Sustainability in tourism: developments, approaches and clarification of terms

Abstract

Sustainability is understood as an ethically motivated guiding principle for future-oriented social development, which is constantly subject to trade-offs between different interests. In this process, tourism is seen both as an ally of sustainable development and as a cause of undesired ecological and socio-cultural effects. First applied to tourism in connection with a number of alternative niche markets, an integrated view of sustainability relating to the entire tourism industry has since emerged. Nevertheless, the multi-faceted interactions with a range of social and economic processes has precluded the formulation of a tourism-specific definition of sustainability. For this reason, the authors advocate the term "sustainability in tourism", which describes tourism as a component of a wider sustainable development. This interpretation permits a systemic approach within which different, mutually influencing economic sectors and levels of action interact and under which all principles of sustainability can be classified. Quelle: Foschungsbericht

The concepts of sustainability and tourism are both highly complex. Tourism is defined by the activities of travellers and all related economic sectors as well as the resulting effects on the environment and society. Sustainability, on the other hand, encompasses at least the three dimensions of environment, social affairs and economy, and sometimes also other dimensions such as management. The paper deals with the question of how tourism can be classified and described in the context of sustainability. It also presents models and concepts for measuring and rating sustainability in tourism. Furthermore, it presents which governance instruments are available for sustainability in tourism.