Sustainable Tourism - Essay Example

?Sustainable Tourism Sustainable tourism represents a value orientation in which the management of tourism impacts takes precedence over market economics – although tension between the two is ever present Hall, 1999 (pp. 199) Introduction: The concept of sustainable tourism has assumed greater significance over the years, with the development and expansion of tourism sector worldwide. Sustainable tourism is not only a diverse issue but is highly complex as well, as it entails various concepts and issues which are of critical significance for the industry as a whole. Tourism, as has been claimed and substantiated by various researches, has a significant impact on all the tourist destinations globally, and has the potential to direct and indirectly cause positive as well as negative impacts in terms of foreign exchange earnings, or damage to the bio-diversity for instance. However, the benefits accrued from the industry are often off-set by the negative impact it causes on the natural environment and the threats it poses to the bio-diversity. Hence incorporating sustainable measures and policies within this industry is highly crucial for the sustaining and developing of this industry. In order to establish this fact, this paper discusses the various definitions and key concepts of sustainable tourism; the impact of mass tourism; the values and ethics involved; and market failure. The paper concludes with the proposition that the various benefits of tourism can be successfully enjoyed if proper measures are implemented at the local, regional and national levels to ensure effective management of all tourism related activities. Definitions: The term sustainable tourism covers a broad area such as eco-tourism, green travel, culturally responsible tourism, environmentally friendly tourism etc and the likes. However, the basic / fundamental pillars of sustainable tourism entails the effective management of all key local resources in a manner which ensures that the social, economic, cultural as well aesthetic fabric of the tourist destination are maintained and their cultural integrity is upheld. Furthermore, it also entails the preservation of the bio-diversity of the areas in and around the tourist site, as well as their support systems. There are various definitions of the term 'sustainable tourism' although none of them claim to be comprehensive in nature. Some of them are listed below: According to WTO (1996): "Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of the present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing the opportunity for the future. It is envisaged as leading to 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” According to Swarbrooke (1999): Sustainable tourism means "tourism which is economically viable but does not destroy the resources on which the future of tourism will depend, notably the physical environment and the social fabric of the host community" (Pp.13). However, according to a definition provided by a report funded by the European Union the term Sustainable tourism was referred to as: "tourism which develops as quickly as possible, taking account of current accommodation capacity, the local population and the environment .. The development of tourism and new investment in the tourism sector should not detract from tourism itself …. New tourism facilities should be integrated with the environment". (Swarbrooke, 1999, Pp.13) According to Butler (1993): "Tourism which is in a form which can maintain its viability in an area for an infinite period of time" (Pp. 29) According to Eber (1992): "if tourism is to be truly beneficial to all concerned . . . and sustainable in the long-term, it must be ensured that resources are not over-consumed, that natural and human environments are protected, that tourism is integrated with other activities, that it provides real benefits to the local communities . . . that local people are involved and included in tourism planning and implementation, and that cultures and people are respected" (Pp.2). Key Concepts and theories: SD/ST: The concept of sustainable development is an inevitable part of tourism industry and is directly associated with sustainable tourism. According to the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) the term sustainable development is defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (WCED, 1987). It also refers to the development of measures and strategies to adapt to change, development of appropriate and effective systems which encourage and endorse 'thinking' regarding the various factors affecting the tourism industry, the development of a cause and effect relationship between these factors, and adoption of a holistic approach with regard to measuring sustainability (Bell and Morse, 2003; Kelly and Baker, 2002; Rydin et al., 2003). Triple bottom line: The concept of triple bottom line with regard to sustainable tourism refers to a holistic approach whereby three key factors i.e. social, environmental and economic are given prime significance in decision making with a view to ensure sustainable tourism and effective management of all the key resources. The basic objective is to preserve the social economic, environmental, cultural and ecological integrity of the tourism sites, by developing a parallel support system (Conrady, 2010; Harris et al., 2002; McCool and Moisey, 2009). Mass Tourism and impacts: Tourism is regarded as one of the world's largest and fastest growing industries. According to statistics, there has been a significant growth in the tourism sector ever since 1950 from 25 million to a staggering 650 million by the year 2000 (Theobald, 2005). It offers various benefits to the countries, and especially to the developing nations, in the form of increased foreign exchange earnings; increased employment for the locals; development and preservation of local art and architecture; development of the areas surrounding the tourist site etc among many others. However, since a majority of tourist destinations are areas comprising of rich bio-diversity and those with high cultural relevance, the various tourism dominated activities such as construction of hotels, waste disposal systems, generation of waste, influx of tourists in areas such as wildlife reserves etc can prove to be fatal. According to Hall (1998, p.21) “the principles of sustainable development have become a highly contentious issue in Australian politics…and controversy over tourism development indicate that the concept of sustainable development may have direct application to the Australian tourism industry”. Sustainable tourism is a term which is used to describe the long-term future prospects of a tourist destination with regard to its popularity and ability to continue attracting tourists. It is defined as a "tourism which is in a form which can maintain its viability in an area for an indefinite period of time" (Butler, 1993, Pp. 29, in Fennel, 2002, Pp. 27). Various factors which ensure sustainable tourism include effective use of local resources in a sustainable manner; maintaining and promoting diversity; integrating tourism and planning; encouraging involvement of locals; as well as marketing tourism in a responsible and planned manner. Tourism attracts large number of people all over the world, to gather in one particular area / destination, thus creating opportunities for lodging and boarding; ferrying passengers to and from the major stations i.e. airports, or railway stations; the facilities of a tour guide; providing vehicles on rent for allowing the tourists to explore the area; etc among many others. This creates an opportunity for employment in the area and provides a major source of livelihood several people in the area. Furthermore, apart from such direct impact on employment, tourism also creates indirect employment such as development in the realty sector where new hotels and restaurants and such places offering accommodation for the tourists; encouraging the development of manufacturing of local arts and crafts; agriculture; etc. Tourism is known to be a highly labor intensive industry, and hence the cost of the same can be calculated in terms of the following ratio (Lennon, 2001): Employment / Output ratio = No. of workers employed Contribution of tourism to national income However, if the income generated from tourism is not adequate then the benefit of employment might turn into a cost, since the cost involved in setting up support structure i.e. development of hotels and resorts, and sustaining tourism in general requires high capital investment. Tourism plays a key role in a country's balance of payments, by attracting huge foreign exchange earnings. Furthermore it provides for free promotion of the tourist destination in their respective countries, generating more enquiries and more tourists (Hall, 2003; Hardy & Beeton, 2001). The costs of tourism on the other hand, involve: Environmental costs such as noise pollution, considerable alterations in the natural landscapes by way of construction or setting up of shops for tourists benefit; congestion of traffic; increased cost of conserving the natural resources and / or the wildlife parks or reserves; increased cost of preserving the historical monuments. Values and ethics involved in interpretation of the term sustainable tourism: Ethical tourism is of utmost significance to the tourism industry these days, as it offers an opportunity to the key players in the industry to apply competitive measures with an aim to preserve the industry and provide a long-term sustainability to the destinations in question. Furthermore, it also offers the tourists a better and enhanced holiday experience, and the locals- an opportunity to live in culturally and socially thriving areas (Novelli, 2005; Fennell, 2006, Tribe, 2009). Mass tourism attracts large number of visitors each year leading to various negative impacts on the tourist sites. Hence it is of utmost significance that the administrative authorities such as the local and regional as well as national government provide a well formed ethical system which addresses these problems faced by the industry (O’Brien R, 2009). According to Macbeth (2005), the various policies developed with regard to tourism, must take into consideration the ethical, environmental as well as social dimensions along with scientific objectives. The key objective of such policies must be "to develop the self-awareness of scholars and practitioners with regard to their ethical positions and the implications of those positions for tourism". Thus as the market for global tourism increase, there has been observed a simultaneous rise in ethical or responsible tourism whereby the consumer market trends are in favor of adapting to a lifestyle which is more environmental friendly and ethically appropriate (Goodwin & Francis, 2003). Also, the tourism organizations too have begun to increasingly acknowledge the significance and impact of ethical tourism as accruing greater economic benefits in terms of increased profits, better management, and improved public image (Hudson and Miller, 2005; Holden, 2003; Kalisch, 2002). Market failure for some of the natural resources on which the term tourism is dependent The natural environment is an integral and inevitable part of the tourism industry. With an increase in tourism industry and a simultaneous rise in the number of tourists the damage to the natural resources and natural environment has increased manifold. The ecosystem in areas such as mountains, islands, beaches, wetlands, deserts etc are highly fragile and increased tourism may pose a significant threat to the ecosystems and biodiversity of these areas (Weaver, 2006). Market failure with regard to tourism industry refers to the inability of the markets to sustain the demands and supply which are formed by various elements such as price, provision of environmental goods etc (Bramwell, Lane, 2004; Hall et al., 2005). Conclusion: The above discussions entail that tourism is undoubtedly a rapidly growing industry which ensures an increase in social and economic development of the tourist destinations. Although it does result in a series of negative impacts as well, such as damage to the biodiversity, the same can however, be negated by implementation of effective policy measures at various levels, such as adoption of a sustainable tourism and ethical tourism. The benefits of tourism can be maximized by ensuring that all the sections of the local community, especially those who are the most economically disadvantaged are encouraged to participate in reaping the benefits of this trade. This would ensure greater participation of the locals and hence greater revenues. Furthermore, the managers must ensure that all the local forms of art, culture and music are preserved and encouraged, and that they are not being run over by other commercialized and international chain stores or institutions. References: Bell, S. and Morse, S. (2003) Measuring Sustainability: Learning from doing. London: Earthscan Publications Bramwell, B., Lane, B., (2004). Tourism collaboration and partnership: politics, practice and sustainability, Channel view publications, Pp. 116-117 Butler, R. (1993) Pre- and Post-impact Assessment of Tourism Development, In: Pearce, D.G. and Butler, R.W. (Eds) Tourism Research: Critiques and Challenges. London: Routledge, pp.135-155 Butler, R., (1993) in Fennel, D. A., (2002). Ecotourism programme planning, CABI Publication, Pp. 27 Conrady, R., (2010). Trends and Issues in Global Tourism, Springer Publication, Pp. 110-112 Eber, S. (Ed) (1992) Beyond the Green Horizon: A discussion paper on Principles for Sustainable Tourism. Worldwide Fund for Nature: Godalming, UK Fennell, D. A., (2006). Tourism ethics. Channel view publication Goodwin, H. and J. Francis (2003). Ethical and Responsible Tourism: ConsumerTrends in the UK, Journal of Vacation Marketing 9(3), Pp. 271–282. Hall, C. M. (1998). Tourism Development, Dimensions and Issues, 3rd edn, Addison Wesley Longman, South Melbourne Hall, D. R., Kirkpatrick, I., Mitchell, M., (2005). Rural tourism and sustainable business, Channel view publication Hall, C. M. (2003). Introduction to Tourism: Dimensions and Issues, 4th edn, Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest Hardy, A. L. & Beeton, R. J. S. (2001). 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Tourism statistics: international perspectives and current issues, CENGAGE Publication Macbeth, J. (2005). Towards an ethics platform for tourism, Annals of Tourism Research, vol.32(4), pp.962-984 McCool, S. F., Moisey, R. N., (2009). Tourism, recreation, and sustainability: Linking culture and the environment, Pp. 197- 198 Novelli, M., (2005). Niche tourism: Contemporary issues, trends and cases, Butterworth-Heinemann Publication, Pp. 233-236 O’Brien R. (2009). Global Ethics: Beyond Local Leadership, Journal of International Business Ethics, Vol.2 No.1. Rydin, Y., Holman, N. and Wolff, E. (2003) Local sustainability indicators. Local Environment 8(6): Pp. 581-589 Swarbrooke, J., (1999). Sustainable tourism management. CABI Publishing, Oxon: UK, Pp. 13 Theobald, W. F. (2005). The Meaning, Scope, and Measurement of Travel and Tourism, in W. F. Theobald (eds), Global Tourism 3rd edition. Butterworth- Heinemann/Elsevier Publication, New York, Pp. 5–24. Tribe, J., (2009). 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