Sustainable tourism aims to meet the needs of tourists and hosts while protecting opportunities for future generations. It requires cooperation from various stakeholders including planning authorities, businesses, tourists, and non-governmental organizations. Planning authorities must control development rates and promote sustainable industries. Businesses should minimize environmental impacts and prioritize local communities. Tourists need to respect local cultures. Non-governmental organizations can advocate for conservation and sustainable practices. Ecotourism and community-based tourism, when developed responsibly, can generate local jobs while showcasing natural and cultural heritage. However, all involved must work to avoid overtourism and ensure benefits are shared equitably.

1. Development of tourism and its related activities can exert pressure on the local communities and
physical environment beyond its carrying capacity as well as create negative influences to the society
and the environment.
This is especially harmful to fragile physical environments like coasts, forests and mountains which are
most vulnerable to mass tourism.
Sustainable tourism:
Tourism that meets the needs of tourists and the host country while protecting and enhancing
opportunities for future generations.
Who is responsible? Why? Example
1. Planning authorities/ Planning authorities (local/national To guard against the negative
government government agencies) play a crucial experience of tourism, the
role in controlling the rate and scale of government of Bhutan
development in tourist areas. accepted only 18 000 tourists
in 2006 and charged tourists
They may also choose to develop a about US$240/day for their
certain aspect of tourism as part of entire trip.
their national development strategy
(eg. medical tourism) In Singapore’s drive to
become a regional medical
However, some countries face hub, the government has
difficulties in enforcing laws and been proactively promoting
regulations on proper tourist behaviour medical tourism.
as they lack sufficient funds to employ
park rangers to patrol protected In Kalimantan, the lack of
reserves or to train more park funds to hire park rangers to
personnel. take care of Betung Kerihun
Nature Reserve hence illegal
cutting is still prevalent.
2. Businesses Businesses should put aside economic The International Tourism
gains sometimes to think of long-term Partnership, a worldwide
solutions against the impacts of membership organisation for
tourism. commercial businesses in the
tourism sector has provided
These may include implementing practical guidelines for hotel
measures to conserve energy and businesses to adopt (like the
water, education to guests and staff, one on the left)
encouraging purchase of local
products and employing local people
and providing means for guests to be
involved in local community
development projects.

2. 3. Tourists Tourists also must learn about the For example, tourists must
culture, traditions and background of a understand the need of
destination to better appreciate the removing footwear at certain
locals’ way of life, as well as the places of worship such as
problems they face. mosques and Hindu temples
so that they will not annoy
They also must pay attention to the the locals.
local customs at their travel
destinations to avoid irritating them.
4. Non-governmental Independent pressure groups or The World Wide Fund for
organisations/NGOs campaigning organisations that are Nature (WWF) and Inter-
usually non profit-oriented are formed national Ecotourism Society
to defend or promote a specific cause (TIES) are two NGOs that
such as conserving a natural attraction. conserve natural places like
coasts and forests.
They conduct campaigns, solicit
signatures for petitions or organise In Singapore, the Nature
protests to exert pressure against the Society, Singapore (NSS)
development of places which may conducted campaigns and
negatively affect them. had a petition against the
development of Chek Jawa
and successfully protected it.
Type of sustainable
+ - Example
tourism
1. Ecotourism Local guides lead tourists Tour guides of such Perhentian, Redang,
along jungle or cave trips and nature-based tours do Tioman has been
Def*: Responsible this creates employment for not guarantee that famous ecotourism
travel to natural the local people in the tourism care has been taken spots among tourists.
areas that industry. by tourists and tour
conserves the operators to minimise Jungle trekking in
environment and This also minimises leakage negative impacts. Perhentian, snorkelling
improves the well- as tour guides do not come in Perhentian, the
being of the local from the tourist generating Visitor numbers are airstrip at the edge of
people areas but comes from the not controlled as tour the mangroves in
locals. agencies see more Redang, demand of
tourists as more water for pools, build-
income. ing of chalets on rocks
and slopes in Redang,
water pollution of
coliform in Tioman are
the negative impacts of
ecotourism on these
islands.

3. Type of sustainable
+ - Example
tourism
2. Community-based By consulting local The lack of knowledge Umphang, Thailand is
tourism communities on guidelines to to manage the a small district located
manage the impacts of development of tourism in north western
Def*: Process of tourism and getting their in a sustainable manner Thailand which is rich
tourism develop- support, misunderstandings in the villagers may in forests and wildlife
ment and manage- between by locals and tour cause them to, for resources.
ment that operators can be minimised. example, catch
includes, consults endangered animals for Through programs like
and benefits the Locals get to enjoy shows for tourists. Public Campaign Plan
local community economical benefits as they (where locals are made
especially in the earn and share the revenue Only a small portion aware of the tourism
context of rural they receive from tourists of a tourist’s total plans of that place) and
villages and from activities like leading expenditure goes to Handicraft Promotion
indigenous people jungle excursions or teaching the local community (training for locals to
in LDCs them traditional handicraft. which is insufficient to help them to make and
fund more projects as sell souvenirs), locals
most of their are included in tourism
expenditure goes to air plans in that area.
travel and foreign tour
operators. Local tourism
operators are also
Unrealistic educated on import-
expectations of tourists ance of environmental
might lead them to protection and guest
become dissatisfied safety and security.
with the rural settings Travel agencies are
resulting in conflict locally owned and
between tourists and operated and this
locals. creates jobs for the
local people.