SUSTAINABLE

TOURISM
OBJECTIVES
• Understand what is sustainability and development
• Provide comprehension on various areas of sustainability
relative to tourism development
• Learn to respect culture and environment as part of
sustainability
• Learn what sort of development relative to tourism is
sustainable
• Know how to be a responsible tourist
DEFINITION
OF SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainable tourism comes from the concept of sustainable
development

What is sustainable tourism? Tourism is important

• Aims to maintain a balance between to our efforts to
protecting the environment; achieve sustainable
development. It is a
• Maintains cultural integrity and
establishes social justice; massive industry,
and many countries
• Promotes economic benefits; rely on it for their
economies.
The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) defined sustainable
tourism development as meeting:

‘...the needs of present tourists and host regions

while protecting and enhancing opportunities 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” (WTO,
2001, cited in Liu, 2003, p.460).
• Sustainable tourism development
guidelines and management
practices are applicable to all forms
of tourism in all types of destinations,
including mass tourism and the
various niche tourism segments.
• Sustainability principles refer to the
environmental, economic, and socio-
cultural aspects of tourism
development, and a suitable balance
must be established between these
three dimensions to guarantee its
long-term sustainability.
Thus, sustainable tourism should:
1. Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key
element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological
processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and
biodiversity.
2. Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities,
conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional
values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and
tolerance.
3. Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-
economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed,
including stable employment and income-earning opportunities
and social services to host communities, and contributing to
poverty alleviation.
 Characteristics of Sustainable Tourism
• It is informative
• It supports integrity of the place
• It benefits residents
• It conserves resources
• It respects local culture and tradition
• It does not abuse the product
• It strives for quality, quantity
• It means great trips
Responsible Tourism
Responsible Tourism is about “making better places for
people to live in and better places for people to visit.”
Responsible Tourism requires that operators, hoteliers,
governments, local people and tourists take
responsibility, take action to make tourism more
sustainable.
• Responsible Tourism is about using tourism to make better
places for people to live in and better places for people to visit, in
that order. It is different from sustainable tourism in that it
focuses on what people, businesses and governments do to
maximise the positive economic, social and environmental
impacts of tourism.
• It is about identifying the important issues locally and addressing
those, transparently reporting progress towards using tourism
for sustainable development.
How to be a responsible tourist

Here are just a few simple tips for you to consider to help make your trips more
sustainable:
 Stay several nights

 Support the local economy

 Explore non-popular areas

 Become a temporary local, not a tourist

 Minimise transport

 Don’t purchase endangered species produce

https://www.alphatravelinsurance.co.uk/blog/responsible-
tourist/