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274 health
in the standard of living, desires to improve quality
of life, increases in recreation and leisure
pursuits, and the desire to reduce the stress of
modern living. As part of that improvement, it is
logical that successful tourism should be closely
linked with health promotion. The World Commission
on Environment and Development report
Our Common Future �also known as the Brundtland
Report) �1987) stressed the need to reconcile
economic development with the resource endowment
of the natural world and equity in human
well-being. The challenge posed by the Brundtland
Report was to strive for sustainable development,
though this admirable objective has been
clouded somewhat by the ambiguity of the term
`sustainable'. Health is clearly part of the rhetoric
of ecologically sustainable tourism, but is yet
to inform policy and planning adequately.
For tourism development to be environmentally
responsible, and if the use of the term health in
tourism research is to embrace a more ecological
and broader approach, it is necessary to consider
biohistory, or the study of human situations in the
history of life on earth. This begins with understanding
biological processes, ecological principles
and the sensitivities of biological systems of which
humans are a part. Many argue that the future
well-being of humanity depends on satisfying both
the health and well-being needs of the biosphere's
ecosystem, and the health and the needs of human
beings. Humans in developed countries are generally
well off in terms of life expectancy, though
their quality of life could arguably improve;
whereas those in the developing world are far
worse off. The biosphere is necessarily of global
concern, due to the universal ecological impact of
humans, the combined effects of an extraordinarily
high material standard of living and a massive
increase in world population. A key question is
whether it is possible for human beings to lead
healthy and enjoyable lives in a society characterised
by a steady rate of resource and energy
use. Tourism, unfortunately, usually encourages
high energy usage in developing as well as
developed countries in a manner that is not
sustainable.
Therefore, the conceptual framework for consideration
of health and tourism interactions should
include wellness and illness, promotion and pre-
vention. It should not be confined only to reporting
on diseases, accidents and health risks related to
travel. Wellness promotion and illness prevention
considers the broad interactions of physical, mental,
social, economic and environmental factors with
the policy and planning frameworks which impact
on stresses related to quality of life. The Brundtland
report, in its broadest sense, is the strategy for
sustainable development which aims to promote
harmony among human beings and between
humanity and nature.
General concepts relevant to health and tourism
include issues of equity and access, in particular
relating to the treatment of illness and injury in
developing countries or remote locations; anthropocentric
versus biosphere attitudes and values
which underpin approaches to human health;
individual well-being versus community health;
specialist versus holistic �see holistic approach)
integrated human health with environmental/
ecosystem health; and sociocultural impacts.
Tourism-specific concepts include both tourist
versus host well-being and links between wellness
and quality of life of host community with visitor
satisfaction, as well as issues of safety and risks.
Further reading
Brown, V.A. �ed.) �1989) A Sustainable Healthy Future:
Towards an Ecology of Health, LaTrobe University
and Commission for the Future. �Papers from a
World Health Organisation workshop aiming to
set a new agenda for public health policy.)
Clift, S. and Page, S.J. �eds) �1996) Health and the
International Tourist, London: Routledge. �Deals
with health problems and preventative measures
from the perspective of tourists.)
World Commission on Environment and Development
�1987) Our Common Future, New York:
Oxford University Press. �Global issues of
sustainable development.)
World Health Organisation �updated annually)
International Travel and Health:Vaccination Requirements
and Health Advice, Geneva: WHO. �Prescriptive
information on immunisation
requirements, prophylactic measures and other
health advice for travellers abroad.)
ROBYN BUSHELL, AUSTRALIA