About Sustainability

What is Sustainability?

For tourism businesses sustainability is essentially about the environment and you being around for the long term, where your business is resilient and adapts well to change. While there are many definitions of ‘sustainability’; a good place to start is the United Nations:

‘Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (Brundtland Commission, 1987).

Since then the term sustainability has become synonymous with the ‘triple bottom line’ that is balancing the needs of social, environmental and economic needs now and into the future.

Sustainability requires looking holistically at the various elements of your business operation that determine your business success. These elements include business profitability, meeting visitor expectations, engaging local communities, and protecting the environment for future generations through environmental performance. To find out what it means for you and your business, click here.

Sustainability is even more critical now as global warming and climate change are firmly on our horizons. Tourism businesses have even more reason to look at their operations in a more holistic way. There is potential for cost savings and financial benefits from responding to climate change, but you need to see yourself in the bigger picture and identify ways to reduce the rate of resource use. If we don’t, we will have little opportunity for a sustainable future.

Find out what is in it for me and the benefits of being sustainable.

Is Sustainable tourism different to ecotourism?

Sustainable tourism in its purest sense is an industry committed to making a low impact on the natural environment and local culture, while helping to generate income and employment for locals (Global Development Research Center, 2006).

Sustainable tourism and eco-tourism are often confused, this simple diagram helps to highlight the difference between these terms. In general, sustainable tourism is about the mainstream or mass tourism industry adopting the principles of sustainability, ecotourism is about sustainability in natural settings.

Figure 1: Defining Sustainable, Nature-based and Eco-tourism

Ecotourism is a subset of nature-based tourism and embraces responsible travel to natural areas that is determined by local people, sustains their well-being, and conserves the environment. This Ecotourism is a term is widely used to embrace a range of tourism experiences, which may or may not adhere to sustainability criteria including adventure travel, travel to view nature, travel to view cultural heritage; and travel to national parks.