The document provides an overview of concepts related to sustainable tourism, including definitions from the Brundtland Report and DFID. It discusses resilience, gilded traps using overfishing as an example, and how Venice's economy declined after banning joint stock companies. Statistics are presented on expected impacts on biodiversity, forests, and water by 2050. The impacts of tourism on CO2 emissions and different transport modes are reviewed. The poverty trap concept and Cape Town Declaration principles of sustainable tourism are summarized. Guiding principles for economic and social responsibility in tourism are outlined.

1. MBA 1
2012 – 2013
Sustainable
Tourism &
Innovation
Week 1: Review of sustainability issues,
theories & applications

3. The Brundtland report
"Sustainable development is development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs".
Two key concepts:
• the concept of 'needs', in particular the essential needs
of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should
be given; and
• the idea of limitations imposed by the state of
technology and social organization on the
environment's ability to meet present and future needs.

4. British development institute DFID
DFID defines sustainability in terms of sustainable
livelihoods:
“A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets
(including both material and social resources) and
activities required for a means of living. A
livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and
recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or
enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in
the future, while not undermining the natural
resource base.”

5. Resilience
The capacity of a system to
“bounce back”, to recover from
a shock, or a perturbation.

6. Gilded traps
• Gilded traps are a type of social trap in which
collective actions resulting from economically
attractive opportunities outweigh concerns over
associated social and ecological risks or
consequences. Large financial gain creates a
strong reinforcing feedback that deepens the
trap. Avoiding or escaping gilded traps requires
managing for increased biological and economic
diversity. This is difficult to do prior to a crisis
while financial incentives for maintaining the
status quo are large.
• Overfishing is an example of a gilded trap.
• Other examples of gilded traps: (invention of the
automobile, tobacco cultivation, development of
the beef industry in the early US history...)

7. Early 14th century Venice: vibrant economy of the colleganza (joint stock
company to finance trading expeditions).
1315: Upper Class stops social mobility with the Libro d’Oro => La Serrata, the
colleganza is banned. Venice declines.

8. Between now and 2050
• Terrestrial Biodiversity is expected to decrease by a further 10%
between now and 2050;
• Mature forested areas are projected to shrink by 13% by 2050;
• One-third of freshwater biodiversity has already been lost and
more will disappear by 2050;
• Global water demand is projected to increase by some 55%, due
to growing demand from manufacturing (+400%), thermal
electricity generation (+140%) and domestic use (+130%);
• The number of people facing water scarcity could rise by 2
billion;
• Air pollution is set to become the world’s top environmental
cause of premature mortality, with substantial increased
mortality expected from particulate matter (PM), ground-level
ozone, sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxides (NOx).

9. The tourism sector accounts for:
• 5% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions
• its overall contribution to climate change, by
some greenhouse gas measures, is 5.2-12.5%
• Aviation accounts for 40% of tourism’s CO 2
emissions
• Car transport accounts for 32%
• Accommodation accounts for 21%
• Activities for tourists: 4%
• Other forms of transport: 3%, including in
particular cruise ships.

10. The Colorado

14. The poverty trap
Source: Scheffer 2009:35, Figure 2.14

16. Sustainable tourism: The Cape Town Declaration of 2002
“Sustainable tourism development requires the informed
participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong
political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus
building. Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process
and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the
necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever
necessary.
Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist
satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists,
raising their awareness about sustainability issues and
promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them.”

18. Guiding Principles for Economic Responsibility
• Assess economic impacts before developing tourism and exercise
preference for those forms of development that benefit local communities and
minimise negative impacts on local livelihoods (for example through loss of
access to resources), recognising that tourism may not always be the most
appropriate form of local economic development.
• Maximise local economic benefits by increasing linkages and reducing
leakages, by ensuring that communities are involved in, and benefit from,
tourism. Wherever possible use tourism to assist in poverty reduction by
adopting pro-poor strategies.
• Develop quality products that reflect, complement, and enhance the
destination.
• Market tourism in ways which reflect the natural, cultural and social
integrity of the destination, and which encourage appropriate forms of
tourism.
• Adopt equitable business practises, pay and charge fair prices, and build
partnerships in ways in which risk is minimised and shared, and recruit and
employ staff recognising international labour standards.
• Provide appropriate and sufficient support to small, medium and micro
enterprises to ensure tourism-related enterprises thrive and are sustainable.

19. Guiding Principles for Social Responsibility
• Actively involve the local community in planning and decision-making and
provide capacity building to make this a reality.
• Assess social impacts throughout the life cycle of the operation – including the
planning and design phases of projects - in order to minimise negative impacts and
maximise positive ones.
• Endeavour to make tourism an inclusive social experience and to ensure that
there is access for all, in particular vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and
individuals.
• Combat the sexual exploitation of human beings, particularly the exploitation of
children.
• Be sensitive to the host culture, maintaining and encouraging social and cultural
diversity.
• Endeavour to ensure that tourism contributes to improvements in health and
education.