Introduction
Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide and is becoming a major income source for numerous countries. It helps generate jobs for the local people as well as put a new breath of life to a country's cultural heritage. Nevertheless, it also causes problems to the host country such as environmental degradation, economic reliance, and loss of cultural heritage, among others. Such issues have led various government and civic sectors to think of ways on how to preserve the environment and culture of a country, including the rights and interests of the people, through sustainable tourism.
Defining Sustainable Tourism
Sustainable tourism takes into consideration the effects of tourism on the environment and the culture, ensuring that whatever is the driving force for the holiday event (vacation, business, or adventure, among others), the environment and the socio-cultural foundation of the host country are not damaged by the arrival of tourists (UNEP, 2005, p. 11). For sustainable tourism to become successful, members of the tourism industry must be willing to help in playing their roles in the conservation of the resources and the protection of the people's interests, both the local people and the tourists (UNEP, 2005, p. 11). It means creating a symbiotic relationship among the different aspects of tourism such as the environment, culture, and the people, as each one contributes to the negative and positive effects of tourism (NWHO, 1999, p. 1). For instance, a well-preserved natural environment attracts the attention of vacationers, thus, an influx of tourists means more businesses and jobs for the locals, which could lead to the promotion of the host country's cultural heritage (NWHO, 1999, p. 1). It is also important to note that reactions to sustainable tourism as a source of income for a local community is varied. While sectors who are directly involved in tourism view this as positive for their locality, those who are not economically dependent on tourism for their income think otherwise, as they consider how developmental changes could affect the environment and their day-o-day living in general (Sharpley, 2000, p. 11).
Sustainable Tourism and the Environment
Rapid expansions in tourism efforts may have adverse effects on land and marine resources. For instance, when local government officials decide to improve infrastructure to attract more tourists, land typically used for agriculture might be sacrificed in place of roads, commercial buildings, and hotels to service the needs of the tourists. This could lead to scarcity of land resources that farmers can use for production of staples such as rice and corn. In the case of marine life, development of ocean tourism puts pressure on marine resources as tourists use jet skis and boats or engage in activities such as scuba diving and sport fishing (Neto, 2003, p. 5). While tourists and locals benefit with the sights, sounds, and goings-on due to tourism, continuous depletion of natural resources could backfire and pose environmental hazards to the future generation as well as eventual loss of revenues arising from it (Neto, 2003, p. 6).
According to UNEP's (2005) study on tourism, with sustainable tourism, the aim to preserve the physical integrity of the landscape, the biodiversity of the plant and animal habitat, and the environmental purity of the surroundings will continually be preserved and protected (19).
Sustainable Tourism and the Culture
At the broadest sense, tourism bolsters awareness and appreciation of the local culture of the destination country. In fact, in some instances, the cultural knowledge that tourists have about a country is what enjoins them to visit the host country and experience living the life of the locals. This gives the locals an opportunity to highlight their traditional cultural values as more people become accepting and open to another person's ethnic history. In addition, it allows the promotion of cross-cultural exchanges that enriches an individual socially and psychologically (NWHO, 1999, p. 27). It also strengthens the local economy by encouraging the people to create arts and crafts that are symbolic of the host country's heritage (UNEP, 2005, p. 38).
Sustainable Tourism and the Economy
Sustainable tourism is not about the environment or the culture only, but is every bit part of how economy plays out for the country and the local people. Without the people, tourism could fail and therefore, a country's economy suffers because of it. Where sustainable tourism aims to improve the economic conditions of a country, the people benefits as much as the country does. Neto (2003) argues that tourism is labor-intensive and those who greatly benefit from it are women and unskilled employees. Despite empowering women and the unskilled employees, they are also paid lesser than those in similar occupations, but employed in a different industry. This also allows for the proliferation of child labor in other countries. Workers are also not immune to the limitations that tourism affords them especially those aspects that are season-dependent, which determines the influx of visitors to the country. Natural occurrences like earthquake or storms also affect their income as do consumer preferences when it comes to preferred vacation destinations (4).
Despite these facts, tourism still accounts for the big numbers of employment opportunities for everybody in a locality. It can help expand and "strengthen [] weak local economy and create jobs the unemployed or underemployed" (Bramwell & Lane, 1993, p.22). The positive effect of tourism is equal opportunity for all regardless of age, gender, and disability, thus, even the smaller nations gifted with natural or man-made sites are poised to benefit from sustainable tourism (Neto, 2003, p. 4).
In the end, sustainable tourism is a great opportunity for all whether the discussion is about the environment, culture, or economy. As long as all stakeholders such as the government, local and international tourism organizations, environmental groups, the private sector, and the citizens understand their roles in society and tourism, in general, then preserving the integrity of the environment and local culture, as well as uplifting the local economy is a possibility.
References
Bramwell, B., & Lane, B. (1993). Interpretation and sustainable tourism: The potential and the pitfalls. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 1 (2). Reprint. Retrieved from http://riat.utalca.cl/index.php/test/article/download/8/pdf
Goodwin, H. (2013, January 29). It's not just about the environment employees matter too. Retrieved from http://www.haroldgoodwin.info/blog/?p=2454
Neto, F. (2003). A new approach to sustainable tourism development: Moving beyond environmental protection. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2003/esa03dp29.pdf?utm_source=OldRedirect&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=OldRedirect
NWHO. (1999). Sustainable tourism and cultural heritage: A review of development assistance and its potential to promote sustainability. Retrieved from http://www.nwhf.no/files/File/culture_fulltext.pdf
Sharpley, R. (2000). Tourism and sustainable development: Exploring the theoretical divide. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 8(1). Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09669580008667346
UNEP. (2005). Making tourism more sustainable – A guide for policy makers. Retrieved from http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/pdf/DTIx0592xPA-TourismPolicyEN.pdf
