Sustainable Tourism = Planet Positive Tourism

” Sustainable Tourism is a balance between the environment, the economy and ethics.” – Unknown

I find this quote very apt. I’m not sure who wrote it, but it is the simplest way of explaining what sustainability means, – only when there is a balance between environment conservation and economic development, done in an ethical way, can we find our planet to be sustainable and better for the future generations. Once we learn to live with this balance, we understand the concept of sustainability in all aspects of our lives.

Same can be said about Sustainable Tourism. The United Nations World Travel Organization (UNWTO) had declared 2017 as the year of Sustainable Tourism. Ever since, sustainable tourism has become a buzzword and more and more people are talking about it and are looking into responsible touring options. Today, the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted travel altogether. But the good thing is, it has brought us closer to nature. We have seen how nature restored and replenished itself unhindered when man was locked down.

The vast and vibrant tourism industry is one of the top 10 industries worldwide with many economies solely dependent on it. But it’s sad to say that this very industry is also responsible for the deteriorating environment conditions. As tourism increases many folds year after year, it brings tremendous pressure on our planet. OVERTOURISM increasingly leads to excessive water usage, massive food wastage, increasing plastic pollution and huge carbon footprint. Hence, it’s high time we focused on sustainability in all aspects of the travel industry and make it mainstream rather than a niche.

So what is sustainable tourism all about?

When we talk about sustainability we mostly think of the environment – the air, water or plastic pollution. People think “sustainable” to be synonymous with “eco- friendly”. They feel supporting solar powered hotels, engaging in conservation efforts or reducing carbon footprint is enough to be sustainable. Which is also true but in actuality sustainability in tourism is much more than that. In simple words Sustainable Tourism means maximizing positive impacts and minimizing negative impacts on the 4 main pillars of tourism which are explained in brief below. I will touch on each topic separately in detail in subsequent blogs.

1. Sustainable Management: Management of sustainability is one of the most important pillars but is often not talked about or mentioned, unlike the other 3 pillars that I have listed below. Whenever we think about carrying out a new activity, the first action we do is draw out a plan. Same is it with sustainability. Businesses must first measure where they stand, make a plan, take action on it and then measure it again for progress and further improvement. Sustainability is not static but a continuous process to improve and hence a solid sustainability management plan is important for any business.

2. Cultural Impacts: This pertains to the relationship between the host community and the visitors. Overcrowding and bad behaviour by tourists can have adverse effect and friction between the locals and visitors. Local heritages like monuments and artefacts and even intangible heritage like the local customs & traditions, songs, dances etc. must be protected and preserved. Visitors must be respectful towards the host community and follow local rules. This brings about positive experiences for both, the host community and visitors.

3. Environmental Impacts: This involves conserving natural resources, protecting wildlife & biodiversity, reducing pollution and carbon footprint. Reducing the use of single-use plastics by adopting the BYO culture, say by carrying your own water bottles, also goes a long way. Rethinking the way we travel to cause no harm to the people, place, animals and the natural surroundings of the destination, is the key. By being a responsible traveller, the environment benefits.

Remember the famous quote of Chief Seattle, “Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints!”

4. Socio-economic impacts: Tourism contributes significantly to the local economy. But many a times big foreign organisations who have a presence in the destination (in form of a big chain hotel or an international department store), take away a significant portion of the profits. This can be prevented by supporting local businesses as much as possible. This will ensure that the money remains within the local community and their economy benefits. When this happens, money will be spent for better tourist facilities allowing for better tourist satisfaction. This section also deals with social impacts of the local community. This means that we must support businesses with fair trade practices and who do not discriminate their employees in terms of race, gender, religion or disability.

So these are the 4 main pillars of sustainable tourism in brief.

Sustainable tourism is only possible when destination leaders, governments as well as tourism businesses come together and place a commitment towards sustainability. The awareness is already there and so are the tools, all that is needed is a nudge and a push! Travellers must also come forward and demand to support businesses that are committed to sustainability. Only then can SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL be PLANET POSITIVE TRAVEL!

Sustainability is a journey and there’s a lot to learn as we go along. I will be writing in detail about each topic in my coming blogs. Do keep tuned!