Can the Global Tourism System be Sustainable? Professor Andrew Holden

Can the Global Tourism System be Sustainable? Professor Andrew Holden

Sustainable development- what is it? Context with the environmental costs of economic growth Integrates nature conservation with human development Term sustainable development - World Conservation Strategy published by the IUCN (1980) Brundtland Report- World Commission on Environment and Development (1987)- Our Common Future IUCN (1980) World Conservation Strategy, International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Geneva World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford

Concept of sustainable development was embraced at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) - Earth Summit - 1992 Adopts Agenda 21 - an action plan toward sustainable development- local community involvement

Why the 1980s? Heightened environmental awareness in the West Recognition that many environmental problems are global e.g. ozone depletion, climate changethey do not respect national boundaries- they require international co-operation to solve them The acceptance of ecology as a recognised science also emphasised holism and interconnections

Most cited definition of sustainable development? Yet in the end, sustainable development is not a fixed state of harmony, but rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of the investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs (WCED, 1987:9) World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford

Unpacking! Not a fixed state - a process of change Exploitation of resources - human centred/ anthropocentric The orientation of technological development and institutional change are towards future needs- longitudinal time dimension

Key Characteristics Idea of stewardship of nature aimed at protecting and conserving biodiversity and natural resources; Long-term perspective in human development planning for the benefit of future generations; Shift from a brown to a green economy

Problems associated with the term Ambiguous open to different interpretations of how it should be achieved; Politically contentious- has been willingly adopted by various stakeholdersgovernments; business; NGOs Can existing political and economic mechanisms deliver sustainable development?

Relevance to tourism Adopted by international agencies (UNEP; UNWTO) and national governments Nature dependent industry- environmental stability and quality Opportunity for development in rural/peripheral areas UNEP (2011:424) forecast of most rapidly growing types of tourism to at least 2030 will be ecotourism, nature, heritage, cultural and soft adventure tourism, alongside sub-sectors such as rural and community tourism. Balance between conservation and human development May be applied to mass tourism- i.e. how to make it more sustainable

How does it relate to tourism? The expected growth in the tourism sector and the increasing reliance of many developing countries, including small island developing States, on this sector as a major employer and contributor to local, national, subregional and regional economies highlights the need for special attention to the relationship between environmental conservation and protection and sustainable tourism (Osborn and Bigg, 1998:169) Earth Summit II: Outcomes and Analysis

Traditions of sustainable tourism (Saarinen, J., 2006) Resource based tradition- emphasis on limits to growth of tourism - carrying capacity- strong ecological/conservation orientation Heavy emphasis on environmental planning and management e.g. Kanas national park

Activity- Based Tradition An interpretation of sustainable tourism driven by the industry More tourism-centric - focussing more on the needs of tourism as an economic activity Accepts modification of nature for tourism Make the industry more environmentally friendly Light green- green washing?

Community-based tradition (CBT) Participatory-planning approach Setting of goals and limits of tourism through negotiations and participation with the local community Places the community/host and the benefits that may be gained from tourism at the centre Notion of community is disparate but the CBT implies that sustainability can be defined by negotiationindicates a social construction of acceptable changes within a community from tourism

Summary Sustainable development is reflective of concerns over negative environmental effects and effects on human well-being of economic development It is ambiguous and open to interpretation by different stakeholders A successful tourism industry is reliant upon resource conservation and community support Sustainable tourism demonstrates different traditions

Seminar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wworgepo7ve what is sustainable tourism? Air travel impacts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxsfyw73vjs Calapagos Impacts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj4qr29-svc Galapagos- tourism Impacts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbilfjk_ztw Open university Management in the Galapgos