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Tourism is about the inter-action between people and places. It is also a multi-billion pound industry that makes an important contribution to national and regional economies. A definition of sustainable tourism that recognises these factors is: 'Sustainable tourism is tourism growth that ensures the resources on which it depends are not degraded.' However, sustainable tourism is not an absolute state. It is a process and, as such, it is more meaningful to talk about 'moving towards more sustainable tourism'. Four principles underpin more sustainable tourism: It should not adversely effect the environment. These four principles can be addressed via: Sustainable businesses - where individual establishments seek to balance economic, environmental and local community activities e.g. energy efficiency and sourcing local produce. Sustainable products - that minimise environmental degradation, encourage sustainable behaviour among visitors and are integrated in to the local economy e.g. cycling and walking holidays. Sustainable destinations - where places seek to create a balance between the needs of tourism, the economy, the environment and the local economy. A number of issues need to be overcome in order to develop a culture committed to taking a more sustainable approach to tourism. Some obstacles relate to general lifestyle issues that influence visitor and industry attitudes, others relate to the structure and long-established practices of the industry itself. On the positive side, there are a number of motivations that, if used wisely, can be positive forces for change. The main motivations to becoming involved in sustainable tourism are: Financial - savings to business operations from more sustainable practices e.g. energy efficiency. Political - international and national pressure to set and meet sustainability targets e.g. on reducing air pollution, recycling of waste. Commercial advantage - using 'green' credentials as a key marketing tool. Environmental awareness in tourism businesses and visitors - ethical motives that influence holiday choices and activities or business philosophies. Despite the very real obstacles to achieving more sustainable tourism, progress has been made on a number of fronts: There is a growing acceptance that the industry needs to be managed for its long-term survival. There is recognition of the need for a flexible approach that recognises local needs, issues and values. A partnership approach to tackling sustainable tourism at a destination level is now widely used. There is an acceptance of the need to compromise. Considerable emphasis is now being placed on providing services at national, regional and local level that cut across traditional sector and departmental boundaries. There is a growing recognition for the need to actively involve local communities in determining local sustainable tourism issues and criteria. |
Destination Tourism & Attraction & Feasibility Analysis Operational Advice Tourism & Leisure Cultural Strategies |
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