tourism

1. Chapter 10: Sustainable
Development and Responsible
Tourism
International Tourism Futures © Clare Lade, Paul Strickland, Elspeth Frew, Paul Willard, Swati Nagpal, Sandra Cherro Osorio, Peter Vitartas.
All rights reserved 2020

2. Chapter Outline
• Introduction
• Tourism and sustainable development
• The three pillars of sustainability
• The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Responsible tourism – whose responsibility?
• A systems approach to responsible tourism
• Summary
• Case study and additional resources
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

3. Introduction
• International tourist arrivals expected to increase from 1.5 billion in
2019 to 1.8 billion in 2030.
• What does this mean for the tourism industry?
• What impact does this growth have on the economy, society and the
environment?
• Global ‘wicked’ sustainability challenges
• Need a new approach to solving these challenges
• Drivers for sustainability in tourism industry:
• Dissatisfaction with existing products
• Growing environmental and cultural sensitivity
• Finite and vulnerable resources
• Changing attitudes of developers and tour operators
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

4. Tourism and Sustainable Development
‘Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs’
(WCED, 1987: 41).
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

5. The Three Pillars of Sustainability
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020
Economy
Society
Environment
Sustainable

6. The Three Pillars of Sustainability - Examples
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020
Economy Society Environment
Revenue generation
Job creation
Economic prosperity
Innovation
New markets
Increased traffic
Crime
Exploitation
Changing customs and
norms
Emissions
Waste
Pollution
Land degradation
Biodiversity loss
Water shortage

7. Sustainable Tourism
‘Sustainable tourism development meets 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.’
(UNWTO, 2005).
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

8. The UN Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

9. The SDGs and Tourism
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020
Tourism can be linked to national poverty reduction strategies and entrepreneurship through low skills
requirements and local recruitment.
Tourism can spur sustainable agriculture by promoting production, supplies to hotels, and sales of
local products to tourists.
Tax income generated from tourism and visitors' fees collected in protected areas can be reinvested in
health care and services.
Capacity and skills need to be built to ensure the tourism sector can prosper and provide job
opportunities for youth, women and those with special needs.

10. The SDGs and Tourism
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020
Decent work opportunities in tourism, particularly for youth and women, and policies that
favour better diversification through tourism value chains can enhance tourism’s positive
socioeconomic impacts.
Sustainable tourism can engage local populations and all stakeholders in tourism
development and contribute to urban renewal and rural development.
Tourism stakeholders can play a critical leading role in fighting climate change by reducing
their carbon footprints.
Tourism can help foster multicultural and interfaith tolerance and understanding, and
peace in post-conflict societies.

11. Responsible Tourism
If sustainability is the goal, then responsible tourism is how to get
there. It is about the decisions and actions people take to make tourism
more sustainable in the long run.
(Goodwin, 2011).
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

12. Responsible Tourism - Whose Responsibility?
• Sustainability is the goal and responsible tourism is the means
• How can tourism be made more sustainable?
• Innovation and disruption
• Building, rather than destroying the three pillars of sustainability
• Complexity increased through multiple stakeholders
• Not only whose responsibility – to whom and for what is tourism
responsible?
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

13. Systems Thinking
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020
‘A system is an interconnected set of elements that is coherently
organized in a way that achieves something. If you look at that
definition closely for a minute, you can see that a system must consist
of three kinds of things: elements, interconnections, and a function or
purpose.’
(Meadows, 2008)

14. A Systems Approach to Responsible Tourism
• Wicked problems – complex and interrelated
• Tourism system
• Long term, rather than short term view
• Example - Systems thinking: a cautionary tale (cats in Borneo)
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

15. Summary
• Future depends on inter and intra-generational sustainability
challenges
• Industry dependent on planetary boundaries and limits to growth
• Responsible management of change and transitions
• Systems and multi-stakeholder approach required
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

16. Case Study
Case Study: iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
Discussion Questions
1. Describe and discuss the relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals
in relation to this case study.
2. To what extent do you agree with the critique of ‘Conservation for
Development’ in the case of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park?
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020

17. Additional Resources
• UN World Tourism Organisation and sustainable development -
https://www.unwto.org/sustainable-development
• Sustainable Development Goals -
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
• Journal of Sustainable Tourism -
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rsus20/current
International Tourism Futures © Goodfellow Publishers 2020