Sustainable Tourism - an Achievable Goal, or Continuing Path - Coursework Example

Sustainable tourism Sustainable tourism can be defined generally as Tourism that takes into consideration the traveler, the local people, and their cultural heritage and the environment among others as per UNESCO. This means that alternative forms of tourism are preferred such as ecotourism, nature based tourism and cultural tourism. Sustainable tourism establishes a balance between conserving the biodiversity of a region and different aspects of tourism that is environmental, socio-cultural and economic aspects. This is mainly so by causing minimal impact on the environment and local culture so the future generation can enjoy it too while at the same time aiming at generating income, providing employment and conserving local ecosystems. The term “Sustainable tourism” reflects upon the emergence and ensuing adoption of sustainable development where it was accepted as an appropriate response to the challenges encountered as a result of the scale, scope and consequences of developments in tourism. Tourism has grown rapidly since mid-1960’s principally international mass tourism and the spread of the ‘pleasure periphery’ (Turner & ash 1975) had been accompanied by increase in calls for restraint in development. Attention was drawn to the potentially destructive socio-cultural and environmental effects brought about by the uncontrolled tourism expansion, such that by the end of the 1980s, the was the establishment of the ‘alternative [to mass] tourism’ school together with several concepts such as green, appropriate, responsible tourism that would have a low impact as a whole. In the early 1990s, more attention was paid to both the supposed negative impacts that was caused by tourism and to alternative approaches that would develop it. These were refocused through sustainable tourism and from then henceforth it has been dominant in both the academic study of tourism and the processes in planning and tourism policy. However, there are two points of concern noted. First is in the academic study of sustainable tourism where it has reached an impasse. There remains a lack of consensus over the definitions and theoretical foundations of the concept despite the extensive attention it has gotten for close to two decades. This is also so in the extent to which a translation of the set of practical policies can be done together with the measures for the effective planning and management of tourism in the world today (Berno and Bricker 2001). The CSD Working sustainable tourism debate is claimed to be disjointed, theoretically flawed and based upon weak or false assumptions (Liu 2003),this is so while it has been suggested that the principles associated with sustainable tourism represent a micro solution to a macro problem as opposed to the expectation that it would be a macro solution (Wheeller 1991). There is also little evidence to suggest that sustainability or sustainable development and principles associated with it have been adopted amongst individual businesses related to tourism, sectors of the travel and tourism industry or, at the terminal level. Sustainable tourism so far as remained to be more of a policy objective at the global level, with some advantages to it like specific reference in the Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Department of Service Management and Service Studi Stefan Gossling, ‎Stefan Gössling, ‎C. Michael Hall 2009). As seen from above, a significant and consistent growth in tourism over the last half-century has been noted, even though the rate of growth has been on the decline since the onset of the 1990’s. It can be noted that this is since emergence of sustainable tourism, tourism planning and development objective. There were also the worldwide international arrivals that have continued to rise at a rate of 4% and 5% annually. Global tourism has simultaneously demonstrated several other characteristics and trends that give framework that is of the ‘real world’ and considers the sustainable tourism concept and its validity (Fabio Cerina 2010). According to Robinson (2004), sustainable development has a broader paradigm that can be challenged. These are all equally relevant in the critique of sustainable tourism particularly when criticizing sustainable development. Here, it fosters delusions in two ways. First, it relates to the oxymoronic character of the concept, the same way it provides a framework for continued development under the possibly misguided belief that development through efficiencies or technological advances can occur within biophysical limits. As a result, there may be hastened ecological collapse due to the continued focus on ‘sustainable’ growth and development. This has an impact directly on its relevance to tourism. Secondly, there is suggestion that sustainable development may ‘distract us from the real problems and potential solutions as it is currently conceptualized by focusing our attention on the wrong issues (Graham Miller 2005). In this sense, sustainable tourism development may be delusional. This means that, the ‘problem’ of tourism may be a deep-rooted issue and not the miss-management or excessive exploitation of resources. These include the state of contemporary modern societies where people are encouraged tour in greater numbers and frequently. There could also be a problem caused by inequitable shares of the benefits of tourism and not the overall global growth of tourism. For example, less developed countries account for roughly just one thirds of total tourist and receipts collectively despite the fact that they have had above average growth in arrivals in recent years. Aside from these general issues, some consider sustainable development as being a contradictory manifestation of western hegemony. As Adams (2001: 108) observes, It has been observed that ‘mainstream sustainable development is firmly anchored within the existing economic paradigms of the industrialized North’ by Adams (2001: 108). With this, the dominance of western economic models has sought to challenge the contemporary perspectives on human development. In sustainable tourism, the same accusation can be leveled against it. Cater (2006), a powerful critique, has described ecotourism as a western construct where it is a specific nature-based form of sustainable tourism. Because the origins of ecotourism lie in western ideology and values, and its practice dominated by western interests, there is a lot to advocate for ecotourism as a universal template arising from western hegemony. (Carter 2006). Aside from her focusing specifically on ecotourism, Carter has raised points that are of direct relevance to sustainable tourism. She has also cited the role of UNWTO and its influence on sustainable tourism, its “blueprints” for sustainable tourism and organizations funding local ecotourism such as the Global Environmental Facility or Conservation International by the World Bank based on the explicitly Western development agenda (Stephen F. McCool 2010). Simultaneously, ecotourism (and, implicitly, sustainable tourism) has been designed on projects that have been based on the mainstream conservation-for-development perspective and on nature fails as per the Western notion accounting for alternative natures or environments and interpretations of conservation and guardianship. Generally, it can be said that different natures and environments are a product of socio-cultural, political and economic processes and thus, based on Western-centric interpretations of nature, sustainable tourism development may not match local constructions of nature. This results in tourism being seen as a form of eco-colonialism. This also brings into light the general criticism that of sustainable tourism that its principles and objectives are typically manifested in overarching sets of prescriptive guidelines. It is usually based on the Western criteria of managing the limits of acceptable environmental and social change. It can result at times in the failure to account for the almost infinite diversity of tourism development contexts and, importantly, the meaning, knowledge and understanding of the environments amongst local communities (Williams 2004). Sustainable tourism: specific issues There have been several issues highlighted with regards to weaknesses and challenges related to the sustainable tourism concept. First in particular is the issue to do with principles for sustainable tourism development and sustainable tourism projects in the CSD Working Paper Series. Small scale projects though seemingly manifested locally may seem successful and bring implication on small-scale benefits whilst addressing the ‘problems’ of tourism at the local level. This then is not only the ‘macro’ problem of tourism ‘brushed under the carpet’. It is the objective of achieving sustainable development through tourism is unachievable. Subsequently, most principles and projects associated with sustainable tourism focus on the supply of tourism at the destination, with little account taken of potential transformations in the demand for tourism (Williams 2004). A sustainable demand is a requirement in sustainable tourism. This is so even though tourism is susceptible to a variety of influences such as economic downturns, health and security scares, political turmoil and fashion at times. Thirdly, most sustainable tourism policies have a ‘blueprint’ character that fail to recognize local (destination) variations in regards to the developmental needs of the local community and local opportunities for tourism development. Of importance is noting the fact that tourism is not a ‘smokeless’ industry. The development of tourism might lead to significant impacts in the environment and socially for destinations as noted. This might be to an extent where such impacts are inevitable, accepted, and expected by destination communities. Destinations should also not expect to seek the economic benefits of tourism and at the same time expect tourists to behave ‘responsibly’. To contain the negative consequences of sustainable tourism, effective management should be put in place and of course, within acceptable limits. It is however in the context of its relationship with sustainable development where sustainable tourism is seen as weak meaning sustainable tourism tourism is developed in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. If the characteristics of tourism are mapped against the fundamental elements of sustainable development as both an economic and social activity, it then is evident that the two concepts lack a fit (see Table 3). In other words, tourism development is unable to meet sustainable development’s fundamental principles, and is also not able to meet its development and sustainability principles (Fabio Cerina 2010). Reference list Department of Service Management and Service Studi Stefan Gossling, ‎Stefan Gössling, ‎C. Michael Hall . Sustainable Tourism Futures: Perspectives on Systems,. 2009. Fabio Cerina, ‎Anil Markandya, ‎Michael McAleer. Economics of Sustainable Tourism. 2010. Graham Miller, ‎Louise Twining-Ward. Monitoring for a Sustainable Tourism Transition. 2005. Stephen F. McCool, ‎R. Neil Moisey. Tourism, Recreation, and Sustainability: Linking Culture . 2010. Swarbrooke, John. Sustainable Tourism Management. 2008. Williams, Stephen. Tourism: Tourism, development and sustainability - Page 319. 2004. . Read More