Unit 8 Sustainable Tourism
Text A SustainableTourism
Sustainable tourism in its purest sense, is anindustry which attempts to make a low impact on the environment and localculture, while helping to generate income, employment, and the conservation oflocal ecosystems. It is responsible tourism that is both ecologically andculturally sensitive.
What is sustainable tourism?
It’s informative. Travelers not only learn about the destination，they learn how to help sustain its character whiledeepening their own travel experiences. Residents learn that the ordinary andfamiliar may be of interest and value to outsiders.
It supports integrity of place. Destination－savvy travelers seek out businesses that emphasizethe character of the locale in terms of architecture, cuisine, heritage,aesthetics, and ecology. Tourism revenues in turn raise local perceived valueof those assets.
It benefits residents. Travel businesses do their best to employ andtrain local people, buy local supplies, and use local services.
It conserves resources. Environmentally aware travelers favor businessesthat minimize pollution waste, energy consumption, water usage, landscapingchemicals, and unnecessary nighttime lighting.
It respects local culture and tradition. Foreign visitors learn about and observe localetiquette, including using at least a few courtesy words in the local language.Residents learn how to deal with foreign expectations that may differ fromtheir own.
It does not abuse its product. Stakeholders anticipate development pressures andapply limits and management techniques to prevent the “loved to death"syndrome. Businesses cooperate to sustain natural habitats, heritage sites,scenic appeal, and local culture.
It strives for quality, not quantity. Communities measure tourism success not by sheernumbers of visitors, but by length of stay, money spent, and quality ofexperience.
It means great trips. Satisfied, excited visitors bring new knowledgehome and send friends off to experience the same thing - which providescontinuing business for the destination.
Principles of Sustainable Tourism
Increasing evidence shows that an integratedapproach to tourism planning and management is now required to achievesustainable tourism. It is only recently that there has been a growingrecognition of the importance of combining the needs of traditional urbanmanagement (transportation, land use planning, marketing, economic development,fire and safety etc.) with the need to plan for tourism.
Some of the most important principles ofsustainable tourism development include:
Tourism should be initiated with the help ofbroad-based community-inputs and the community should maintain control oftourism development.
Tourism should provide quality employment to itscommunity residents and a linkage between the local businesses and tourismshould be established.
A code of practice should be established fortourism at all levels - national, regional, and local - based oninternationally accepted standards. Guidelines for tourism operations, impactassessment, monitoring of cumulative impacts, and limits to acceptable changeshould be established.
Education and training programmes to improve andmanage heritage and natural resources should be established.
Sustainable Development of Tourism
Tourism is one of the world’s largest industriesand one of its fastest growing economic sectors. It has a multitude of impacts,both positive and negative, on people’s lives and on the environment.
Sustainable tourism development guidelines andmanagement practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types ofdestinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments.Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, andsocio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must beestablished between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-termsustainability.
Thus, sustainable tourism should:
1) Makeoptimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourismdevelopment, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conservenatural heritage and biodiversity.
2) Respectthe socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built andliving cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute tointer-cultural understanding and tolerance.
3) Ensureviable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to allstakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment andincome-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, andcontributing to poverty alleviation.
Sustainable tourism development requires theinformed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strongpolitical leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building.Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constantmonitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or correctivemeasures whenever necessary.
Sustainable tourism should also maintain a highlevel of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to thetourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promotingsustainable tourism practices amongst them.
General Agreement in the Berlin Declaration onBiological Diversity and Sustainable Tourism
(From theInternational Conference of Environment Ministers on Biodiversity and Tourismheld from 6-8 March, 1997, Berlin)
Tourism activities should be environmentally,economically, socially and culturally sustainable. Development and managementof tourism activities should be guided by the objectives, principles andcommitments laid down the Convention on Biological Diversity（生物多样性公约）.
Tourism activities which directly or indirectlycontribute to the conservation of nature and biological diversity and whichbenefit local communities should be promoted by all stakeholders.
To conserve nature and biological diversity as amajor resource of tourism activities, all necessary measures should be taken toensure that the integrity of ecosystems and habitats is always respected.Additional burdens from tourism development should be avoided in areas wherenature is already under pressure from tourism activities. Preference should begiven to the modernization and renovation of existing tourism facilities.
Measures inspired by the principle of precautionary（预防的）action should be taken to prevent and minimizedamage caused by tourism to biological diversity. Such measures should includemonitoring of existing activities and assessment of environmental impacts ofproposed new activities, including the monitoring of the negative effects ofwildlife viewing.
Tourism activities which use environmentally soundtechnologies for saving water and energy prevent pollution, treat waste water,avoid the production of solid waste and encourage recycling should be promotedto the fullest extent.
Similarly, tourism activities which encourage theuse of public and non-motorised transport should be supported whereverpossible.
All stakeholders including governments, internationalorganizations, the private sector and environmental groups should recognizetheir common responsibilities to achieve sustainable forms of tourism.
Policies and, where appropriate, legislation,environmental economic instruments and incentives should be developed to ensurethat tourism activities meet the needs of nature and biological diversityconservation, including mobilizing funding from tourism.
The private sector should be encouraged to developand apply guidelines and codes of contact for sustainable tourism.
All stakeholders should cooperate locally,nationally and internationally to achieve a common understanding on therequirements of sustainable tourism. Particular attention should be given totrans-boundary areas and areas of international importance.
Concepts and criteria of sustainable tourism shouldbe developed and incorporated in education and training programs for tourism professionals.The general public should be informed and educated about the benefits ofprotecting nature and conserving biodiversity through sustainable forms oftourism. Results of research and concepts of sustainable tourism should beincreasingly disseminated and implemented. (1158 words)
Exercises:
A.Read the passage and answer the following questions.
How is sustainable tourism officially defined？
What are the two characteristics of responsibletourism？
In what ways can travel businesses benefit localresidents?
What kind of travel businesses wouldenvironmentally-friendly travelers seek?
How do you understand “love to death” syndrome?
What do sustainability principles refer to?
What does “respect the socio-cultural authenticityof host communities” mean?
What is required in achieving sustainable tourism?
B. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
Travelers not only learn about the destination,they also learn how to help sustain its character while deepening their owntravel experiences.
Foreign visitors learn about and observe localetiquette, including using at least a few courtesywords in the local language.
Satisfied, excited visitors bring new knowledgehome and send friends off to experience the same thing – which providescontinuing business for the destination.
Education and training programmes to improve and manage heritageand natural resources should be established.
Development and management of tourism activitiesshould be guided by the objectives, principles and commitments laid down in the Convention on Biological Diversity.
