Sustainable and Responsible Development

PREPA

RED

BY: M

a'am L

BRUNTLAND REPORT (1987)

“sustainability - meeting the needs of the present generation without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet

their own needs”

2 Schools of Thought

1. Sustainability meant that the level of individual capital stocks must be maintained for future generations (strong sustainability proponents)

2. The total capital stock must be maintained but it is possible to deplete one stock in order to increase another (weak sustainability proponents)

Capital Stock

• Can be used for reproduction that will either be consumed or invested

back.

Four Types of Capital Stock

Human – population, welfare, health, workforce, educational and skill base

Physical – machinery, equipment, buildings

Environmental – man-made and natural resources

Socio-cultural – well-being, social cohesion, empowerment, equity, cultural heritage

Sustainability and Capital Stocks

HUMAN CAPITAL

PHYSICAL CAPITAL

ENVIRONMENTALCAPITAL

SOCIO-CULTRALCAPITAL

INVESTMENT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

TOTAL HUMAN WELFARE

Sustainable Tourism

3 Fundamental Components acc to WTO:

• Make optimal use of environmental resources (Environmental Protection)

• Ensure viable, long term economic operations, providing economic benefits to all stakeholders (Economic Growth)

• Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities (Social Equity)

• Set limits for the future growth of tourism in each destination

• Change the behavior of the stakeholders in the tourism industry to make the products currently provided more sustainable

• Replace the current tourism products with new products that are sustainable

Economic Aspects• The economic impacts means that

tourism competed with other industries for the use of factors of production– Stimulate price inflation – Attracts workers from rural

areas who may have bee employed in the traditional industries

– Scarce investments funds may be attracted to the tourism industry on the promise of rapid returns

Environmental Aspects• Airlines are responsible for a major

source of air pollution• Tourism competes for land use and

depletes the natural environmental stock• Tourism activities can be severely

disruptive to biodiversity • Increased use of fossil fuels for energy

consumption• Construction of roads, airports and sea

ports to cater for the travel tourists• Introduction of large number of visitors

to environmentally fragile areas will always be accompanied by tension between the natural environment and tourism

Socio-cultural Aspects• Commercialization process that

will sooner or later change the local customs and traditions

• Demonstration of behavior, dress and customs alter the corresponding behavior, dress and customs of the local residents.

Principles of Sustainable Tourism

Sustainability PrinciplesRefer to environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these dimensions to guarantee its long term sustainability.

CULTURAL

ECOLOGICAL

ECONOMIC

EDUCATIONAL

LOCAL PARTICIPATION

SOCIALCONSERVATION

ELEMENT

Ability of people to retain or adapt elements of their culture that makes them different. It is also refers to retaining a degree of local cultural identity in the face of global tourism

Cultural Sustainability

`Social Sustainability

The ability of a community to absorb extra people for short or long periods of time

and continue functioning without disharmony or social change

Ecological Sustainability

 Make optimal use of environmental

resources that constitute a key

element in tourism

development, maintaining

essential ecological

processes and helping to

conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.

 

Economic Sustainability

It is the level of economic gain from any tourism activity which needs to be sufficient to cover the

costs of any special measures taken to

cater for the tourist and to mitigate the impact of tourist’s presence

Conservation Element

Talks about the conserving of the diversity of plants and animals that live in the world and sometimes includes the concept of conserving the various genetic strains with-in species as well as the actual species themselves.

 

Educational Element

It is the enlightenment of the new tourist in the cultural ways and norms of those they are visiting – an education

for its own sake. The training of the ‘hosts’ so that they are better able to cater for the wishes of the new middle

classes who visit them. 

Local Participation

Element  

Local community participates and is

consulted regarding everything

involving sustainable tourism development, and it

is an active decision factor.

 

Determinants of Carrying Capacity(Local Factors)

Social Structure

Size of the population The smaller the local

population, the more dramatic will be the social impact of tourism

Cultural Heritage• The more unusual the

cultural background, the more attractive a destination may become to potential tourists, and the more likely it is to be adversely affected by the presence of tourists.

Environment• The environment will be changed

by the presence of tourists no matter how sympathetic they may be or how careful the tourism activity is planned

• Artificial environment is more resilient to tourism impacts than natural environment

• The more fragile and unique an environment is, the more vulnerable it is to change from the presence of humans

Economic Structure• The more developed and industrialized

the economy, the more robust and adaptable it will be

• As economies grow and diversify, so too do the skills of the workforce

• Tourism development may bring with it the economic problems associated with– Migration from rural to urban areas– The transfer of labor from traditional

industries to tourism and its related industries

Political Structure

• Political instability will deter tourists and therefore hinder tourism development

• Political structure may have different influences on tourism development

Resources

• When resources are scarce, competition for them will be high and the opportunity cost of using these resources for tourism will also be high

• Tourism development may also result in the development of infrastructure that may increase the carrying capacity level

Determinants of Carrying Capacity(Alien Factors)

Tourist Characteristics

• The greater the difference between the host’s and the tourist’s social and cultural backgrounds, the greater the impact and consequent change

• Will also include as expenditure patterns, mode of transport, structure and size of party, age, educational background, income and purpose of visit

Types of Tourist Activity

• The presence of certain activities can bring specific social problems and stresses that are far greater in magnitude than those associated with the same number of tourists undertaking different activities

Planning, management and technology• Changes in technology will have

direct and indirect effects on the difficulties associated with the planning and management tasks

• The more successful the planning and management, the lower will be the levels of negative impacts and the greater will be the carrying capacity

Impacts of Carrying Capacity

Parameters

• The changes that take place to the local and alien factors as a result of different levels and types of interaction

Standards

• Acceptable limits applied to parameters

Carrying Capacity Determination

• If carrying capacity is exceeded with respect to any of the impact areas, the tourism development process will be hindered and the development may be considered unsustainable

Sustainability as strategy

• It is widely used in tourism and in the world

• Societies seek to use their resources more efficient

• It can be used to achieve different goals

• Can adopt longer term time frame

Sustainable Development

• The term “ sustainable development” was first used internationally at the 1972 UN Conference.

• To sustain means to hold up, to bear, to support, to relieve/prolong from the Latin word sustineo.

Hegelian Dialetic Model

bearable

viable

equitable

GUIDE FOR BEING A RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER

Before You Go

• Think about where your money goes when booking your holiday.

• When you’re finished with your holiday brochures, pass them to a friend or recycle them.

• Pack appropriately• Small gifts from home can be

a great way to say thank you to your hosts

Shop responsibly

• Help the economy by buying local produce

• Haggling can be fun, but don’t be obsessed with getting the lowest price

• Don’t buy products made from endangered species, hardwoods, shells, or ancient artifacts

Respect the Local Culture

• Speaking at least a few words of the local language can make a big impression

• Realize that the people in the country you are visiting often have different time concepts and thought patterns from your own

• Displaying expensive cameras or jewelry, particularly in very poor communities, may distance you from the culture you’ve come to experience.

Use Natural Resources Sparingly

• Help conserve resources in your hotel, lodge or camp by turning off (or down) heating, air conditioning, lights and the TV when not required. Linens can be reused

• Use public transport, or hike a bike or walk where possible

• Don’t discard litter. Use biodegradable products, reuse bottles, plastic bags and other containers and take used batteries home with you.

Don't litter. Try to carry your own shopping bag to avoid contributing to the plastic problem in many countries of the world.

Conserve water. Take shorter showers.

Always ask before taking photographs. If someone says no, respect their wishes.

Dress respectively. Cover up away from the beach. Cover your head in religious places. Notice local dress codes and adhere to them.

Do not give pens, candy or other gifts to local children - it fosters a begging economy. If you wish to donate, contact a local school or tour operator who can ensure the gifts are distributed fairly and properly.

Do not support the illegal drug trade or the sex trade.