UJ #19 - Sustainable Peru

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM, THE IDEAL BALANCE
Christian Declercq
their resources, and thus, position themselves within
the international market. This forces them to invest in
bettering the quality of their services and to rely on
specialised professionals for customer service needs.
Nonetheless, tourism also has a negative side. Pollution,
the exploitation of resources, the loss of cultural heritage,
economic dependency, and chaotic urban development
are only some of the unfortunate outcomes when a
touristic destination fights to comply with the needs and
requirements of tourists, while simultaneously working
to keep up in the race to attract more and more visitors.
Peru’s attractions –
among them, Machu
Picchu – captivate
millions of people.
LimaTours
With all this in mind, sustainable tourism seems to be
a balance between the much anticipated and needed
growth of a given destination, and the protection and
conservation of the attractions that strike global interest
and bring people from around the world.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM?
The UNWTO defines sustainable tourism as the one “that
takes full account of its current and future economic,
social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs
of visitors, the industry, the environment and host
communities.”
Vinicunca, a
destination that
could be affected by
the indiscriminate
influx of tourists.
Boasting incredible natural and cultural wealth – with 55
native communities, 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
and over 60 protected natural areas – Peru not only has
the potential to develop numerous programs that fit
into this definition, but also offers a seemingly endless
number of sites that would benefit from this kind of
The purchasing
of handmade
products helps in the
development of local
communities and is
an important part of
sustainable tourism.
In the last few years, the tourism industry has become
one of the world’s most important, boasting surprising
figures. According to the World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO), the tourism business represents 10% of the
global GDP, generating over 1,340,000 million dollars in
income, in 2017 alone.
With approximately 1,323 million people travelling
around the world each year, one can only expect there
to be some impact. Many of the developing countries
of the world see tourism as a means to better use of
12
Christian Declercq