Journal of Sustainable Tourism

Tourism and Biodiversity: Current Issues and New Directions

Tourism’s impacts on biodiversity have been discussed for decades (e.g., Christ et al., 2003; Hall, 2006; 2010; 2016; Hudson & Lee, 2010; Habibullah, 2016; UNWTO, 2010). Yet, the perception is still partial and biased toward positive contributions, while tourism’s dependence on and direct harm to biodiversity remains insufficiently understood. Moreover, climate change often overshadows biodiversity loss, even though both are considered equally severe global threats (WEF 2024). As the world is facing the sixth mass extinction (Anthropocene extinction), there is a need for a more detailed and nuanced understanding of how tourism both impacts and relies on biodiversity, and how biodiversity conservation could factually benefit from tourism in the future.  

The Special Issue aims to improve our understanding of tourism-biodiversity interdependencies by exploring themes – benefits, conflicts, harm, and coexistence – seeking sustainable solutions for both biodiversity conservation and the future of tourism. While acknowledging recent nature-positive tourism initiatives (e.g., UNWTO, 2020; WTTC, 2022; WTTC et al., 2024), the focus is specifically on biodiversity rather than nature or the environment in general. The work of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services provides a science-based foundation for transformative biodiversity action and policy integration (IPBES, 2019; 2022a; 2022b; 2023; 2024a; 2024b), also in the context of global tourism.

The themes include, but are not limited to:

• Nature-based solutions for biodiversity
  • Investigating the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in designing tourism experiences that enhance biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration (cf. biodiversity handprints).
• The value of nature in tourism and hospitality: Beyond economic metrics
  • Examining how non-material contributions of nature (e.g., cultural identity, spiritual connection, psychological well-being) can shape sustainable tourism practices.
• Transformative change in tourism systems
  • Understanding how systemic changes in tourism operations can address the root causes of biodiversity loss and habitat degradation.
• Community-based tourism and Indigenous knowledge in fostering biodiversity
  • Highlighting community-led conservation projects and integrating indigenous and local knowledge into tourism planning to foster biodiversity conservation and equitable economic benefits.
• Sustainable use of wild species in tourism and hospitality
  • Balancing the use of wild species in tourism with conservation efforts, including the sustainable sourcing of natural materials and food.
• Combatting land degradation through tourism practices
  • Exploring the role of regenerative tourism in restoring degraded landscapes and enhancing ecosystem services, i.e. nature’s benefits to people.
• The climate-biodiversity nexus in tourism and hospitality
  • Investigating how tourism and hospitality can mitigate climate-induced biodiversity loss through sustainable operations, energy efficiency, and nature-based solutions.
• Invasive alien species and tourism: Threats and solutions
  • Addressing tourism’s role in spreading invasive species and proposing measures for prevention and control.
• Sustainable tourism business dependencies on biodiversity
  • Assessing the dependencies and impacts of tourism businesses on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Theoretical underpinnings and critical perspectives of the tourism-biodiversity nexus
  • Addressing multispecies relationships, more-than-human worlds and meanings of extinction and biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene, and suggesting new conceptualisations.
• Role of new technologies in transforming tourism-biodiversity relationships
  • Improving understanding of the impact of new technologies and the emergence of technology-enhanced and virtual natures, e.g., AI and VR.

References

Christ, C., Hillel, O., Matus, S., & Sweeting, J. (2003). Tourism and Biodiversity - Mapping Tourism’s Global Footprint.

Habibullah, M. S., Din, B. H., Chong, C. W., & Radam, A. (2016). Tourism and Biodiversity Loss: Implications for Business Sustainability. Procedia Economics and Finance, 35(October 2015), 166–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(16)00021-6

Hall, C. M. (2006). Tourism, biodiversity and global environmental change. In S. Gössling & M. C. Hall (Eds.), Tourism and Global Environmental Change - Ecological, social, economic and political interrelationships (pp. 211–226). Routledge.

Hall, C. M. (2010a). Tourism and biodiversity: More significant than climate change? Journal of Heritage Tourism, 5(4), 253–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2010.517843

Hall, C. M. (2016). Loving nature to death: Tourism consumption, biodiversity loss and the Anthropocene. In M. Gren & E. H. Huijbens (Eds.), Tourism and the Anthropocene (pp. 52–73). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315747361-5

Hudson, K., & Lee, D. (2010). Biodiversity and Tourism: A valuable relationship. Social Alternatives, 29(3), 39–43.

IPBES (2019). Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (pp. 1-1082). Brondízio, E. S., Settele, J., Díaz, S., and Ngo, H. T. (eds). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3831673

IPBES (2022a). Thematic Assessment Report on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Fromentin, J. M., Emery, M. R., Donaldson, J., Danner, M. C., Hallosserie, A., and Kieling, D. (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6448567

IPBES (2022b). Methodological Assessment Report on the Diverse Values and Valuation of Nature of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Balvanera, P., Pascual, U., Christie, M., Baptiste, B., and González-Jiménez, D. (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6522522

IPBES (2023). Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Roy, H. E., Pauchard, A., Stoett, P., and Renard Truong, T. (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7430682

IPBES (2024a). Thematic Assessment Report on the Underlying Causes of Biodiversity Loss and the Determinants of Transformative Change and Options for Achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. O’Brien, K., Garibaldi, L., and Agrawal, A. (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11382215

IPBES (2024b). Thematic Assessment Report on the Interlinkages among Biodiversity, Water, Food and Health of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Harrison, P. A., McElwee, P. D., and van Huysen, T. L. (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13850054

UNWTO (2010). Tourism and Biodiversity - Achieving Common Goals Towards Sustainability. isbn: 978-92-844-1371-3

UNWTO. (2020). One Planet Vision for a Responsible Recovery of the Tourism Sector.

WEF (2024). The Global Risks Report 2024, 19th Edition. https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2024/

WTTC. (2022). World Travel and Tourism Council: Nature Positive Travel and Tourism - Travelling in Harmony with Nature.

WTTC, UNWTO, & Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. (2024). Nature Positive Travel & Tourism in Action. https://sustainablehospitalityalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Nature-Positive-Travel-Tourism-in-Action-April-2024.pdf