Sustainable

Hospitality &
Tourism
Management
BMIH5006
Week 2

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Greta Thunberg
 Sustainability
What does it mean?

“Sustainable development is the

development that meets the
needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations” (WCED, 1987).
What are the 3 principles of
sustainability?

The principles of
sustainability are the
foundations of what this
concept represents.

Sustainability is made up
of three pillars:
Economy, society and the
environment.
These principles are also
informally used as profit,
people and planet.
 What is the purpose of sustainability?

Sustainability looks to protect our natural

environment, human and ecological health,
while driving innovation and not compromising
our way of life. (Young & Dhanda, 2013).
Sustainable Tourism
Background to
sustainability
in tourism
1987 Brundland Report – Our Common Future
1992 Rio Earth Summit; Agenda 21; UN Commission on
Sustainable Development
1999 UN Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
2002 International Year of Ecotourism
2006 Maastricht Task Force on Tourism Sustainable
Development
2015 UN Climate Change Conference, Paris – agreement on
carbon emissions targets
2017 UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for
Development
Sustainable development
and global goals

• The Brundtland Commission Report (1987) called for three

pillars of action: economic growth, environmental
protection
1987
and social equality.
Brundtland 1995 Kyoto 2015 Paris
Commission Protocol 2012 Rio+20 agreement

1992 Earth 2000 2015

Summit Millennium Sustainable
Development Development
Goals Goals
How to save tourism from itself

https://youtu.be/Imbj0F-gUSw
What were your key points from Doug
Lansky?
• Too many visitors – overtourism (unbalanced
tourism)
• Destination carrying capacity
• Organic growth
• Profit rather than revenue
• Is restricting access too simple as a solution?
• And more…!
Sustainable Tourism

Tourism will never be completely sustainable as

every industry has impacts, but it can work towards
becoming more sustainable.
The Travel Foundation (www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk ) argues the case for
sustainable tourism, and working in partnership for a sustainable future.
Sustainable tourism is the responsibility of
all stakeholders involved. 

Sustainable tourism seeks to provide people with

an exciting and educational holiday that is also of
benefit to the people of the host country and does
not damage the local environment or society.
Definitions

If we look back at early definitions of sustainable development, 

The Brundtland Report defined sustainable development as “development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs”.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation then developed the definition

of sustainable tourism and defined the form of tourism as “Tourism that
takes full account of its current and future economic, social and
environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the
environment and host communities”.
UNWTO
1. Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key
element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological
processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.
2. Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities,
conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional
values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.
3. Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-
economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed,
including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and
social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty
alleviation.
Why is it important?
The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Tourism Concern (1991) outline 10 principles for sustainable tourism

1. Using resources sustainably. The conservation and sustainable use of resources- natural, social and cultural – is crucial and
makes long-term business sense.
2. Reducing over-consumption and waste. Reduction of over-consumption and waste avoids the costs of restoring long-term
environmental damage and contributes to the quality of tourism.
3. Maintaining biodiversity. Maintaining and promoting natural, social and cultural diversity is essential for long-term sustainable
tourism and creates a resilient base for the industry.
4. Integrating tourism into planning. Tourism development which is integrated into a national and local strategic planning
framework and which undertake environmental impact assessments increases the long-term viability of tourism.
5. Supporting local economies. Tourism that supports a wide range of local economic activities and which takes environmental
costs and values into account, both protects these economies and avoids environmental damage.
6. Involving local communities. The full involvement of local communities in the tourism sector not only benefits them and the
environment in general but also improves the quality of the tourism experience.
7. Consulting stakeholders and the public. Consulting between the tourism industry and local communities, organizations and
institutions are essential if they are to work alongside each other and resolve potential conflicts of interest.
8. Training staff. Staff training which integrates sustainable tourism into work practices, along with recruitment of personnel at all
levels, improves the quality of the tourism product.
9. Marketing tourism responsibly. Marketing that provides tourists with the full and responsible information increases respect for
the natural, social and cultural environments of destination areas and enhances customer satisfaction.
10.Undertaking research. Ongoing research and monitoring by the industry using effective data collection and analysis are
essential to help solve problems and to bring benefits to destinations, the industry, and consumers.
 The Issue
As more regions and countries develop their
tourism industry, it produces significant impacts on
natural resources, consumption patterns, pollution
and social systems.

The need for sustainable/responsible planning

and management is imperative for the industry
to survive as a whole.
Impact
Impact
 Economic impacts
of tourism
• The tourism economy represents 5 percent of world GDP 
• Tourism contributes to 6-7 percent of total employment
• International tourism ranks fourth (after fuels, chemicals and automotive
products) in global exports 
• The tourism industry is valued at US$1trillion a year
• Tourism accounts for 30 percent of the world’s exports of commercial services 
• Tourism accounts for 6 percent of total exports
• 1.4billion international tourists were recorded in 2018 (UNWTO) 
• In over 150 countries, tourism is one of five top export earners
• Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange for one-third of developing
countries and one-half of less economically developed countries (LEDCs)
Sustainable Hospitality &
Tourism Management

Time for coffee!

Bali, Indonesia
Economy
In short, tourism is an example of an economic policy pursued by
governments because:

•      it brings in foreign exchange

•      it generates employment
•      it creates economic activity

Building and developing a tourism industry, however, involves a lot of initial

and ongoing expenditure. The airport may need expanding. The beaches need
to be regularly cleaned. New roads may need to be built. All of this takes
money, which is usually a financial outlay required by the Government
Economic Impact
Positive economic impacts
• Foreign Exchange earnings
• Contribution to government revenues
• Employment generation
• Contribution to local economies
• Development of the Private Sector
Negative economic impacts
• Leakage
• Infrastructure cost
• Increase in prices
• Economic dependence of the local community
on tourism
• Foreign Ownership and Management
Social impacts of tourism
The effects on host communities of direct and
indirect relations with tourists, and of interaction
with the tourism industry.
Social impacts - Thailand
Positive social impacts

• Preserving Local Culture

• Strengthening Communities
• Provision of Social Services
• Commercialisation of Culture and Art
• Revitalisation of Culture and Art
• Preservation of Heritage
Negative social impacts

• Social Change
• Globalisation and the Destruction of
Preservation and Heritage
• Loss of Authenticity 
• Standardisation and Commercialisation
• Culture clashes
• Tourist-host relationships
• Increase in crime, gambling and moral behaviour
Doxey’s Irritation Index (1975)
Environmental impacts - Borocay
 Positive environmental impacts

• Raised
Awareness
• NEED for the
environment
Negative environmental impacts
• Depletion of natural resources (water
resources, land degradation, local resources) 
• Physical impacts of tourism development
• Physical impacts from tourist activities
• Pollution

WWF Footprint Calculator

 The Solution

Although not everything

depends on tourism, tourism
depends on almost
everything.

Sustainable tourism is about

re-focusing and adapting.
What’s happening in Europe?
 Sustainable Tourism: Conclusion
• Sustainable tourism is a form of tourism that takes a
long term approach. 
• It considers needs of the future, not only the present. 
• Close ties with a number of other tourism forms such
as responsible tourism, alternative tourism and
ecotourism. 
• In order to be sustainable the three pillars of
sustainable tourism must be accounted for: economic
impacts, social impacts, environmental impacts.
• Typically tourists who partake in sustainable tourism
activities will have a desire to help and support local
communities and environments whilst avoiding any
negative impacts their visit might bring. 
• Many tourists now are far more conscious than they used
to be and in general, society is a lot more aware of the
impacts of their actions. 
• In many ways, this has fuelled the sustainable behaviours
of a number of stakeholders, who seek to please their
customers and to enhance their own business prospects.
See you next week!

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