The Growth of Sustainable Tourism (Syllabus Topics 3.2 & 3.3)

Welcome to Chapter 3! As you study Travel and Tourism, you quickly learn that this massive industry can have huge impacts—both good and bad—on the world. This chapter is vital because it moves us from simply describing tourism to learning how we can manage it responsibly for the future. We are going to explore why Sustainable Tourism is no longer a niche market, but a crucial global necessity.

1. Defining Sustainable Tourism: The Core Concepts (3.2a)

The most challenging part of sustainability is remembering that it involves more than just the environment.

Definition: Sustainable Tourism is 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.

The Three Pillars of Sustainability (The Triple Bottom Line)

Think of sustainability like a three-legged stool. If one leg is missing, the whole thing falls over.

  • Environmental Sustainability: Focusing on the impact on natural resources and the physical environment. (Are we protecting the water, air, land, and wildlife?)
  • Social Sustainability: Focusing on the impact on the local community and culture. (Are local people benefiting? Is the culture being respected?)
  • Economic Sustainability: Focusing on ensuring financial viability without damaging the other two pillars. (Does the tourism money stay local and benefit the destination in the long term?)
Ecotourism vs. Responsible Tourism

These terms are often used interchangeably, but they have key differences in this subject:

Ecotourism:

  • Focuses on conservation, low impact, and educating tourists.
  • Usually happens in natural/remote areas.
  • Aim is to fund conservation efforts directly.
  • Example: Staying in a small, remote jungle lodge that uses solar power and employs local guides to observe endangered species.

Responsible Tourism:

  • A broader concept applicable anywhere (city, beach, nature).
  • Focuses on providers and tourists making responsible choices that improve the lives of local people and protect the environment.
  • It’s about making a destination "a better place for people to live in, and a better place to visit."

Quick Review: Sustainability balances ESE (Economic, Social, Environmental). Ecotourism is focused on nature; Responsible Tourism is focused on choice and community everywhere.

2. Reasons for the Growth of Sustainable Tourism (3.2b)

Why has sustainability become such a major trend? It's driven by a combination of realizing past mistakes (impacts) and changing modern attitudes.

A. Recognising the Positive and Negative Impacts of Tourism

The negative impacts of traditional mass tourism often force governments and communities to seek sustainable alternatives.

Economic Drivers:
  • Negative: Leakages (money spent by tourists leaving the destination, e.g., paying a foreign-owned hotel chain), Over-dependency (if tourism fails, the whole local economy collapses).
  • Positive Growth Driver: Sustainable tourism ensures money stays local, encouraging governments to invest in sustainable infrastructure (like better waste management) because the economic benefit is long-term.
Environmental Drivers:
  • Negative: Pollution (noise, air, litter), Erosion of natural resources (overuse of water, land degradation), and destruction of wildlife habitats.
  • Positive Growth Driver: Desire to use tourism income for preservation, conservation, and regeneration of environments, realizing that unspoiled nature is the core asset.
Social Drivers:
  • Negative: Loss of cultural identity (when traditions are 'staged' for tourists), Demonstration Effect (local people adopting tourist behaviors, sometimes negatively), conflict with host community (price inflation).
  • Positive Growth Driver: Changing values among customers who now demand authentic cultural experiences and respect for local traditions.
B. Changing Values and Market Shifts

The industry is responding to several modern trends:

  • Changing Customer Attitudes: Tourists are better educated, often influenced by social media, and want to feel they are making a difference. They actively seek out "green" or ethical providers.
  • Government and Provider Awareness: Authorities realize that environmental damage hurts long-term revenue. They are now setting stricter building regulations and offering education/training programmes for locals and tourists.
  • Increased Accessibility and Dynamic Packaging: The growth of independent travel and dynamic packaging (building your own holiday online) means specialized and remote areas are more accessible. As more people visit natural/remote areas, the need for stringent sustainable management (ecotourism) increases rapidly.
  • Availability and Promotion: There is an increasing variety of genuinely sustainable products being actively promoted, making it easier for customers to choose them.

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! The key phrase is: Sustainable tourism growth is driven by minimizing negative impacts (like leakage and pollution) and maximizing long-term positive value for the community and environment.

3. Sustainable Tourism in Practice (3.3a, 3.3b, 3.3c)

Sustainability isn't just a goal; it requires concrete actions from destinations, providers, and tourists.

3.1 Ecotourism Products and Services (3.3a)

These are specialist products designed specifically for low-impact travel, often in sensitive areas:

  • Eco-tours and Packages: Small group tours designed by specialists (e.g., wildlife guides) that ensure minimal disturbance to the local ecosystem.
  • Eco-friendly Accommodation: Eco-lodges, eco-hotels, and eco-resorts. These use sustainable materials, manage energy (solar/wind), treat wastewater, and employ staff from the local community.
  • Ecotourism Activities: Activities focused on learning and appreciation, such as birdwatching, guided conservation walks, or contributing to citizen science projects.
3.2 Responsible Behaviours and Ethical Practices (3.3b)

Both visitors and providers must adopt ethical practices:

  • Respect for Local Culture: Asking permission before photographing people, dressing modestly in religious sites, and supporting local language use.
  • Respect for the Environment: Sticking to marked paths, refusing to buy products made from endangered species, and reducing plastic use.
  • Codes of Conduct: Many destinations provide tourists with rules (often handed out upon arrival) outlining appropriate behaviour to minimize harm. Example: "Do not touch coral reefs" or "Limit water usage to two showers per day."
3.3 Sustainably Managing Tourism Facilities (3.3c)

Organisations must implement practical measures in their daily operations (the 3 Rs):

  • Reducing Over-consumption and Waste: Implementing measures like motion sensors for lights, bulk dispensers for toiletries instead of small plastic bottles, and limiting the use of paper.
  • Reusing Resources: Encouraging guests to reuse towels and bed linen (common practice in hotels), or capturing and treating 'grey water' (sink/shower water) for irrigation.
  • Recycling Wastes: Providing clearly marked bins for glass, paper, and plastics, and ensuring partnerships with local recycling services.

4. Impacts of Sustainable Development and Changing Attitudes (3.3d)

When tourism is managed sustainably, the resultant impacts are intended to be positive and lasting.

4.1 Impacts of Sustainable Tourism Developments (3.3d i)
  • Environmental Impacts: Sustainable development leads to improved assets (e.g., cleaned up beaches), active preservation and conservation of flora and fauna, and effective regeneration of natural areas.
  • Social Impacts: Leads to community involvement and empowerment, provision of employment for local people (staff development), and strengthened cultural identity as local customs are valued, not commercialized.
  • Economic Impacts: Maximisation of the retention of visitor spending (reducing leakage) and investment of tourism income into public and social projects for local communities (e.g., new schools or hospitals).
4.2 Attitudes to Sustainable Tourism Development (3.3d ii)

Sustainable changes often require collaboration and shifts in mindset from all parties.

A. Local People and Authorities
  • Attitude: Generally positive, provided they see clear, tangible benefits (jobs, infrastructure).
  • Challenge: Authorities might resist short-term changes if they see sustainable practices as too costly or complex compared to quick mass-tourism profits.
B. Travel and Tourism Providers
  • Attitude: Varies. Large multinational corporations (MNCs) may adopt sustainability for enhanced reputation and marketing benefits, while smaller businesses may find the initial cost of switching to eco-friendly systems prohibitive.
  • Driver: They are increasingly driven by customer loyalty and the need for repeat business from conscious consumers.
C. Tourists
  • Attitude: Growing awareness and positive intent. Many are willing to pay a premium for certified sustainable travel.
  • Reality Check: While attitudes are good, not all tourists consistently follow codes of conduct or prioritize sustainability over convenience or price. Education of tourists is essential to align behaviour with attitude.

Did you know? Some destinations, like Palau in the Pacific, require visitors to sign the 'Palau Pledge' upon arrival—a code of conduct promising to protect the environment for future generations. This is a brilliant example of influencing tourist attitude and behaviour through destination authority intervention.

Key Takeaway

The growth of sustainable tourism is a response to the negative consequences of traditional tourism, fueled by environmental necessity, changing customer demand, and the realization by governments that long-term, locally-focused economic benefits outweigh short-term gains.