Sustainable Tourism: Is it an Achievable Target or Impossible Dream?
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Sustainable Tourism: Is it an Achievable Target or Impossible Dream?
Introduction
When it comes to sustainable tourism, many people have not been unable to refrain from a lot of conjecture whether this is an achievable dream or not. Since that has remained the case, it will be noted that there are a number of issues and policies that have to be incorporated if sustainable tourism was to be achieved (Abraham, 2008, p. 36). In order to understand this better, it is necessary that we take two themes, which can give us a better view whether sustainable tourism can be achieved. The first theme or issue worth discussing is Sustainable Tourism Initiative. The second theme will be Sustainable Tourism Management. If any of these global issues are to be realised, it should be noted that an initiative would always be the best approach in finding a long-lasting solution towards sustainable tourism.
For instance, a number of governments have been taking several initiatives in order to realize sustainable tourism. An example here is the United Kingdom; of late, the Prime Minister of UK launched a Sustainable Tourism Initiative that was geared towards improving the state of tourism in the UK by ensuring that some of the strategic tourism plans were achieved. This initiative is aimed in setting all the necessary strategic plans concerning tourism, which would create an enabling atmosphere for achieving environmental sustainability in line with the millennium development goals that are strongly held by the EU member countries. This move has been aimed in changing the tourism practise to ensure that it is sensitive to the environment. This would result in economic growth since most of the traditional and cultural practices would be encouraged (Buhalis & Peters, 2006, p. 89). There are a number of issues that have to be considered if these initiatives were to be successful. For example, the people should be made aware about the necessary structures, which can be applied to come up with sustainable tourism. There should be the initialization of projects and objectives in promoting sustainable tourism in all nations. The local people and the government need to come up with the development of policies that support tourism-environment relationships. For example, businesspersons are better placed when we need to meet and project the resources with which the tourism industry and man require for future existence.
Another important issue that can be addressed concerning sustainable tourism its realization is in sustainable tourism management. For example, a number of countries like Mexico and United States have stated similar themes that have been used in ensuring that the entire public is aware of the possible future of tourism and environmental impacts that may be related to the same. For instance, these operations have involved the use of Travel Marketplace, and all other travel industries as a way of ensuring that the proper message pertaining Sustainable Tourism is delivered to all travelers; these travelers will tend to be possible tourists in that given society. This essence of targeting the tourists has been applicable in ensuring that the best can be realized in having sustainable tourism (Abraham, 2008, p. 57).
It would be better to agree that there are very many themes, which are necessary, and worth addressing when it comes to sustainable tourism. There is the issue of culture; there is tradition, biodiversity, sustainability, ecotourism and ecological integrity. These issues can never be left unmentioned when talking about sustainable tourism. Having tourists coming to experience the people’s culture is quite sustainable and with less environmental damage. It would be noted that several themes and ecosystem should be fixed together, and one cannot undertake to describe one theme without the other. This is because each one is a synergistic to the other. Therefore, the best thing here will be looking at the Initiative aspect and Sustenance to the future so that we can understand this subject of discussion better, and see whether we can be able to achieve sustainable tourism (Cornel, 2009, p, 73).
Sustainable tourism has been one of the advocated approaches in tourism management, and has been aimed in making developments in the tourism sector to produce ecologically permanent and supportable outcomes in the end (William, 2007, p. 45). The major importance behind these practices within sustainable tourism is to conserve the existing natural resources, and increase culture values, tradition and biodiversity. That way, sustainable tourism has been what is responsible for the future of tourism, and generating more and more income, employment creation, alleviating poverty, and making human life better, while at the very time guaranteeing future human existence. This single fact with sustainable tourism is an issue that should be dealt with some sense of immediacy, and be worked on with the sole purpose of having sustainable tourism (Abraham, 2008, p. 71).
Sustainable Tourism has been an informatory and thus will always let the tourists know more about different global destinations, culture and civilization around the world (O’Neil, 2008, p. 43). Sustainable tourism is being advocated to ensure that all the resources within tourism destinations are conserved to the fullest (William, 2007, p. 46). Sustainable Tourism has also been seeking for a deeper involvement with the locals of different societies, and this can be applicable in providing all the universal people with the opportunity to live better lives. Sustainability within the tourism sector has always pointed on the integrity within all the tourist destinations and places.
Sustainable Tourism: Is it an Achievable Target or Impossible Dream?
It is necessary that all societies work harder in ensuring that the necessary measures can incorporated in order to have sustainability with our tourism. This will give long-term structures thus ensuring that we safeguard our nature for the future generations. It would be appropriate that all the necessary players and sectors of the economy are quite sensitive on sustainability of tourism in order to ensure that this is achieved in the end (William, 2007, p. 49). Looking at Sustainability Initiative, we will note that there are some issues that have to be undertaken by different nations in achieving tourism sustainability. An initiative is mainly an attitude and implementation, which can be applied in the realization of a given mission, goal, vision, and even objectives.
It is therefore necessary to come up with implementations that are workable, applicable, and effective. As the sector of tourism continues to have an increase in footfalls, the major need today has been in ensuring that, tourism just like any other governmental sector should be managed and planned in an intelligent manner (Timothy, 2007, p. 58). The need for sustainable tourism development is very important and therefore it should call each individual to play his or her role in ensuring that it is possible to have tourism sustainability. For instance, tourism as a core sector in the global economy has to be initiated from all the locations of the society so that every single individual has a role to play of making sure that all the threats hindering the realization of sustainable tourism are dealt with immediately. The local community’s help will thus play a grand role in the realization of sustainable tourism. This is so because the local communities tend to have a better understanding of the local environment better than the outside people do.
The local community is also supposed to ensure that it meets some of the tourism requirements so that they can be in a position to enjoy the major benefits once tourism flourishes within their area or society (Robinson, 2005, p. 75). There should also be a link between all the local businesspersons and tourism operators to enable the local people benefit from the developing economic growth by embracing tourism sustainability. In order to achieve better growth, there should be the practice of all the existing codes of ethics within the given community, as well as some fair sources of guidelines that have to be aimed in sustainability with the tourism sector. So as to heighten the advantages of nature, natural resources, and cultural heritages, it would be necessary to have proper resource-management strategies, have better training, and training programmes that can be properly instituted within the area (Robinson, 2005, p. 84). It would therefore be necessary to agree that it can be possible to achieve sustainable tourism if all people work hard in ensuring that it is achieved. This is so because different countries have the capability and make all the people aware and the reason it is necessary to practise sustainable tourism.
Ecotourism deals with the aspects of nature that are critically based on tourism. This means that we cannot separate it from tourism and sustainability. As if that was not enough, the issue of ecotourism has always been used and applied in the aim of conserving the environment, while at the very same time improving the living standards of the local people in any given community (Tony, 2008, p. 66). In addition, sustainable tourism has been known to include all the major segments within tourism, and hence has similar function in its performance just like ecotourism. Ecotourism is part of tourism and therefore some measures can be undertaken to have its sustainability.
Like in most of the African nations like Nigeria, Tunisia and South Africa, there has been maximum exhaustion of the subject with the aim of conserving the natural resources thereby increasing the people’s cultural values and traditional practices. Since the main goals of ecotourism and those of sustainable tourism tend to be more or less similar, Sustainable Tourism tends to have a broader view and concealing in it a number of categories and aspects within tourism practise (Samuel, 2009, p. 56)
It is imperative to note that sustainable tourism is a fight that can be won once all the necessary mechanisms were used. This requires maximum cooperation of all people, all societies, and all nations. This is so because sustainable measures in everything are what hold the future of the universe today. Without practicing sustainable tourism in our societies, the global future stands doomed and therefore prevention for now is applicable without farther argument (Ritchie, 2006, p. 78). Once that has been accepted, humankind will impose the necessary sustainable tourism initiatives as the way forward towards the realization of the already set goals within the tourism sector.
What about the future as one of the major themes worth discussing? Sustainable Tourism has the future for the world today. This is so because practicing sustainable tourism will bring about better performance of all other sectors like forestry, environmental conservation, and thereby bringing about fortune in man’s longevity on earth. Different nations have adopted the need for similar developments with tourism sustainability. Looking at China for example, there has been the raising of awareness within the industrial suppliers, travel agents, and learning institutions on the importance of sustainable tourism and similar practices. The theme of tourism sustainability has been infused with some products being supplied to the tourists and the local people, so that they can put the necessary measures in achieving sustainable ecotourism (Ritchie, 2006, p. 34).
Since the future and sustainable tourism are quite inseparable, a country like Germany has been encouraging its exhibitors as well as sponsors to be keen in conveying sustainable practices in the tourism sector, and what has happened has been a number of success stories (Matthew, 2004, p. 51). Around the world, different travel professionals have been also used in passing across informative learning on how necessarily wise decisions can be pioneered in making a big difference when it come to the protection and conservation of Global historical as well as natural treasures (Maurice, 2006, p. 61). In all learning settings, there has been the hiring of experienced tutors who have been able to influence sustainable practices when it comes to tourism addressing.
Actions and Policies in Dealing with these Themes
Like in United Kingdom, there has been the application of several planning and policies in ensuring that this fight is never in the least lost. The major policy applied has been the placement of measures that ensure that the industry practise is influenced positively in ensuring these goals are met. There has been the creation of Travel Foundation in the country in ensuring that all the tour-guide and operators, which have to prepare written policies, and have to employ tourism managers who are responsible and acquainted with tourism sustenance (Houston, 2009, p. 78). These strategies have seen the building of sustainable practices, which control destinations of tourists and their conduct. This strategy has been applied in ensuring that all the people and tourists in the country have their minds already set to the realization of tourism sustainability.
A good case study can be Spain, where there has been the development of a Suitable Tourism Development Strategy. Having been launched in the beginning of 2008, it has keenly highlighted the potentialities of coming up with supportive measures which are linked with socio-economic practices, and aimed in ensuring that all international visitors adhere to them (Daniel, 2009, p. 47). This has been applied in ensuring that there is maximum development of not only worldwide affairs, but also in ensuring that there is preservation of the indigenous cultures and traditions, which are being wiped out slowly by slowly through globalization.
There have also been some governmental measures that involve building cooperation’s with the major industries and global partners in ensuring that this tourism sustainability is won on a global perspective (Alexander, 2005, p. 60). Generally, these development strategies have been applicable in setting necessary foundations, which would ensure the government achieves its sustainability goals in the end. This is so because there is collaborating and embracement within all industries, people in a given society, and above all, maximum government practice and concern towards this objective. This has been necessary in the realization of global tourism sustainability.
Generally, some countries like in the European Union have been known to impose relevant measures that have been noted to influence tourism sustainability in one way or the other. For example, some of the measures that have been indicated in ensuring that the ecosystem is not in any way violated. A good example is the Servern Barrage in United Kingdom. Having been brought about to bring about energy production to the region, the project had to be put to a halt, until the pioneers could explain how they would address ecological and biodiversity interference within the estuary (Alexander, 2005, p. 60).
It would be necessary to note here that some of the necessary measures, if not taken, can be sad that this dream may never be realised so easily. This calls for all people and nations to take it as an obligation in ensuring that the necessary measures that can be applied in order to achieve sustainable tourism practice among our societies (Morrison & Teixeira, 2004, p. 168). There are a number of other measures that are being applied in different societies and nations in the realization of this goal. Majority of Latin American countries like Mexico and Cuba have been coming up with necessary measures of minimizing some of the negative impacts on the environmental, thus making positive impacts and contributions when it comes to conservation the wilderness, biodiversity, human co-existence, heritage and natural diversity.
Different African Countries, a good example being Mozambique, have been promoting traveling respects to issues of tradition and culture. This ensures that all people recognizes all the existing rights of the civilians, and ensuring that they have the freedom in making own decisions that would positively affect how they live thus being able to dictate the future of their tourism (Alexander, 2005, p. 67). This country, Mozambique, has been able to achieve sustainability in its tourism sector. There have also been a number of measures in ensuring that some of the climatic effects that appear to threaten the tourism sector are being addressed.
Conclusion
It is necessary to think positively about this issue at hand. This is what holds the ultimate future of the sector. This is because the world without a future will not exist. In order to ensure that this goal is achieved, there are quite a number of strategies that have to be practiced by all nations, all societies and communities. There should be written policies that undertake to govern all actions upon environmental impacts, human and employment as well as cross-cultural policies (Morrison & Teixeira, 2004, p. 169). The major players should also identify all the environmental issues that face given societies, and hence come up with solutions in dealing with them. The important measure, as being taken in the United States, should be the provision of adequate training opportunities to all the local people and employees. Like in the United States, this included the training of responsible tour guides and tourism practitioners (Alexander, 2005, p. 68). There is also the need to limit the sizes of community groups to minimize the impacts on the ecosystems, while at the same time maximizing the interaction of visitors with the hosting community. Having a green policy of purchase has also been applied in a number of countries today. This ensures that there is a larger proportion in the products, construction materials, and all the services have been sourced from that given area while giving less damage to the society.
There have been some other measures that have been applied in ensuring that different nations have similar practices in ensuring there the realization of sustainable tourism in the end. This has involved the employment of business operational practices whereby all the monies being spent by the travelers will remain in that country and be used in addressing tourism sustainability within the localities of that community. There have also been some measures in working with charity organizations in implementing conservative projects, initiating new projects, and eventually giving back to the society (Ritchie, 2006, p. 47). Therefore, it is the goal of every one to bring about tourism and environmental sustainability.
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