Sustainable Tourism
Abstract
With today’s complex tourism systems, the planning and management of these systems pose as a challenge to many. Tourist destinations, stakeholders and the tourists themselves play a part in working toward the sustainability of tourism. This article covers how the complexity of tourism has complicated the tourism industry and what new strategies can be implemented toward building a more sustainable tourism.
Introduction
The world today is a fast paced, ever growing economy and development. What one sees today, may be totally different 20, 10 or even 5 years down the road. The question that many are worried about is that would there be any adverse effect from developing too quickly, and if so, what the solutions are. Most researchers believe that sustainable development is the answer to that question. Brundtland’s report: Our Common Future (WCED 1987), defines sustainable development as meeting the needs of the current generation without restricting the capability of future generations to meet theirs. It also involves the incorporation of social, economic and environmental aims, which result in development that is socially desirable, economically viable and ecologically sustainable (Hens, 1996).
The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the ways and strategies that the tourism industry should undertake to achieve sustainable tourism. It discusses if mass tourism or alternative tourism should be the key to sustainable tourism. The paper is structured in the following way: firstly, the theories of sustainable tourism are discussed as well as the difficulties faced. Next the current disputes on mass tourism or alternative tourism are analysed, on whether one or the other is the way to sustainability. In the following, the concept of aligning both mass tourism and alternative tourism toward sustainable tourism is proposed using research examples from the related study.
Sustainable Tourism: A Subset of Sustainable Development
The tourism industry
With today’s complex tourism systems, the planning and management of these systems pose as a challenge to many. Tourist destinations, stakeholders and the tourists themselves play a part in working toward the sustainability of tourism. This article covers how the complexity of tourism has complicated the tourism industry and what new strategies can be implemented toward building a more sustainable tourism.
Introduction
The world today is a fast paced, ever growing economy and development. What one sees today, may be totally different 20, 10 or even 5 years down the road. The question that many are worried about is that would there be any adverse effect from developing too quickly, and if so, what the solutions are. Most researchers believe that sustainable development is the answer to that question. Brundtland’s report: Our Common Future (WCED 1987), defines sustainable development as meeting the needs of the current generation without restricting the capability of future generations to meet theirs. It also involves the incorporation of social, economic and environmental aims, which result in development that is socially desirable, economically viable and ecologically sustainable (Hens, 1996).
The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the ways and strategies that the tourism industry should undertake to achieve sustainable tourism. It discusses if mass tourism or alternative tourism should be the key to sustainable tourism. The paper is structured in the following way: firstly, the theories of sustainable tourism are discussed as well as the difficulties faced. Next the current disputes on mass tourism or alternative tourism are analysed, on whether one or the other is the way to sustainability. In the following, the concept of aligning both mass tourism and alternative tourism toward sustainable tourism is proposed using research examples from the related study.
Sustainable Tourism: A Subset of Sustainable Development
The tourism industry