Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism

In:

Submitted By sandi9
Words 4990
Pages 20
Sustainable tourism is an industry committed to making a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for the local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves. But sustainable tourism is not the same as ecotourism.
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Commission on Sustainable Development
Seventh Session
19-30 April 1999, New York
TOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: A LOCAL AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Background Paper # 3
Prepared by the
International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives
2
Sustainable Tourism: A Local Authority Perspective prepared by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)
A. Introduction
1. A primary challenge of local governance, both today and in decades ahead, is to steer increasingly external, global forces on local development so that development achieves the shared vision of the local population. In cities, towns and villages throughout the world, the primary responsibility for this steering process rests with the institution of local government and its diverse local authorities.
2. As providers of social services, builders of economic infrastructure, regulators of economic activity, and managers of the natural environment, local authorities have many direct instruments at their disposal to influence development. Yet in addition to their direct roles in the development process, perhaps the most important role that local authorities can play in a global economy is that of facilitator among the diverse interests seeking to influence the direction of local development.
Only with such a facilitator can a community of diverse interests define a shared vision and act consistent with this vision.
3. The

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism

...attention has been paid to the effects of tourism and related developments upon the environment of ‘destination areas’. The increasing popularity of the concept of sustainable development has resulted in tourism being viewed as an activity which could easily be developed along those appropriate lines. It is argued, however, that such a viewpoint is often simplistic and naïve, because of a lack of understanding of the complex nature of tourism. While tourism is dependent upon the environment for much of its well-being, the prevailing lack of knowledge, responsibility, and long-term planning, has often resulted in development which is neither environmentally nor culturally sympathetic to the host area and community. A broad definition of environment is necessary in this context, encompassing both the physical and human realms and also Nature's, as is an equally wide view of human leisure activities, which needs to include far more than tourism. It is necessary to take a critical view of some alternative approaches to mass-tourism, which have been suggested as appropriate for environmentally significant areas; for at least some of the problems resulting from tourism-related developments are more profound, and less easily solved, than has often been suggested. Solutions are inevitably a combination of compromise and positive planning and management, and successful examples are difficult to find. Improved understanding of the complex nature of tourism, and of its linkages to the environment...

Words: 358 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism

...the characteristics of the tourism industry that can provide challenges for the implementation of sustainable tourism. This essay will include a description of the concept of sustainable tourism, the goal of sustainable tourism, characteristics of sustainable tourism ,the challenges of sustainable tourism and a conclusion. The entire world, including the tourism industry, is facing the economic problem of man’s unlimited needs appose to society’s limited resources( Du Toit et al.,2010) Therefore all industries has to become more sustainable, including the tourism industry. The concept of sustainable tourism can be defined as meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It includes the management of all resources in such a way that social, economic and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems( Ivanovic et al., 2009) According to Ivanovic et al (2009) the goal of sustainable tourism is to minimises the negative economic environmental and social impact of tourism, to enhance the well being of host communities, improve working conditions and to make positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage sites. The tourism industry has some very specific characteristics which can cause challenges for the implementation of sustainable tourism. According to George, (2008)...

Words: 716 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Sustainable Tourism

...Sustainable Tourism thrive destinations by Sabah, Malaysia – Did you know? Natural heritage destruction by human made is the highest rate compare to the scourge. If you ever travel, you are either wittingly or unwittingly part of a delicate and complicated morass facing today’s tourism destinations: How do we attract and service the greatest number of tourists without causing irreparable change or damage to the destination’s resources? This is followed by a question that is still begging for an answer: Is the notion of sustainable tourism one that can truly be achieved in a practical, capitalist-minded world? Most of us would agree in our travels we want to enjoy ourselves and do it in a way that causes “the least harm.” We want to maintain precious resources such as air, water, marine habitats and species, animal populations and indigenous peoples. However, in certain cases, tourism has been an actor in a tableau vivant of lost resources in various places around the world. In most development scenarios, sustainable tourism is thought of in terms of whether the tourism itself is sustainable (economically viable over a long period of time) not whether the tourism is doing the least amount of harm to resources. This is not to say development impacts are not considered through required regulations but clearly the facteur principal of development is capitalism. “Purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and natural history of the environment, taking care...

Words: 2740 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Sustainable Tourism

...for Sustainable Development Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the historical development of Kenya’s nature based tourist industry in order to develop a better understanding of the concepts relating to sustainable tourism in the developing world. I will show how past resource management practices has affected tourism’s carrying capacity. Because of the complicatedness of this paper I will break it down into five sections. In the first section I will define sustainable development. In the second I will briefly describe the history and current state of nature based tourism in Kenya. In the third section I will give examples of elements that threaten to saturate the carrying capacity of nature based tourism in Kenya. In the fourth and final section I will give a brief historical account of ecotourism’s presence in Kenya and give ways in which it can be a possible source of sustainable development in the future. What does sustainable development really mean? The most common definition of sustainable development is: “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987).” In essence, for sustainable development to occur there must be some sort of trade-off between the aspirations of the present and those of the future. Successful management of resources is the cornerstone of sustainable development. Creating sustainable development...

Words: 1572 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism

...“Casino Filipino: It’s impact to the Tourism Industry as perceived by the resident of Tagaytay City” aimed to determine the acceptability of Casino Filipino and its impacts to tourism industry as perceived by the residents of Tagaytay City. They find out the cultural, economic, and social impacts of Casino Filipino to the tourism industry as perceived by the residents of Tagaytay City. They used the descriptive form of method research to gather the needed information. They asked 150 residents of Tagaytay City. Questionnaire was used as the main tool in gathering needed information. In cultural impacts, the highest mean of score they got is in the preservation and restoration of heritage site, next is the acceptance of tourist values, revival of traditional arts and crafts. In economic impacts, the highest mean of score they got is in the better employment opportunities, next is the improved community infrastructure, and improvement of small businessess. Last is the social impacts, the residents respond by giving highest score in increasing public service, benefits to the residents, improved the communication skills is also considered. All of the three impacts as we can see is respectively agreed by the respondent. Coccossis (1996) asserts that sustainable tourism can be taken in four different interpretations that include” economic sustainability of tourism”, the “ecologically Sustainable tourism”,” sustainable tourism development” with both focus of environment ...

Words: 491 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism

...Sustainable tourism is one of the pre-requisites of achieving sustainable development. the concept of tourism with sustainability and development gets its historical inclusion from mass tourism that got flourished in 1960s due to advent of jet aircraft and the passions for tourism got tremendous following and it also reached Third World countries (Dann, 2002). It was also argued that this boost pushed organizations like World Bank and UN to examine the cost benefit analysis of tourism and it was acknowledged that potential costs of tourism are far lower than financial benefits in shape of balance pf payment surpluses, infrastructure development, and employment and foreign exchange gains. So that gave rise to the concept of sustainable tourism as one of the source of bringing sustainable development. According to the World’s Summit on Sustainable Development (2002), it is claimed that Tourism is the world’s largest industry where in 2000, 698 million people travelled internationally which 7.3 % more than 1999. Similarly the economic worth of international tourism was US$477.9 billion in 2000 (Papers4you.com, 2006). In terms of one concrete definition, literature suggests that it is not fixed and is ever evolving. However Coccossis (1996) asserts that sustainable tourism can be taken in four different interpretations that include” economic sustainability of tourism”, the “ecologically sustainable tourism”,” sustainable tourism development” with both focus of environment as...

Words: 598 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Travel and Tourism Management Sustainable Tourism Development

...Travel and Tourism Management Sustainable Tourism Development Title: Sustainable Tourism Development Table of contents: Task 1 – Principles of Sustainable Tourism Task 2 – Tourism Impacts Case Studies Task 1 a. Introduction Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment for many developing countries. b. Sustainable tourism is tourism that leads to the management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a subset of sustainable tourism which focuses on ecology. Ecotourism tends to be encountered in destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attraction. Pro-poor tourism (PPT) is used as a short hand for the opportunities which enable the economically poor to engage in, and benefit from, tourism. PPT is tourism which provides net benefits for the economically poor; the term 'net benefits' is used because there are often losses of livelihood opportunities associated with tourism, such as loss of seashore and fishing access, agricultural land or access to natural resources in national parks. Available from: http://www.iztzg.hr/en/odrzivi_razvoj/sustainable_tourism/ : http://propoortourism...

Words: 2888 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism in Tagaytay

...Filipino: It’s impact to the Tourism Industry as perceived by the resident of Tagaytay City” aimed to determine the acceptability of Casino Filipino and its impacts to tourism industry as perceived by the residents of Tagaytay City. They find out the cultural, economic, and social impacts of Casino Filipino to the tourism industry as perceived by the residents of Tagaytay City. They used the descriptive form of method research to gather the needed information. They asked 150 residents of Tagaytay City. Questionnaire was used as the main tool in gathering needed information. In cultural impacts, the highest mean of score they got is in the preservation and restoration of heritage site, next is the acceptance of tourist values, revival of traditional arts and crafts. In economic impacts, the highest mean of score they got is in the better employment opportunities, next is the improved community infrastructure, and improvement of small businessess. Last is the social impacts, the residents respond by giving highest score in increasing public service, benefits to the residents, improved the communication skills is also considered. All of the three impacts as we can see is respectively agreed by the respondent. Coccossis (1996) asserts that sustainable tourism can be taken in four different interpretations that include” economic sustainability of tourism”, the “ecologically Sustainable tourism”,” sustainable tourism development” with both...

Words: 292 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Sustainable Tourism

...Being a tourist potential destination much has to be done to become one of the premier tourist attractions in the region and in the country as well also considering the fact that there are many beautiful islands in the Philippines. This study envisions positive out-come from the proposed strategic destination branding in developing and promoting Cuatro Islas as a world class eco-tourism destination in Leyte. Introduction Tourism has often been seen a key element in the development of places and destinations, which are adopting branding strategies that is meant to gain a competitive position and assert their identity - in their communication with potential tourists” Tourists are always interested in knowing how their economies fare as compared with their competitors. A specific SWOT analysis can be a useful tool to analyze the state of an economy and help tourist destinations to improve their fundamentals. With global international tourist arrivals reaching one billion each year, and growth only expected to increase, opportunities in the tourism industry are endless. Yet many destinations and tourism businesses fail to achieve success. Why are so many destinations struggling in a climate that...

Words: 2803 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Is Tourism Sustainable

...The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1755-4217.htm WHATT 1,3 Is tourism with a low impact on climate possible? Jonathan Chenoweth Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a range of different travel and tourism options, and quantifies the carbon-dioxide emissions resulting from international vacations, breaking down emissions categories into those resulting from transport, accommodation and recreation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses summary data to review a range of possible vacation scenarios and examines their relative carbon-dioxide emissions in order to compare the relative climatic impact of different forms of tourism and vacation options. Findings – The paper concludes that intercontinental flights and cruise ship travel are particularly carbon-intensive, which suggests that these two forms of tourism will be particularly vulnerable to any policy initiative to curb or price carbon emissions. Ends by considering whether climatically responsible international tourism is possible, and outlines some low-carbon options. Originality/value – The paper relates data on carbon emissions to the implications for tourism arising from climate change. Keywords Climatology, Tourism, Global warming Paper type General review 274 The nature of the challenge While much of the discussion about the climate change...

Words: 6208 - Pages: 25

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism in Canada

...Sustainable Tourism in Canada Content 1. Canadian Tourism Industry……………………………………………………..1 1.1 Canadian tourism industry introduction…………………………………...1 1.2 Canadian tourism industry structure……………………………………….1 2. Sustainable Tourism Strategy…………………………………………………...2 2.1 What is sustainable tourism policy? ..............................................................2 2.2 Reasons of the establishment of sustainable tourism policy……………….2 3. Stakeholders……………………………………………………………………...3 3.1 Federal, provincial and territorial tourism organizations………………...3 3.1.1 Non-market behaviors deployed by tourism organizations…………4 3.1.2 Market behaviors deployed by tourism organizations………………6 3.2 National Parks and Provincial Parks……………………………………….7 3.2.1 Non-market behaviors deployed by National and Provincial Parks..7 3.2.2 Market behaviors deployed by National and Provincial Parks……..8 3.3 Transportation sector (Air, Rail way, Automobile, Cruise, etc.)…………..9 3.3.1 Non-market behaviors deployed by the transportation sector…….10 3.3.2 Market behaviors deployed by the transportation sector………….11 3.4 Accommodation, food and beverage sectors………………………………12 3.4.1 Non-market behaviors deployed by accommodation, food and beverage sectors……………………………………………………..12 3.4.2 Market behaviors deployed by accommodation, food and beverage sectors………………………………………………………………...14 3.5 Travel agencies……………………………………………………………...

Words: 9417 - Pages: 38

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism in Island Destinations

...Sustainable Tourism in Island Destinations Graci, Sonya and Dodds, Rachel Earthscan, 2010 By Jessica Sam Published in 2010, Sustainable Tourism in Island Destinations by Sonya Graci and Rachel Dodds is the fourth title in the Earthscan series following Slow Travel and Tourism, Tourism and Poverty Reduction and Tourism Development and the Environment: Beyond Sustainability? This book extensively overviews and critically explores the relationship between tourism, development and the environment of islands reflecting contemporary economic, socio-cultural and political contexts. S. Graci is an Assistant Professor at Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada while R. Dodds is an Associate Professor at the same institution. The authors’ use several of their very own island project works that provide innovative discussion and practical management structures to explore the development role of tourism in relation to the impacts of the environment and their potential overexploitation threats. The authors’ provide eight well-chosen illustrative case studies to focus on innovative discussions regarding issues of sustainability on island tourism destinations, they include sub-jurisdiction islands such as Moose Factory, Canada; Cayos Cochinos, Honduras; St. Kitts; Calvia, Mallorca, Spain; Chumbe, Tanzania; Koh Phi Phi, Thailand; Gili Trawangan, Indonesia; and Sanya, China. The hard-covered book looks very bright appealing, although...

Words: 1023 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism Short Essay

...Running Head: TOURISM IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Ethical implications of tourism in developing countries Emily McIntyre 3378148 September 26, 2006 TREN 3P12 Sonya Graci Introduction: Tourism is instituted in ad hoc fashion, with little regard to appropriate socio-ecological planning. This paper outlines the ethical implications of tourism in terms of the social and political, environmental and economical issues in developing countries. All resolutions for these implications, follow the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) which is a set of principles whose purpose is to guide stakeholders in tourism development: central and local governments, local communities, the tourism industry and its professionals, as well as visitors both international and local (UNWTO, n.d.). Background on the industry: In general, tourism occurs in developing countries, because businesses have adopted a development-oriented perspective. The emphasis is on development (use) in order to reach optimal economic gain by extractive use of resources rather than protection and preservation (Fennell, 2002). There has been a trend in humans, to take on the role of being bad rules, by trying to exploit and dominate for short-term personal gain at any expense (Peterson, 1996). It is a harsh reality that there are a significant lack of resources for effective management of visitors and the environment (Fennell, 2002). Therefore, resource management is a critical issue that...

Words: 1900 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism: Myth or Reality:

...Sustainable tourism is when tourists leave no lasting impact on the local environment, economy and society. This includes responsible tourism, which can involve respecting local culture and religion – for example dressing appropriately near and in places of worship. Sustainable tourism should also make positive contributions to the economy and sustain conservation. Sustainable tourism has been achieved in a number of places. Santa Lucía is a community owned cloud forest reserve, located on the edge of the Andean Mountains about 80 km Norh West of Quito. The reserve protects 730 hectares of predominantly virgin cloud forest at an elevation of 1900m. The Santa Lucía ecotourism project was the community's first of many sustainable development projects established with the help of Rainforest Concern. The natural beauty and diversity of Santa Lucía's cloud forest makes ecotourism a logical choice to provide a sustainable source of income for the community. This income enables the community to continue to conserve the cloud forest under their care, while at the same time sharing its diverse treasures with others. It is clear from these examples that sustainable tourism can exist and have a positive impact on the local area. Furthermore, there are additional benefits in that it can help make people more aware of their carbon footprint and inspire them to replicate projects back in their home country. However there are several criticisms of this type of tourism; firstly that...

Words: 395 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Sustainable Tourism; Myth or Reality?

...Sustainable Tourism; Myth or Reality? Sustainable Tourism is a term derived from the 1978 Rio Summit United Nations Report on the Environment which can be defined as; “Tourism development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their own needs.” In the following agenda 21 process, travel and tourism was one of the industries identified as having the potential to make a positive contribution to a healthier planet. The diagrams above shows that if tourist destination is to be sustainable, it must aim to be a balance between social, environmental and economic factors to ensure that no damage is done which has the potential to be detrimental in the future. Ecotourism is a sub-component of the field of sustainable tourism. Eco-tourism's perceived potential as an effective tool for sustainable development is the main reason why developing countries are now embracing it and including it in their economic development and conservation strategies. Eco-tourism, as an alternative tourism, involves visiting natural areas in order to learn, to study, or to carry out activities environmentally friendly, that is; a tourism based on the nature experience, which enables the economic and social development of local communities. Eco-tourism destinations such as the Palau Conservation Society encourages sustainable development to protect...

Words: 1173 - Pages: 5