Sustainable Tourism
Much has been written about sustainable tourism, and you can find references all over the web, but at its heart is the concept of sustainable development “which implies meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development
The problem I have found with the concept of sustainable tourism is that, once you start researching it, you are soon faced with even more concepts: responsible travel, eco-tourism, green travel, nature-based tourism, carbon-offsetting, community-based tourism, cultural tourism, poverty tourism etc. All of a sudden you have a glossary of terms some of which are vague, some contentious and others, according to Justin Francis, MD, responsibletravel.com, simply distracting.
I wonder how many eco-lodges have been built on land cleared of plants, trees and people especially for the purpose of a nature-based experience! I am sure such things can happen through ignorance but equally they can happen as a deliberate ploy to use the “eco” badge as no more than a marketing device. It all becomes buzzwords and noise.
Sustainable Tourism Criteria
In an attempt to bring order to the subject The Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC Partnership) launched the Sustainable Tourism Criteria at the World Conservation Congress in October 2008.
The GSTC Partnership was initiated by Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Foundation, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and is now a coalition of over 40 organizations working together to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles and criteria.
In summary the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria are:
A. Demonstrate effective sustainable management.
B. Maximize social and economic benefits to the local community and minimize negative impacts.
C. Maximize benefits to cultural heritage and minimize negative impacts.
D. Maximize benefits to the environment and minimize negative impacts.
As ever, the devil is in the detail and there is currently a debate about whether or not it is in fact possible to have global criteria for sustainable tourism.
If I tune back into the heart of the matter, for me it’s about promoting and developing tourist experiences that “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” and thus the high-level criteria above suffice as the foundations for this site while each featured tour and lodging is assessed on its own merit.
Sustainable Tourism and Poverty Alleviation
In 2005 the World Tourism Organization called upon the United Nations General Assembly and others to fully recognize tourism, when sustainably developed and managed, as an effective tool to realize the Millennium Development Goals and especially poverty alleviation.
Sustainable tourism for me then is about being custodians of the land for future generations while at the same time taking care of those in the present. It’s about finding the balance between environmental integrity, social justice and economic development. It’s about travelling with a purpose, it’s about travelling positively.