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SECTION 4:
THE NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY-
SOUND TOURISM
If tourism is to continue to expand and be profitable, it must develop and operate
in an environmentally-sound manner. Environment stewardship is the key concept
here. Just as product manufacturers work continually to improve the quality of
their goods, so the tourism industry must put back what it takes from the primary
product, which it receives practically free of charge: the environment.
Environmentallysound
tourism is
tourism that
meets the needs
of the present
generation while
maintaining and
enhancing the
beauty and
integrity of
destinations
for future
generations.
What is Environmentally-Sound Tourism?
Environmentally-sound or sustainable tourism can be defined as ‘tourism
development and management that meets the needs of today’s tourists and
tourism businesses without compromising the ability of future tourists and
tourism businesses to enjoy and profit from the same destinations’. In other
words, environmentally-sound tourism is tourism that meets the needs of the
present generation while maintaining and enhancing the beauty and integrity of
destinations for future generations.
In theory, tourist destinations go through a cycle of evolution: exploration,
followed by evolvement, development and consolidation, leading to stagnation
and, eventually, either rejuvenation or decline. Environment impacts begin to
occur right at the very beginning during the exploration stage, and if no planning
and control measures are put in place, they increase during evolvement and
development, their full consequences becoming apparent during the consolidation
stage. Environment degradation is a key factor in a destination’s stagnation and
eventual decline, while environment improvement is vital for its regeneration.
Environmentally-sound tourism will ensure that a destination’s stagnation period
is reduced to a minimum and that it passes from consolidation to continuous
rejuvenation.
4.1 The Framework for Environmentally-
Sound Tourism
Environmentally-sound, sustainable tourism, requires an all-round effort in the
planning, delivery, monitoring and end disposal of all goods and services
involved:
1) A sustainable tourism master plan is critical to ensure overall
environment improvement in the destination. This master plan must
be developed and implemented in collaboration with other businesses
linked to tourism: regulators, local government, educational
establishments, non-government bodies and citizens’ groups.
2) Environment criteria must be incorporated into all legislation relevant
to tourism – land use, planning, building and construction, facility
operation, emissions standards, waste disposal, demolition, protectedarea
management, visitor management, etc. Legislation should aim to:
• Facilitate environment management;
• Reward those who improve their environment performance;
• Prevent waste and pollution in the first place, and not simply deal
with them once they have been created;
• Ensure that environment improvement in one area does not result in
increased resource use or waste output in others;
• Ensure that cleaner and safer technology is available and affordable.
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