Conference on Sustainable Tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Dates: 22-24 November 2017 (Conference), 25-26 November 2017 (Field visits)

In the framework of the 2017 UN International Year for Sustainable Tourism for Development, this conference wishes to provide a platform for tourism professionals, academics, and practitioners from other SIDS and the region to discuss an integrated practical approach to sustainable tourism in SIDS. For this event, the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation (SSTF), and the University of Seychelles (Department of Tourism and Cultural Heritage) partnered up with the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas’ Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS group), the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and the Paris Tourism Sorbonne Institute of Research and Higher Education in Tourism (IREST), to organize a regional conference on sustainable tourism in SIDS, which will combine academic tourism research with practical best practice examples. The conference aims at connecting the various stakeholders working and researching the environmental and socio-cultural development of the tourism industry, for constructive discussions and networking. The specificity of this event would be to bring together experts working in the field of protected area management and specialists in cultural site preservation, to create synergistic knowledge and fruitful exchanges.

Conference dates:

• Wednesday 22 November: registration and social event at UniSey campus
• Thursday 23 November: Full day conference
• Friday 24 November: Full day conference and gala dinner at partner hotel
• Saturday 25 November: Field visit (optional)
• Sunday 26 November: Field visit (optional)

Conference venue: UniSey campus, Anse Royale, Mahe, Seychelles Conference Themes

Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas
In Partnership with the TAPAS Group, the focus areas will be will be sustainable tourism in protected areas, including terrestrial parks and reserves, marine protected areas, and World Heritage Sites:

• Evaluating the financial and economic benefits of tourism in PAs;
• Impacts on biodiversity of PA tourism;
• Tourism concessions and partnerships for tourism;
• Community benefits and socio-economic linkages;
• Destination management and the application of standards and certification tools for protected areas (e.g. IUCN Green List; GSTC Criteria and certifications, etc.)