Development of biodiversity conservation measures in the tourism sector

FIVE Hotels and Resorts commissioned AFRY to assess the biodiversity status of its hotels in Switzerland and Dubai.

The assessment looked at the impact of the company's activities on local biodiversity and ecosystems, and identified opportunities for improvement.

As the hotels are located in very different ecosystems with specific local conditions, each site was analysed individually. The assessment particularly accounted for the proximity to protected areas and areas of conservation interest, the native flora and fauna, the risks associated with the economic activities and opportunities to integrate the local population and culture into the activities offered. Ecotourism in both countries was examined through a number of examples of how existing businesses are already adapting their activities to the concept.

The next step was to address the identified impacts according to the principle of the "Mitigation Hierarchy". This globally recognised tool aims to minimise negative impacts on biodiversity through the successive steps of "avoidance", "minimisation", "restoration" and "compensation". This way, projects can follow a strategy from "no net loss" to "net gain".

Based on the SBTN (Science-based targets for nature) guidelines, we have defined five target areas with a number of specific action points that can be applied to the tourism sector in general and to the specific needs of FIVE hotels:

1. Input optimisation: focus on sustainable sourcing of food and other materials.
2. Output optimisation: focus on waste minimisation and recycling
3. Biodiversity-friendly site management: focus on outdoor areas of hotels, presence of native flora, and reduction of impact on native fauna.
4. Actions to initiate public-private partnership programmes for biodiversity: working with local NGOs, improving opportunities for nature-friendly activities for hotel guests.
5. Measures to implement a green investment programme: implementation of international performance standards.

Sustainable tourism offers the opportunity to combine many biodiversity initiatives with activities that not only create a source of income that can be used for conservation projects, but also raise awareness of local environmental issues. Several institutions have already recognised the potential of this sector, such as the IUCN, which has published several guides on biodiversity-friendly hotels.