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RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

A TTG Report

by Aliyah Kaur

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Table of contents

Responsible Tourism 3
Introduction 3
Responsible Tourism 3
Sustainable Tourism 3
Eco Tourism 4
Green Tourism 4
Impact of Tourism on Destinations 4
Economic Impact 4
Environmental Impact 5
Socio-cultural Impact 6
Key Stakeholders in Tourism 7
Tour Operators 7
Individuals 8
Indigenous Population 8
Tourism Organisations 9
References 10
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Responsible Tourism

Introduction

Travelling allows us to open our minds to the world and realise that we are all

different but also the same. Responsible travel not only has a positive impact on the

destinations and communities we visit, but it also provides us with experiences that often

stick with us and become a highlight in our memories. Let's discuss what ‘responsible

tourism’ is and how sustainable, eco and green tourism are different from it.

Responsible Tourism

Responsible tourism aims to make better places for people to live as well as better

places for people to visit. This form of tourism necessitates that operators, hoteliers,

governments, locals, and tourists accept responsibility and act to make tourism more

sustainable(Goodwin,2018). An example of a responsible tourist is the one who chooses to

dine in local restaurants, buy locally made souvenirs and gifts, visit local markets, and hire a

local tour guide. This way, you can be certain that your money is going back into the

community and to the people who are hosting you, rather than to some unknown corporate

organisation.

Sustainable Tourism

The UN World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as a 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

(Rariel,2018).Sustainable tourism does not refer to a specific type of tourism, but rather to the

desire for the effects of all forms of tourism to be sustainable for future generations.The tour
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company andBeyond, for example, offers luxury safari tours in Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya,

and other locations. The company builds electrical microgrids to reduce energy consumption

while also investing in local land, animals, and people.

Eco Tourism

Ecotourism is a type of sustainable natural resource-based tourism that focuses on

experiencing and learning about nature and is ethically managed to be low-impact, non-

consumptive, and locally oriented. It is most common in natural areas and should contribute

to their conservation or preservation (Priya Ranjan Trivedi et al., 2006). Ecotourism includes

activities such as camping, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Specifically, visiting Tanzania to see

native wildlife is an example of ecotourism.

Green Tourism

Green tourism aims to assist sectors in engaging in activities and making decisions

that have fewer environmental impacts while also benefiting society and the economy. It

includes methods for reducing energy consumption, reducing food miles, promoting

biodiversity, and implementing sustainable practises(Buckley,2009).Some examples of green

tourism initiatives include the use of environmentally friendly cleaning supplies, room keys

made of sustainable materials, and a water-conservation programme.

Impact of Tourism on Destinations

The global tourism industry's current impacts are impressive and far-reaching.

Tourism can have both positive and negative effects in three areas: economic,environmental

and social.
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Economic Impact

The economic impacts of tourism on destinations have both positive and negative

effects.Few are mentioned below:

Positive Impacts:

1. Increase in jobs through direct and indirect employment.

2. Higher quality of life for locals.

3. Increase in wealth of an area through foreign earnings.

Negative Impacts:

1. Raised prices of goods to take advantage of tourists spendings.

2. As foreign businesses expand in tourist destinations, revenues leave the host

community for another country or multinational corporation, removing the

opportunity for locals to make meaningful profits.

3. Increase property values near tourist areas.

Tourism may necessitate costly government improvements to the airport, roads, and

other infrastructure. The third runway at London Heathrow, for example, is expected to cost

£18.6 billion(Tourism Teacher, 2019).

Environmental Impact

Tourism is a global force for change, capable of transforming the environment at a

fast pace from micro- to macro-scales. Following are some positive and negative impacts of

tourism on environment of tourist destinations:

Positive Impacts:

1. Increased awareness of environmental protection and preservation.

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2. It assists locals in making more sustainable use of their lands and resources.

3. Better protection of nature and local natural resources.

Negative Impacts:

1. Natural resource depletion (water, forests, etc.)

2. Pollution (air pollution, noise, sewage, waste and littering)

3. Physical consequences (construction activities, marina development, trampling, loss

of biodiversity)

Increased emissions from necessary tourism elements such as transportation are one

example of environmental impact of tourism. Air travel, for example, is a significant

contributor to climate change.

Socio-cultural Impact

The socio-cultural impact of tourism refers to changes in the quality of life of local

residents of tourism destinations as a result of interactions between tourists and local

residents.It has positive as well as negative impacts.

Positive Impacts:

1. To increase tourism, funds are invested in preserving local heritage, improving

infrastructure, and providing better local amenities.

2. Improves education and leisure facilities, as well as organising frequent social events,

result in a better lifestyle for the locals.

3. Interaction with tourists and people from various backgrounds contributes to the

region's cosmopolitan culture.

Negative Impacts:
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1. Because of the region's heavy traffic, the infrastructure may be unable to handle the

increased demand, resulting in overcrowding.

2. Through the demonstration effect, locals may imitate tourist lifestyles, potentially

leading to the extinction of indigenous customs and traditions.

3. Some people may engage in criminal activities in order to make quick money from

tourists, which leads to increased crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as a loss of

moral and religious values.

Because of the marked contrast between cultures, some tourists' sexual and drinking

habits, for example, are notorious in destination communities in Muslim countries, resulting

in conflict and, in some cases, arrests.

Key Stakeholders in Tourism

A tourism stakeholder can be an individual, such as a tourist or a taxi driver. They

could be a group of people, such as a group of students or a family. They could be a business

or an organisation. However, the key stakeholders in tourism includes the following,but not

limited to:

Tour Operators

Tour operators are businesses that combine two or more travel services (e.g.,

transportation, lodging, meals, entertainment, sightseeing) and sell them as a single product to

final consumers for a global price. One of the ways tour operators can positively impact the

destinations is to directly encourage local employment in tourism by hiring local workers.

Another way to leave a positive impact is by donating to local projects to support local

economy and offering to donate a fixed amount per traveller or tour group. However, offering

all-inclusive packages to tourists can negatively impact the destination because it limits the

need for tourists to go out and explore the local options available and spend locally. To
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promote responsible tourism, tour operators can encourage the tourist groups to purchase

from local shops and eat at local food brands.

Individuals

Individuals as one of the key stakeholders in tourism are people who are involved in

travelling from a certain location to another such as tourists themselves, the employees of

tourist operators or even a bus driver taking you to your desired location. They can have a

positive impact on destinations by behaving responsibly towards environment and avoiding

littering at tourist locations to avoid land pollution. They can also impact negatively by not

respecting the cultural differences and social norms of the destination such as drinking or not

following the local dress code, such as in muslim countries. These individuals can play a

crucial role in promoting responsible tourism by spending on services that are ‘green’ in

nature and do not add to the CO2 emissions in environment,by travelling responsibly. For

example, preferring longer,pricey and single flights to destinations rather than shorter cheap

flights.

Indigenous Population

Indigenous population refers to the local residents of the destinations or the natives.

They have an important role in impacting tourism positively and negatively. By welcoming

the tourists in a safe and sound environment without feeling insecure, indigenous population

can promote tourism in their area and portray a positive image to the world. If the tourists

frequently experience theft or loss of belongings in a certain area, they do not want to visit

the place again, no matter how attractive it is,which is a negative impact. The natives can

promote responsible tourism by offering services that are closer to their social norms and

culture and are also environment friendly. For example, selling handmade goods that are

famous,instead of selling goods that are machine made.

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Tourism Organisations

There are three types of organisational sectors that are important and are one of the

key stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry. These are the private, public, and

voluntary sectors.The majority of travel and tourism businesses are privately owned. Profit is

the primary goal of private-sector organisations.Some examples include Thomas

Cook,Holiday Inn and Virgin Trains. On the other hand, national and local governments fund

public-sector organisations. The goal of the public sector is to educate, inform, and serve its

customers.Examples include museums,national gallery and visitor information centres.

Charities or trusts are frequently found in the voluntary sector. They are primarily supported

by their members, attraction admission fees, fundraising, and donations. The objectives of

non-profit organisations are to preserve, protect, and promote their cause.Examples are The

National Trust, The Sealed Knot and Friends of Williamson’s.

All the mentioned organisations can positively impact tourism by educating the

tourists about responsible tourism, investing in green technologies in travelling for tourism

and promoting infrastructure for tourist attractions that are environmentally friendly. These

organisations can negatively impact tourism by promoting and selling their own benefits such

as services that generate profits for themselves and not the local destinations.
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References

Buckley, R., 2009. Ecotourism: Principles and practices. CABI.

Goodwin, H. (2018). What is Responsible Tourism? – Responsible Tourism Partnership.

[online] Responsibletourismpartnership.org. Available at:

https://responsibletourismpartnership.org/what-is-responsible-tourism/ [Accessed 26

January 2023].

Priya Ranjan Trivedi, Aaradhana Salpekar, & Kadambari Sharma. (2006). Introduction to

ecotourism. New Delhi Jnanada Prakashan.

Rariel (2018). What is Sustainable Tourism? [online] GSTC. Available at:

https://www.gstcouncil.org/what-is-sustainable-tourism/#:~:text= Sustainable

%20tourism%20is%20defined%20by. [Accessed 26 January 2023].

Tourism Teacher. (2019). Economic impacts of tourism. [online] Available at:

https://tourismteacher.com/economic-impacts-of-tourism/#2-foreign-exchange-

earnings. [Accessed 26 January 2023].