Sustainable tourism and environmental protection

Challenges of and prospects forsustainable ecotourism
at Shiretoko National Park

(UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Participatory approach for value creation
Chair of the Shiretoko Ecotourism Working Group andmember of scientific advisory board of Shiretoko WNHS
Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST)SHIKIDA Asami

The development of sustainable cruise industry in the Pacific Arctic:
Past developments and future prospects In Cooperation with 12th J-ARC Net Open Seminar

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The aim of this presentation
 To share the big picture of Shiretoko

national park and world natural heritagesite and its feature To show the current status of nature
conservation and sea-borne tourism
activity in Shiretoko WNHS
 To describe the participatory approach forsustainable tourism management

Why sustainable tourism is crucial?
 Impacts on the environment and society andeconomy in destinations can not be ignored.
 We experience over-tourism before COVID-19
 Sustainable Tourism◦ It is sustainable practices of the tourism industry and activity.
◦ Our tourism activity needs to minimize the negative impacts andmaximize the positive ones.
◦ Alternative to mass-scale conventional tourism

3Concerns in Sustainability

Articles of sustainability doubled in every 8.3 Years
The increase in publication started in late 1980
Bettencourt, L. M, and Kaur J.(2011)「Evolution and structure of sustainability science」, 『PNAS』, 108(49), pp. 19540-19545.

The fact ofShiretoko WNHS
Listed: July 17, 2005

Location:
located at 43 degrees North
latitude and 144 degrees
East longitude

Area: approx. 71,100 ha
Land area: approx.
48,700 ha
Marine area: approx.
22,400 ha
Marine area extends up to3km from the coast line

Location of the Shiretoko WNHS

Shiretoko WNHS
: Ecosystem and Biodiversity
Example of complex ecosystem featuring land-marine
continuity, whereby drift ice appearing at the lowest
latitude in the northern hemisphere can be seen.

Ⅸ生態系： 北半球で最も低緯度に位置する季節海氷域である。
この影響を受け、特異な生態系を形成。海洋生態系と陸上生態系の相互関係の見本。

Characterized by diverse natural environment andwildlife of both southern and northern origins. Important
for the conservation of international rare species

Ⅹ生物多様性：海洋性及び陸上性の多くの種にとって重要な地域。
シマフクロウ、シレトコスミレなどの希少種、海鳥、渡り鳥、サケ科魚類、鯨類を含む海棲哺乳類にとって世界的に重要な地域である。

The brief history of management in SWHS
1999 Shari and Rausu Town mayors started to apply to World Heritage2004 Establishment of Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Candidate ScientificCouncil

2005 Inscription on World Natural Heritage decided by IUCN
2008 On-site inspection by the UNESCO World Heritage Center and IUCN
2009 Management Plan for the Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site2012 Joint Ecotourism Committee formed
2012 Agreement on Ecotourism Strategy at Joint Ecotourism Committee

Tourism boost local economy in Shiretoko
 Untouched nature setting is attracting tourists
 More than 1.8million tourists visit Shiretoko◦ 50,000 international tourists in 2019 Tourism Industry is important sector for local

economy generating 12 billion yen of tourism
consumption◦ In Shari alone, tourism generate 1/3 of total regional
production

Tourism activity in Shiretoko WNHS
Shari (Utoro)
A destination for conventional tourism
Onsen hot spring accommodations for tourists
Gateway to Shiretoko National Park
1.2 m visitors in 2019
Utoro tourist boat
157,000 visitors

Rausu
A fishery oriented community

Sea kayaking
700 visitors

Few tourists accommodation
Five Lakes boardwalks
335,000 visitors

Whale and sea bird watching cruiseboats

Shiretoko World Heritage
Conservation Center
105,000 visitors
Rausu tourist boat
30,000 visitors

0.6 m visitors in 2019

Brown bear Tourist attraction

10Accidental encounters are increasing

The number of accidental encounters

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Feeding and excessive service for tourists

Current issues of tourism management
 Overuse of specific locations and underuse ofless attractive locations

 Conflicts between brown beer and tourists◦ Tourists are attracted large creatures and close to it Increase in recreational tourists
 How to solve this wicked problem◦ Balancing the local economic interests andconservation of precious ecosystem while enhancing
the experience of tourists

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Establishment of JEMC in 2010
Site managers

Expert team
Ministry of Environment

scientific advisers

環境省

Forestry Agency
林野庁

State Govorment
Hokkaido
北海道庁

Joint Ecotourism
Management Committee
Local stakeholders
Tour operators municipalities, locals

Triggered by on-site inspection of the UNESCO World
Heritage Center and IUCN in 2008 (IUCNのエコツー戦略策定勧告)
Comprehensive ecotourism strategies shall be developed
promptly. As basic concepts, strategies shall promote theconservation of the region, high-quality natural experience
for tourists, and the development of the local economy.
• To respond the request, stakeholder
meetings started from 2010
• Finally agreed by local stakeholders
in 2012

The due process of ET strategy

Chance to Propose management solution
Tentative solutions are proposed by a stakeholder

at Joint Ecotourism Management Committee(JEMC)
Formation of sub committeewith park managers, experts and local people
Evaluation of proposal by the special committee
Submission of recommendation to the JEMC
Creative agreement at JEMC with diverse stakeholders
Enactment of new management rules and actions

The case of sea bird nesting protection
 Sea bird Keimahuri (Spectacled Guillemot ) was

endangered species in Hokkaido
 In Shiretoko, high speed boats are steaming around sea
bird nesting area
 Stakeholders are conflicting over its conservation
After Discussion at JEMC
 They finally agree creative solution because tour
operators recognize the value of Keimahuri
 The key to this change is support for resoucification
 Park managers teach them how to use keimahuri astourism attraction
Operators treat sea birds as precious birds18

Implication from Shiretoko trial
 Facilitate collaborative and collective

action with diverse stakeholders basedon Sense of Ownership Enhancement of Responsible tourism by

the active participation of stakeholders

 Creative governance for value creation inmanagement process is productive

Thank you
SHIKIDA Asami

Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST)
As-asami@jaist.ac.jp
http://www.jaist.ac.jp/~as-asami/
Copyright © 2019 SHIKIDA ＆NOSE All rights reserved.