Sustainable tourism encompasses a wide range of stakeholders and sectors. It aims to manage tourism's environmental, social, and economic impacts in a way that balances tourists' rights with responsibility towards nature and host communities. While some forms of tourism are more compatible with sustainability than others, the principles of sustainability can be applied to any type of tourism through awareness, training, and responsible practices across all sectors and functions of the tourism industry. The understanding and implementation of sustainable tourism varies globally and is more advanced in developed countries that prioritize long-term sustainable development over short-term economic gains.

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2. Nature and Scope of Sustainable Tourism
 Sustainable Tourism is a complex term
 Synonymous with terms like Responsible Tourism,Alternative
Tourism, Soft Tourism,Minimum impact
tourism, Ecotourism, Environment Friendly Tourism.
 Most of the authors talk about the responsibility of tourists
towards nature but not about their rights as paying customers
 Conversely they also talk about sustainable and non-sustainable
sides of tourism, but there are many shades of grey as well.
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3. Scope of Sustainable Tourism:
Sustainable
Tourism
Pollution
Resource
Use
Wildlife
Operational
Practices of
Tourism
Organisatio
n
The Host
Community
tourism
The Tourists
The
Industry
Public
Sector
Policy
Conservatio
n ,Policies
and
Practices
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4. Aspects of Sustainable Tourism covered in the topic
-Stakeholders encompassing the scope
-Sustainable tourism and different types of environment
-Different types of tourism and sustainable tourism
-Sustainable Tourism and different types of tourism organizations
-Different sectors of tourism and sustainability
-Sustainable Tourism and functional management
-Differences between the regions of the world in relation to the
idea of sustainability
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5. 1.Stakeholders in Sustainable Tourism
 Tourists – Mass market, ecotourists
 The Host Community – Directly or indirectly employed in tourism,Local
business people
 Governmental Bodies – International eg:European Union,National,Regional
and Local
 Tourism Industry – Tour operators,Transport Operators,Hospitality
Sector,Visitor attractions
 Pressure Groups – Environment,Wildlife,Human rights, Workers Rights
 Media – News,Specialist travel articles
 Experts – Commercial consultants,Academics
 Voluntary sector – NGO’s,Trusts and Environmental charities
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6. 2.Sustainable Tourism and Different Types of Environment
 Different types of
environment are:
1.Natural or Geographical
-Tropical rainforests
-Desert
-Oceans
-Grasslands
-Polar regions
-Wetlands : swamps,marshes
2.Man made
-Outer Environment-
Includes : infrastructure or
material culture
-Inner Environment –
Includes : Society itself i.e.
customs,heritage, rules
and regulations or non-
material culture
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7. 2.Sustainability and different types of environment – contd.
 Emphasis in relation to sustainable tourism is …..to manage the
existing forms of tourism in the different types of environment
 Relationship between sustainability and different environments
must improve with time.
 It involves working for the long-term viability and quality of both
natural and human resources.
 Managing is certainly not anti-growth, but acknowledges that
there are limits to growth.
 The basic economics of tourism must be planned according to
the sustainability and present carrying capacity of touristic areas
for future need.
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8. 3.Different Types of Tourism and Sustainable Tourism
 Principle of sustainability can be applied to any type of
tourism.
 It can be applied to social, economic and environmental
impacts of any type of tourism.
 Different forms of tourism need to understand their needs
in order to support sustainability.
 Awareness raising and training should be an integral part
of different tourisms to understand and contribute towards
sustainability.
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9. 2.Different Types of Tourism and Sustainable Tourism-
Contd.
Types of Tourism Highly Compatible
with Sustainable Tourism
Types of Tourism Largely Incompatible
with Sustainable Tourism
Eco tourism Mass market coastal tourism
Cultural Tourism Activity based tourism such as skiing,
mountain biking, off-road vehicle driving
Small scale rural,’agro’ Tourism Hunting and Fishing holidays(especially
unregulated)
Conservation Tourism Visiting very fragile environments such as
rain forests and Antarctica
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10. 4. Sustainable Tourism and Different Types of Tourism
Organizations
 Tourism involves a range of types of organisations:
Tourism
-Public sector bodies-national
and regional
-Private sector bodies
-Voluntary sector bodies eg:
trusts and societies
-One person business
-Small and medium
enterprises
-Large companies that operate
in one sector of tourism
-Large companies that operate
in many sectors of tourism
-Organisations that operate in
domestic market
-Organisations that operate
internationally
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11. 4.Sustainable Tourism and Different Types of Tourism
Organizations-Contd.
 These range of organizations have different effects on
sustainability:
 Public sector sets strategies, private sector develops the products.
Hence public sector must persuade the private sector which
dominates the supply to follow their plans.
 Large organizations seen as culprits for showing no or less
commitment towards sustainability.One person business, small
enterprises show long term commitment as they are locals.
 Transnational enterprises should show interest in sustainability
of the countries they deal with apart from their own country.
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12. 5.Sustainable Tourism and Different Sectors of Tourism
 Different Sectors of Tourism and their issues with sustainability:
a)Accommodation
 Environmental impact of new buildings and their operation
management eg: waste disposal
 Role of multinational chains
 Human resource policies eg: wage levels, discrimination
b)Transport
 Use of fuel
 Land acquired for infrastructure for airports and roads
 Traffic congestion on the roads
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13. 5. Sustainable Tourism and Different Sectors of Tourism-
Contd.
c)Tourism Services(Tour Operators)
 Volume and types of trips tourists take to their destinations
 Relations with local suppliers
 Educating tourists about sustainable issues
d)Visitor Attractions
 Environmental impact of new buildings and attractions
 Relations with local community
 Employment policies
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14. 5. Sustainable Tourism and Different Sectors of Tourism-
Contd
e)Retail Travel Trade
 Role in creating tourist expectations
 Advice about destinations Eg: religion, health
issues,political problems
f)Adventure tourism and recreation:
 Use and abuse of new destinations
 Use and abuse of present destinations
 Largely an area of interest of present travelers
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15. 5. Sustainable Tourism and Different Sectors of Tourism-Contd
g)Destination Management(F and B Service,Events and
Conferences)
 Public sector planning and economic development
strategies
 Financial incentives for new developments
 Tourist taxes and spending of this revenue
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16. 6.Sustainable Tourism and Functional Management
 Sustainable tourism should be of concern to every person
in an organization irrespective of departments and
functions.
 Different types of functional management roles are:
-Marketing
-Human Resource
-Finance
-Operations
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17. 6.Sustainable Tourism and Functional Management-Contd.
 Marketing:
- Attracting tourists to already fragile and overcrowded
environments
- Raising and shaping tourist expectations
 Human Resources
- The recruitment of locals and immigrants
- Training and education
- Racial or sexual discrimination
- Wage levels and working conditions
- Management styles
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18. 6.Sustainable Tourism and Functional Management-Contd.
 Finance
- Short term views
- Longer term financial planning
- Impact of cost reduction measures on the
environment, staff and host community
 Operations
- Purchasing supplies
- Waste disposal
- Energy conservation
- Pollution
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19. 7.Concept of Sustainable Tourism in Different Regions of the
World
 Sustainable tourism is more in countries where sustainable
development is more eg: Germany and Scandinavian
countries
 Interest in sustainable tourism more in developed
countries
 Developing countries concentrate on short term economic
development
 Time is changing now!!
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