Linking Culture and the Environment

284 Sustainable Tourism in the 21st Century
is much more for us to contemplate as we seek to choose appropriate pathways
while avoiding potentially disastrous pitfalls. In this concluding chapter
we raise some of the fundamental lessons learned in this examination of
the pursuit of sustainable tourism. Evolving issues such as global economic
downturn, the rapidly increasing costs of fossil fuel, climate change and the
carbon footprint of travel and tourism illustrate the tourism industry’s reliance
on global economic cycles and vulnerabilities to evolving global environmental
issues.
The Environment, Culture and Tourism
Tourism exists within, and in most cases is dependent upon, the environment
in which it is located – whether this is the natural world or one that is manmade.
In this sense, it is obvious that tourism cannot be studied in isolation
from the system in which it operates. In this book, we focused on tourism that
tends to be located in more natural environments. In such environments,
tourism developments do not always result in benign changes. Typically, it is
the natural environment that tourists come to see. In addition, these areas are
also rich in historic and cultural resources – these are the tourism product. So,
it is within this context that tourism must operate. The tourism industry can
either protect or maintain the resources or it can exploit and deplete them.
One path leads to more sustainable options, the other to places we have all
seen. It is a matter of establishing what trade-offs are associated with the
options available and determining the acceptability of those trade-offs.
If the choice is based on understanding the relationship of tourism within
a larger system, one where decisions are based on how tourism development
might impact or enhance local cultures and environments, then we must
understand these relationships and base decisions on their impacts and the
objectives we are seeking. Of course, tourism is but one of many players
within this system. To more fully understand the dynamics of the system, all
players must be included within this process and to some degree, all must be
in agreement as to what they are trying to protect. In a sense, there should be
agreement on what they and the system are trying to sustain. Clearly, this is
a daunting task, for economic and social systems are filled with competing
claims as to desired goals and methods, conflicting ideologies about capitalism
(and its advantages and weaknesses) and frequently ill-defined judgements
about what is important. Social discourse about sustainable tourism
can help reveal otherwise hidden values, serve to organize social action and
suggest ways to develop linkages with other components of the larger social
system.
It is within this context that we tackle some of the issues confronting
tourism presented at the beginning of this book. Do the proposed frameworks
provide clarification to such issues as tourism’s role and responsibility
within the context of sustainability and do the case study examples illustrate
successful achievement of these objectives? Do such frameworks help
organize discourse and force disclosure of hidden agendas – for sustainable