We all love tourists and tourism because it creates employment opportunities and help our economy to grow. Unfortunately, mass conventional tourism is unsustainable economically and environmentally. On the other hand, the sustainable tourism (ecotourism) is about protecting environment and natural resources, empower local communities socially and economically. In addition, ecotourism is also about educating tourists on minimising their impacts on the environment.
The sustainable tourism (ecotourism) is defined as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”.
Last year alone, international tourists were around 1.2 billion and the figure is expected to reach 1.8 billion by 2030. Such huge number of tourists is a double-edged weapon. If not managed sustainably, the conventional tourism causes irreversible negative impacts to natural areas, by putting excess pressure on resources like water beside pollution.
The UAE has managed in the last 46 years to transform into a major entertainment, leisure, shopping and business destination. It is obvious that, in order to maintain its position and development pace, the country needs to pay more attention to sustainable tourism.
Sustainability in UAE
By 2021, the UAE is expecting to welcome around 30 million international visitors. Many of them will come not only for conventional tourism activities that can be found nowadays easily in many countries around the globe but they will be looking to explore the spectacular and natural attractions of the country.
There is no doubt that UAE is keen to become one of the most sustainable countries in the world with its green economy path. Thus, an ecotourism is definitely a future for UAE, as it will help realise it social, economic and environmental goals. In fact, UAE Vision 2021, launched by the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, emphasises the importance of “protecting the country’s natural environment from the dangers of human activities” thus the country is undertaking a wide variety of projects focusing on conservation, community development and raising awareness of the importance of responsible tourism development to both communities and visitors.
UAE officially declared 43 protected areas that span more than 14 per cent of the country’s territory that exceeds the target set in the National Strategy for Biodiversity 2015-2021. In addition, UAE is developing hundreds of natural sites, established tourist resorts around the most important natural and historical areas.
Tourists can enjoy the unique natural areas like oasis such as Liwa, natural hot springs such as Al Ain hot springs, natural reserves such as the Wathba Wetland Reserve. In addition to enjoying the desert, beaches, mountains, aflaj and sabkhas where one can try nature-based eco activities such as camping, horse riding, excursions on camels, dune cycling, dune boarding, dune gliding/paragliding and many more desert adventures.
Creating eco attractions will provide socio-economic and environmental benefits to rural communities. It is worth mentioning that such activities do not have to be mega-scale projects. In fact, the majority of them can be a small-scale project that can open up more economic opportunities for small private companies and local communities.
In addition, UAE can benefit from the presence of many visitors for business and leisure visiting for instance Shaikh Zayed Mosque, Burj Khalifa, Mall of the Emirates and Palm Jumeirah to promote ecotourism activities as well. Visitors like to have a wide variety of tourist attractions at a single location. That will boost the demand together for both conventional tourism and ecotourism.
Carrying capacity
Definitely, UAE needs an updated strategy to better utilise its natural attractions in the best way to maintain its economic growth and protect environment. Needless to say that large tourist numbers visiting natural areas is not an indicator for success, on the contrary, large tourist numbers pose pressure to ground water in tourism hotspots, increase pollution and disturb wildlife.
So, an exercise of calculating the carrying capacity for each natural attraction in order to identify the number of visitors that maintain sustainability for each area at specific period. Increasing the minimum charge for the visit can compensate the lower number of visitors as well as protecting the environment.
In short, UAE is best qualified to be one of the top ecotourism destinations in the region in the near future.
Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf is an independent environment researcher.
