sustainable tourism.doc

IntroductionAfter World War II, modern tourism has rose sharply and quickly developed since 1960s. From 1950 to 1998, international tourists dramatically increased from 25,282,000 passengers to 635 million ones with the average annual growth of 7.0% (Hu, 2001). However, currently, the serious problem, in tourism industry, is the limited destination resources under the high pressure from the increasing number of global tourists. Therefore, sustainability is an imperative to respond to the tourism challenges. Sustainable tourismThe concept of sustainability bases on a long-term development instead of short-term benefits. Additionally, economic, environmental and social sustainability are the three basic elements of real sustainability. However, in the past, many countries give priority to the development of short-term benefits ignoring the damage to the environment, especially the developing countries such as China and India. Therefore some issues would occur such as pollution problems in tourism destinations and holiday travel blowout phenomenon (Hu, 2001). Currently, with enhancing awareness of protective environment, sustainable practices have become easily adopted to the public. For example, the solar water heaters, a kind of reducing energy practices, are more flexible and widely accepted.It is controversial for the public to contribute to sustainable tourism. Based on some literatures about sustainable tourism, raising environmental awareness is a way to make tourism more sustainable (Dolnicar, Crouch, & Long, 2008). Johnson (2006) states that raising awareness tight relevant with the changing behaviors. For example, recycling target, reducing energy and water consumption have been applied in hotels and airlines. However, in fact, there were 1% passengers giving the priority to consider the environment in terms of outgoing holidays booking in the UK (Miller, 2010). Actually, majority of passengers are superficial environmentalists who give the priority to the profitable things for themselves. In terms of greater awareness of sustainable tourism, it is effective to tend to be on the tangible influences such as littering instead of the intangible ones of global warming. There are three concepts relevant with sustainable tourism destinations including carrying capacity; destination management and strategic planning.1. Carrying capacity is a central concept to sustainability. Just like the superficial meaning of the words, carrying capacity refers to the capacity of destinations to absorb tourists used without deteriorating. It is easy to find the main issue of carrying capacity while it is difficult to solve it. Problem solved needs management decision. 2. Destination management provides tools to complete the sustainable tourism with the principles of developing planning, marketing and management. 3. For the strategic planning, it includes the control of the future tourism at destinations in a turbulent world. Strategic planning for destinations exist issues of views lacking of consensus because different groups, commercial organization, stakeholders and government, have their own views of the future tourism at destinations. Therefore, it is necessary for government, organizations and tourists to coherence together in order to sustainable tourism. For example, planning the Spanish costal destination in a sustainable way has combined government with residents and other organizations (Blancas, et al, 2010). Sustainable mass tourismCurrently, it is a trend for tourists to travel more remote and sensitive destinations. For instance, in recent years, Chinese tourists set off a tourism boom for travelling to the South Pole. In fact, these sensitive places without planning and management are under great pressure from the tourists. Some researchers such as Conway & Timms and Hall advocates the approach about slow tourism and degrowth separately (Weaver, 2012). In the past, this approach is reflected in a small scale, low growth alternative tourism such as homestays. However, it is a controversial topic because it does not make sense for restricting to peoples behaviors. In addition, alternative tourism is also a one-sided solution of sustainability-related issues without consideration of the needs from customers.Under the guidance of current situation, sustainability related practices become more desired and effective to solve environmental and social issues. Therefore, sustainable mass tourism (SMT) is also an ideal target with the coordinated development of global economy and social-cultures. In addition, to achieve the target of sustainable of mass tourism requires a certain process rather than revolutionary processes. The process of SMT develops long with organic, incremental and induced paths. In other words, the evolutionary process of SMT requires critical think of growth (organic), regulation (incremental), or both together (induced) (Weaver, 2012). Organic path is the process of self-growth with gradual improvement. In this situation, remedial and innovative measures has been taken and implemented for the current mass tourism. Therefore, some innovations have flowed into the new market. For example, the family friendly branding has created in 1990s. In fact, this measure reached the bottom line of sustainability. Incremental path is an opposite way compared with organic one, which is relevant with the higher regulations in order to keep the destinations naturally. In other words, this approach tends to give the place its unique sense of destination, high quality of life and competitive strengths. For example, New Zealand regarded as tourism destination attracts tourists by the 100% pure nature.Induced path is fresh and less tourism destination established under governmental strategies in order to sustainable growth. Therefore, the destination applied induced path has the environmental competitive advantage from the initial governmental sustainability design and facilities. Therefore, the main problem of sustainable mass tourism is how to coherent the three paths in the destinations. SMT as a concept for futureSMT is a huge mission for all the countries in future. Actually, mass tourism would bring some challenges for sustainability. For example, in tourism industry, some uncivilized behaviors have been exposed by the media such as littering and drawing. However, mass tourism and sustainability are not contradictory with each other. Mass tourism leads to the protective of fragile destinations such as African rainforest. Additionally, with the improvement of peoples general education and corresponding measures applied, uncivilized behaviors will be controlled. Therefore, SMT is an appropriate concept for future. There also are some evidences relevant with the benefits of sustainability. SMT provides most tourists high quality of travelling life along the harmonious development of nature. For example, the managers of Singapore zoo make every effort to provide the comfortable living environment for the animals especially, the monkeys without cage. In addition, as the government of Singapore has their strategic city planning, the destination is known as the Garden Country. SMT can facilitate the increasing of the green products in destinations such as green hotels or non-pollution public transportation. In China, Green Hotel bases on the three core concepts of safety, health, environmental protection. By the year of 2012, there were 10,000 green hotels and green food enterprises in China. To sum up, I believe that the future for a destination has to be towards a sustainable action. However, the governments have to know how to implement laws in order to not only protect the locals (e.g. increasing the employment opportunity in tourism industry) but also the environment (e.g. strengthen the planning of nature reserves). References:Blancas, F.J, 2010, The assess