The concept of sustainable tourism is gaining lot of importance all over the world. Sustainable tourism means making a positive impact as a tourist in the place of visit. As a tourist wherever we go, we must try to maintain the place uninterrupted, especially without dirtying it. More countries and regions are trying their best to develop tourism to attract foreign tourists. In India, Goa is mot preferred destination for its natural bounty, stunning diversity of riverine systems, lush Green Island, long beaches and some of the oldest heritage sights attract the tourists. The locals of Goa are some of the coolest hosts ever. Warm, friendly, helping, the locals here make you feel as safe as you are at home. There are several tour companies, hotels and travel enterprises promoting their brand in the name of eco-friendly and sustainable tourism. Goa is working hard to implement and to bring a positive social, economic and environmental change.
When tourists create positive impact to the environment, to the local economy and the society the tourism becomes sustainable. Tourism involves primary transportation to the general location, local transportation, accommodations, entertainment, recreation, nourishment and shopping. It is related to travel for leisure, business and what is called VFR (visiting friends and relatives). People now broadly agree that tourism development should be sustainable; however, the question of how to achieve this remains unanswered because of different views and too many debates going on at various levels.
Without travel there is no tourism, so the concept of sustainable tourism is tightly linked to a concept of sustainable mobility. Two relevant considerations are tourism’s reliance on fossil fuels and tourism’s effect on climate change. 72 percent of tourism’s CO2 emissions come from transportation, 24 percent from accommodations, and 4 percent from local activities. Aviation accounts for 55% of that transportation CO2 emissions (or 40% of tourism’s total). However, when considering the impact of all greenhouse gas emissions from tourism and that aviation emissions are made at high altitude where their effect on climate is amplified, aviation alone accounts for 75% of tourism’s climate impact.
The natural curiosity of human to know different places, its culture, and desire of travel is inborn. People keep travelling for number of reasons. The travelling activities will never stop; therefore tourism activities will increase in the future more and more, especially with the development of transportation’s system and the information technology.
There are dos and don’ts when it comes to sustainable tourism. Global economists forecast continuing international tourism growth, the amount depending on the location. As one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries, this continuous growth places great stress on remaining biologically diverse habitats and indigenous cultures, which are often used to support mass tourism. Tourists who promote sustainable tourism are sensitive to these dangers and seek to protect tourist destinations, and to protect tourism as an industry. Sustainable tourists can support the impact of tourism in many ways: informing themselves of the culture, politics and economy of the communities visited anticipating and respecting local cultures, expectations and assumptions supporting the integrity of local cultures by favoring businesses which conserve cultural heritage and traditional values. Tourists support local economies by purchasing local goods, by conserving resources, by becoming environmentally conscious, and by using the least possible amount of non-renewable resources such as plastic.
Another concept which is becoming famous is ‘Responsible tourism’ which implies that tourism can be consumed in a more responsible way. Sustainable and Responsible Tourism are both alternative forms of tourism that aim to alleviate the negative effects of tourism, but the terms aren’t identical. Rather than mistaking both to be the same, both Sustainable and Responsible tourism as two parallel concepts similar in their mission, but, different in their implementation. Both ideas ultimately aim to enrich a destination; sustainable tourism approaches this through the influence of stakeholders and political leadership, whereas, responsible tourism takes place at individual level. Responsible Tourism happens when tourists, tour operators, hoteliers, governments and importantly local people take responsibility for nurturing the tourist destinations they belong to.
Increasingly, the local communities and tourism operations are endorsing and following responsible tourism as a pathway towards sustainable tourism. Responsible tourism and sustainable tourism have an identical goal, that of sustainable development. The pillars of responsible tourism are therefore the same as those of sustainable tourism.
The best example of sustainable tourism is the tiny nation Bhutan. It has very strict entry requirements. Travelers are approved to enter Bhutan with an approved tour operator who will arrange all travel while in the country and arrive via Druk Air, which offers a limited number of flights from a handful of cities in Asia. Additionally, all visitors must pay a daily tariff, starting at $200 per day during the low season. However, the daily tariff involves most necessary expenses during a trip, including a 3 star hotel, all meals, a licensed Bhutanese tour guide, internal transportation, and equipment for treks. $65 from this daily tariff is considered “sustainable tourism” royalty which is used towards the country’s free health-care and education, as well as the building of tourism infrastructure. As a result of the high daily tariff, fewer travelers are visiting Bhutan.
I wish to give another example of Gijón, which is a large coastal city in northern Spain. It’s known for its maritime heritage and the old fishermen’s quarter of Cimadevilla. It is certified for its responsible tourism by the Responsible Tourism Institute (ITR) and supported by UNESCO, the city of Gijon remains as one of the best sustainable tourism examples. After renewing their certificate of sustainability, the government and citizens didn’t stop, instead developed a marketing plan to publicize the city’s commitment to responsible tourism, Gijon continues to champion the example of a city committed to responsible tourism. It offers sustainability both to visitors and to their own citizens in terms of a broad culture and cuisine that blend with its green landscapes, a comprehensive care of the environment, a high quality of life and a tourism model that focuses on the satisfaction of its visitors.
Stakeholders of sustainable tourism play a role in continuing wellbeing of the ecology and economy both. Stakeholders include organizations as well as individuals. A stakeholder in the tourism industry is deemed to be anyone who is impacted on by development positively or negatively, and as a result it reduces potential conflict between the tourists and host community by involving the latter in shaping the way in which tourism develops. The stakeholders in tourism industry are the Governments, NGOs, the tour operators, the tourists and most importantly the local communities.
Local communities play an important role in tourism development. They are regarded as legitimate and moral stakeholders in tourism development. Local community has to be involved in policy and decision making so that it will enhance the trust and confidence of the local people on the tourism industry. I am of an opinion that good amount of research is required to study this facet in tourism development. I feel that tourists must respect the local culture, minimize waste, buy local products to help the economy grow, and lower the carbon emission in air. Walk or use the local transpiration as far as possible.
Being a responsible traveler comes naturally to some, while many remain ignorant travelers. If you see someone inadvertently doing something that is damaging to the environment or to the local people and culture, it’s better to caution the person/group in a friendly manner. Become a responsible traveler and help spread the word about sustainable tourism.
