Why is responsible tourism sustainable

All forms of tourism should be sustainable. Responsible Travel is a term referring to the behavior and style of individual travelers. Ecotourism is a niche segment of tourism in natural areas. The term emerged in the late s, with the raising importance of ecotourism. Ecotourism: An Introduction. Service provider partners at the destinations tend to be small, locally owned businesses; 4 It minimises negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural environment; 5 It supports the maintenance of natural areas which are used as ecotourism attractions by: Generating economic benefits for host communities, organisations and authorities managing natural areas with conservation purposes; Providing alternative employment and income opportunities for local communities; Increasing awareness towards the conservation of natural and cultural assets, both among locals and tourists.

There are similar definitions along these lines by other organizations such as Ecotourism Australia. Sustainable Tourism refers to sustainable practices in and by the tourism industry, it is an aspiration for the impacts of all forms of tourism — all forms of tourism should be sustainable. The Criteria are used for education and awareness-raising, policy-making for businesses and government agencies and other organization types, measurement and evaluation, and as a basis for certification.

They are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism. They are arranged in four pillars: 1 Sustainable management; 2 Socioeconomic impacts; 3 Cultural impacts; 4 Environmental impacts including consumption of resources, reducing pollution, and conserving biodiversity and landscapes. To match the scale of the problem, changes need to take place across the whole tourism value chain. When responsibly planned and managed, tourism has demonstrated its capacity to support job creation, promote inclusive social integration, protect natural and cultural heritage, conserve biodiversity, generate sustainable livelihoods and improve human wellbeing.

As the sector is experiencing tremendous growth, collective efforts to ensure its long-term sustainability are essential. The report aims to inspire stakeholders and encourage them to advance the implementation of the SDGs through sustainable tourism.

Small Island Developing States face numerous challenges. For a significant number, their remoteness affects their ability to be part of the global supply chain, increases import costs - especially for energy - and limits their competitiveness in the tourist industry. Many are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change - from devastating storms to the threat of sea level rise. Travel facilitation of tourist travel is closely interlinked with tourism development and can be a tool to foster increased demand and generate economic development, job creation and international understanding.

Sustainable development "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" Sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments.

Thus, sustainable tourism should: 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. Responsible Tourism is about using tourism to make better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit, in that order. It is different from sustainable tourism in that it focuses on what people, businesses and governments do to maximise the positive economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism.

It is about identifying the important issues locally and addressing those, transparently reporting progress towards using tourism for sustainable development. The World Travel Market has adopted the Cape Town Declaration definition of Responsible Tourism for its World Responsible Tourism Day which encourages the industry to take responsibility for making tourism more sustainable and demonstrate their responsibility.

The Cape Town Declaration recognises that Responsible Tourism takes a variety of forms, it is characterised by travel and tourism which:.