GEOG 20 91 Principles and Practice of Eco-tourism # 3 Evolution of GREEN standards for tourism Issue regarding sustain

1. GEOG 2091Principles and Practice of Eco-tourism#3Evolution of GREEN standards for tourismIssue regarding sustainable tourism Lecture objectives • Understand the driving forces behind the “green” standards of tourism and the implications • Mass tourism impacts and Butler’s life cycle of tourism destinations • Analyze the complexity of the issue regarding “sustainable” tourism • Why is it problematic to insist that an ecotourism product must be sustainable? And how can this problem be overcome? • To what extent should financial viability be taken into account when trying to make ecotourism both environmentally and socioculturally sustainable? Reference: Weaver, D. (2008). Ecotourism. Chapter #1

2. Study Outcome • Students’ appreciation of the various impacts of tourism • Students’ realization of the complex nature regarding tourism sustainability

3. Understand the driving forces behind the “green” standards of tourism and the implications

4. 3 Driving Forcesbehind the “Green” Standards of Tourism 1. Globalization • Mobility becomes an integral part of contemporary life • People’s waysto experience modern world are diversified and constantly changing • Actions need to be taken so that we may adjust ourselves to the new trend of globalization • our appreciation of nature, landscape, townscape, and other societies, etc. all need to be adjusted • Think about the 4 platforms

5. 4 platforms that Jafari (1989) suggested the field of tourism studies has advanced through since the end of World War II • Advocacy (1950s – 1960s) • Cautionary (1970s – 1980s) • Adaptancy (1980s – 1990s) • Knowledge-based (1990s - )

6. 2. Tourism Impacts • Tourist crowds • continuing growth of tourists • pollution • Destination carrying capacities • growing ability of tourism to penetrate ever more remote places • Shrinking of nature and wildness • Tourism codification • various impacts: economic, social, environmental • Ethics for guiding the industry and the tourists • questioning tourist rights to enjoy without ethics • setting up ethic codes

7. Tourists What attracts tourists? Processed product of a destination mix => what tourists finally purchase? Transformation of resources into tourism product is a commodification process. This process may cause various impacts Understand Tourism Impacts Natural environments and landscapes Historical monuments and cultural heritage, etc.

8. benefits: jobs, revenue, etc. • costs: seasonal job loss; revenue leakage, etc. • benefits: cultural exchange, promotion, etc, • costs: demonstration effects, crimes, etc. • benefits: environmental awareness; conservation promotion, etc. • costs: environmental damage caused by tourist activities, etc.

9. Life Cycle of a Destinations under Tourism ImpactsButler, R. W. (2006). The tourism area life cycle, Vol. #1, Chapter #1, pp. 3-12 • vulnerability of a tourism destination (3 phases of development) • Discovery • Saturation • Decline

10. Life cycle of a destination under uncontrolled mass tourism

11. Can tourism last long by following this Life Cycle?This life cycle leads tourism to be an exploitative process, like the extraction of a primary resourcesuch astimber, iron ore, etc.

12. These questions need consideration in order to find solutions for sustaining tourism destinations: • What if tourists stop coming? • To let the destination disappear? • How to gain the control of the product and the progress of the product cycle? • Propose sustainable alternatives such as ecotourism • Can the ethics/”green” standards of tourism bridge the social and economic gap between hosts and guests? • Is eco-tourism an effective option for sustainable development?

13. Ethic Codes “Green” standards are setfor tourism practice A sample of Green Standards (environmental checklist for a hotel)

14. 3. Tourism Responses • Responses from demand component • tourists start to questionmore in selection of travel alternatives • Responses from supply (destination) component • destinations become more cautious in accumulation of tourism wealth • Responses from channel (industry) component • tourism industry respond more actively to the changes in perception, attitude and policy As the result of the above listed forces…

15. Homework Various standards have been set for tourism practice. Do you know of any such standards in Hong Kong for: • Tourist (behavior)? • Industry (practice)? • Destination (development)? Please do some independent research and find out if there are any such standards

16. Complexity of Issue regarding Sustainable Tourism • General definition of sustainable development • It is a type of development to cope with tourism impacts • It is to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs • Tourism-induced changes => tourism impacts Understand Tourism Impacts:

17. 3 debates about sustainable tourism • Resource-based tradition • Activity-based tradition • Community-based tradition

18. Activity-based tradition • Resource-based tradition Community-based tradition

19. Appreciate the debates about sustainable tourism • Resource-based tradition • Activity-based tradition • Community-based tradition • Ecotourism should follow community-based sustainable tradition in order to be sustainable

20. Checklist for Sustainable (Eco, etc.) or Non-sustainable (mass) Tourism Sustainability and Tourism: Call No. . E 338.4791 S96 A 

21. Please Read Again: Weaver, D. (2008 our textbook). Ecotourism (Chapter#1) in order to appreciate the complexity of the ISSUE regarding sustainable development

22. Analyze the complexity of the issue regarding “sustainable” tourism

23. Discussion of questions: • Why is it problematic to insist that an ecotourism product must be sustainable? And how can this problem be overcome? • Many definitions of ecotourism state categorically that it must be environmentally and socio-culturally sustainable • However, there is no way to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that any particular ecotourism activity is ‘sustainable’, given all the problems associated with sustainability， e.g. • the indirect and unintended consequences of tourism • the possibility that a future weather event such as a hurricane could destroy a destination that currently seems sustainable • If such a high standard is adopted, then it is difficult to cite any operations that qualify as ecotourism • One way of overcoming this dilemma is to argue: • firstly that an operation must be planned and managed with every reasonable effort to be sustainable • Secondly, if and when problems are identified, these must be addressed in an expeditious and effective manner • This recognises that even the most well-intentioned ecotourism operation could produce unintended negative consequences

24. To what extent should financial viability be taken into account when trying to make ecotourism both environmentally and socioculturally sustainable? • Financial viability is essential, since without it • (a) the tourism operation must eventually cease to exist (unless it has open-ended subsidies from an outside source), in which case the issue of sustainability becomes moot, or • (b) it must be modified in such a way as to become viable. Cutting corners to achieve short-term viability, in all likelihood, could involve the elimination of ‘luxury’ practices such as insulation upgrading, community outreach programmes etc. • Conversely, it might be argued that an enlightened operator, flush with profit, has more of an incentive to allocate some of these profits to innovative practices that help the environment and generate long-term savings

25. Checklist for Sustainable (Eco, etc.) or Non-sustainable (mass) Tourism Sustainability and Tourism: Call No. . E 338.4791 S96 A