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050
UNIT 2: TOURISM, HOSPITALITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT – IMPACTS AND SOLUTIONS
COMMON QUESTION What is meant by ‘ecotourism’? Does it just mean
environmentally-sound tourism?
Much ambiguity surrounds the term ‘ecotourism’, which may or may not refer
to environmentally-sound tourism. In the first instance, it was used to imply
tourism to natural areas that:
• Was monitored and managed to keep environment impacts to a
minimum;
• Educated the visitor about the destination’s environment and culture
and therefore provided incentives to participate in reducing impacts;
• Was developed in close collaboration with local communities who
received their fair share of tourism revenues.
Today, however, ‘ecotourism’ is used to refer to all forms of nature tourism,
including sports, adventure and rural holidays, irrespective of the environment
attributes of the tourism products and services.
Most tourists
feel good to
know that they
have spent a
low-impact
holiday and used
the services of
environmentconscious
operators.
COMMON QUESTION Can tourism be developed and managed completely
free from environment impacts?
The answer is no, as all human activity impacts the environment, including
tourism. The challenge is to manage and reduce these impacts to an absolute
minimum, bringing them well within the carrying capacity of the destination. In
this way we can ensure that tourism and hospitality remain profitable, with the
beauty and quality of destinations maintained in the long term.
Given the power and diversity of the tourism and hospitality industry, it can
serve as an excellent example of environment stewardship. As an important
consumer of a variety of goods and services, the industry can induce environment
management practices in suppliers and contractors all along the supply chain.
Similarly, since they are significant producers of recyclable waste, the collective
efforts of tourism and hospitality businesses can increase recycling volumes,
help drive down recycling costs, and increase the profitability of local recycling
markets.
Tourism and hospitality service people at leisure. Such people are usually a
captive audience for environment communication. Most tourists feel good to know
that they have spent a low-impact holiday and used the services of environmentconscious
operators. Given the opportunity to learn about reducing impacts, some
tourists may even feel inclined to carry out good environment stewardship when
they return home.
This feel-good factor is not limited to tourists but extends to employees. The
high rates of employee turnover, so characteristic of the tourism industry, mean
that environment stewardship can help to retain and motivate employees, and
influence them to be good environment-conscious citizens.
How can tourism and hospitality businesses reduce their impact on the
environment? The answer lies in environment management, which is discussed in
Unit 4.
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