explain the term sustainable tourism?
There are many different definitions of sustainable tourism, or responsible tourism, that have been developed over the last decade. Most tend to assume that all tourists are responsible for respecting and conserving a location’s economic, environmental, and socio-cultural balances.
There are many different definitions of sustainable tourism, or responsible tourism, that have been developed over the last decade. Most tend to assume that all tourists are responsible for respecting and conserving a location’s economic, environmental, and socio-cultural balances.
References :
Sustainable tourism in its purest sense, is an industry committed to making a low impact on the natural environment and local culture, while helping to generate income and employment for locals.[1]
Global economists forecast continuing international tourism growth, ranging between three and six percent annually, depending on the location. As one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries, this continuous growth will place great stress on remaining biologically diverse habitats and indigenous cultures, which are often used to support mass tourism. Tourists who promote sustainable tourism are sensitive to these dangers and seek to protect tourist destinations, and to protect tourism as an industry. Sustainable tourists can reduce the impact of tourism in many ways, including:
* informing themselves of the culture, politics, and economy of the communities visited
* anticipating and respecting local cultures’ expectations and assumptions
* contributing to intercultural understanding and tolerance
* supporting the integrity of local cultures by favoring businesses which conserve cultural heritage and traditional values
* supporting local economies by purchasing local goods and participating with small, local businesses
* conserving resources by seeking out businesses that are environmentally conscious, and by using the least possible amount of non-renewable resources
Increasingly, destinations and tourism operations are endorsing and following "responsible tourism" as a pathway towards sustainable tourism. Responsible tourism and sustainable tourism have an identical goal, that of sustainable development. The pillars of responsible tourism are therefore the same as those of sustainable tourism – environmental integrity, social justice and economic development. The major difference between the two is that, in responsible tourism, individuals, organisations and businesses are asked to take responsibility for their actions and the impacts of their actions. This shift in emphasis has taken place because some stakeholders feel that insufficient progress towards realising sustainable tourism has been made since the Earth Summit in Rio. This is partly because everyone has been expecting others to behave in a sustainable manner. The emphasis on responsibility in responsible tourism means that everyone involved in tourism – government, product owners and operators, transport operators, community services, NGO’s and CBO’s, tourists, local communities, industry associations – are responsible for achieving the goals of responsible tourism.
References :