setting up of open museums for appreciation of historic relics; (c) development of tree top adventure; and (d) provision of glamping sites and eco-lodges. The enhancement measures are expected to diversify visitors' experience and meet demands for countryside recreation while maintaining the conservation function of country parks.
• While the consultation results have yet to be published, some non-governmental organizations have expressed concerns over the environmental impact and mode of operation of the enhancement proposals. In particular, they are concerned that (a) enhancement measures involving additional facilities may strain park capacity and affect the surrounding environment; and (b) contracting out of tourism facilities to private operators may result in over-commercialization and lack of oversight.^{10Legend symbol denoting See長春社(2019) and Save Our Country Parks Alliance (2019).} The concern groups have thus urged the Government to conduct further feasibility studies and/or undertake more systemic planning before proceeding with the proposed measures.

Development of ecotourism in Australia

• Australia's natural environment is a significant part of its appeal as a travel destination. Nature-based tourism attracted some 5.2 million international visitors and 20.1 million domestic overnight visitors in 2016.^{11Legend symbol denoting Tourists engaged in nature-based activities also spent 53% more per trip compared to tourists not engaged in nature-based activities. See Ecotourism Australia (2017) and Tourism & Transport Forum Australia (2017).} As at 2017, Australia's protected areas accounted for more than 95 million hectares, or 11% of the country's land mass.^{12Legend symbol denoting See Tourism & Transport Forum Australia (2017).}
• Australia was the first place in the world to promulgate a National Ecotourism Strategy back in 1994. In particular, the Strategy identified a need to facilitate application of ecologically sustainable practices, address the business needs of ecotourism operators, and promote industry self-regulation. The Australian government consequently committed A$10 million (HK$57 million) over four years to support ecotourism development in the areas of business development, infrastructure, regional planning, and industry accreditation. While the national strategy has not been renewed by the federal government since then,^{13Legend symbol denoting Instead, ecotourism and destination planning have been included as part of Australia's national Tourism 2020 strategy. See Tourism Australia (2011).} state governments such as Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia have respectively put forward their ecotourism strategies with the formulation of robust policy frameworks to develop their ecotourism product portfolio in national parks.^{14Legend symbol denoting For instance, Victoria promulgated its Nature-Based Tourism Strategy in 2008, South Australia announced its nature-based tourism plan in 2015, and Queensland put forth its Ecotourism Plan in 2016.}

Ecotourism policy framework

• In Australia, there are more than 500 declared national parks, the majority of which are managed by their respective state governments.^{15Legend symbol denoting Only seven national parks are managed on a federal level by Parks Australia. See Department of the Environment and Energy (2016).} In order to ensure that development of ecotourism aligns with the management priorities of national parks, state governments in Australia have developed more transparent policy frameworks and supported industry best practices. For example, in Queensland,^{16Legend symbol denoting Queensland is one of the leading green tourism destinations in Australia. It is home to five World Heritage sites, including the Great Barrier Reef, Gondwana Rainforests and Fraser Island. It is estimated that tourists visiting Queensland's national parks spend A$4.43 billion (HK$26 billion) each year, more than one-fifth of total tourist spending in Queensland. See Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science (2018).} the government revamped its policy framework in 2015 to facilitate the development of low-impact commercial ecotourism facilities in national parks,^{17Legend symbol denoting Apart from Queensland, other state governments such as New South Wales and Tasmania also allow the development of ecotourism facilities within national parks. See Queensland Government (2015).} and to ensure sustainable allocation of park capacity for ecotourism activities. The salient features of Queensland's ecotourism policy framework include:
  
  

  (a)	assessment of ecotourism facilities: the Queensland government has in place a robust assessment and approval process to ensure ecotourism facilities are ecologically sustainable, of low impact, and in the public's interest. The approval exercise may be initiated by private investors or kick-started by the government through open and competitive tender. To gauge the effect of ecotourism facilities and canvass the view of stakeholders, preliminary assessments, impact assessment and public consultation are required. In addition, the proposed ecotourism facilities should observe sustainability criteria in site design and construction, management of habitat, energy use and waste minimization;
  (b)	allocation of visitor capacity: the Queensland government has developed a management tool to identify the optimal level of ecotourism activity.18Legend symbol denoting The tool, namely Queensland Eco and Sustainable Tourism (QuEST), is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services and aims to provide business certainty, streamlined administration and opportunities of growth for operators of guided tours. See Queensland Government (2019). Tourism operators conducting guided tours in high visitation national parks are required to submit data for their year of highest visitor use. After factoring in the collated data, tourism trends and existing park infrastructure, the parks authority will allocate visitor capacity for each tourism operator. To enable further business opportunities, the allocated capacity includes a margin of growth within sustainable limits;19Legend symbol denoting A review of the allocated visitor capacity will be conducted once every five years. See Queensland Government (2019). and
  (c)	monitoring compliance of ecotourism operators: to ensure ecotourism facilities and guided tours deliver the expected benefits, the Queensland parks authority may conduct regular compliance audits depending on the scale and nature of development. It may also impose permit conditions such as requiring operators to open part of their facilities for public access, and/or contribute some revenue to support wildlife conservation.20Legend symbol denoting See Queensland Government (2019). As a further safeguard, ecotourism operators are required to demonstrate commitment to sustainable practices by obtaining ecotourism accreditation from non-profit organizations such as Ecotourism Australia.21Legend symbol denoting In Australia, the first national ecotourism accreditation scheme was launched in 1996 by Ecotourism Australia with the support of the federal government. Apart from Queensland, ecotourism accreditation is also mandatory for ecotourism operators in states such as Victoria and New South Wales.

Implementing ecotourism initiatives to boost visitation

• With policy frameworks in place, Australia has in recent years transformed its national parks and marine reserves into popular green destinations through destination planning and product development. Various initiatives have been taken forward by Australia's public authorities in partnership with the private sector, which has resulted in industry growth and increased visitation:^{22Legend symbol denoting For instance, between 2014 and 2015, the number of international visitors to state and national parks grew by 13%. See Ecotourism Australia (2017).}
  
  

  (a)	diversifying ecotourism products: state governments have sought to unlock economic growth by diversifying their tourism portfolio. The South Australian government, for example, has committed more than A$23 million (HK$134 million) to develop multi-day walking trails, mountain bike routes, accessible wildlife encounters and immersive marine experiences. These key projects are complemented by supporting facilities such as nature cafes and adventure hubs in national parks;
  (b)	curating heritage experiences: state governments have adopted destination planning to showcase natural and historic heritage. In New South Wales ("NSW"), the Cape Byron State Conservation Area is known for its unique ecology and historic lighthouse.23Legend symbol denoting In recognition of its sound management of natural and historic heritage as well as provision of high quality recreational facilities, the Cape Byron State Conservation Area was included in the IUCN Green List of Protected Areas in 2014. See NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (2014). Building upon its heritage, the NSW parks authority has curated a suite of ecotourism experiences including walking trails, guided tours and whale watching. The lighthouse and other historic assets have also been preserved as a maritime museum, information centre, cafes, and accommodation; and
  (c)	developing low-impact accommodation and facilities: ecotourism accommodation and facilities help maintain low environmental footprint, boost visitation, and bring flow-on benefits to local communities. Against this, development of eco-lodges and glamping in national parks has been a key tourism initiative in Australia. For instance, in the Christmas Island National Park, an eco-lodge named Swell Lodge has been developed through public-private partnership. The lodge features the use of green technology such as off-grid solar systems and greywater treatment. In Queensland, one of its notable low-impact tourism projects is the development of a treetop skywalk through a World Heritage rainforest (known as Mamu Tropical Skywalk), featuring the use of sustainable construction materials with minimal forest clearing to minimize adverse environmental impact.

Concluding remarks

• Green tourism has been gaining popularity around the globe. To ride on this opportunity, Hong Kong has plans to develop sustainable green tourism by enhancing the recreational potential of country parks. Recently, AFCD has sought the public's view over four enhancement proposals covering accommodation, open museums, treetop adventure and supporting facilities. However, some environmental concern groups have expressed concerns over their impact, operation and carrying capacity, and have urged the Government to conduct further detailed assessments and planning.

• With a longer history of green tourism development, Australia is more experienced in implementing the related strategy and initiatives. State governments such as Queensland have developed robust policy frameworks and management tools to ensure ecotourism is sustainable and aligns with public interest. Apart from stipulating a pre-construction assessment plan, ecotourism operators are required to obtain ecotourism accreditation, and may be subject to preconditions and compliance audits performed by relevant park authorities. In recent years, Australia has continued to diversify its ecotourism products through destination planning and development of low-impact facilities and accommodation, which help contribute to economic development while raising the environmental awareness of visitors.

Prepared by Charlie LAM
Research Office
Information Services Division
Legislative Council Secretariat
24 September 2019