Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment, while being closely linked to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of many countries, especially developing countries.

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the importance of sustainable tourism is highlighted and the need to integrate sustainability into tourism policies, business practices and tourist behavior. Describing tourism as a driver of sustainable development, the WTO explains that tourism benefits economic growth, quality of life, environmental protection, diverse cultural heritage and world peace and spells out tourism’s links to each of the 17 SDGs:

• SDG 1 (no poverty):
  Tourism can be linked to national poverty reduction strategies and entrepreneurship through low skills requirements and local recruitment;
• SDG 2 (zero hunger):
  Tourism can spur sustainable agriculture by promoting production, supplies to hotels, and sales of local products to tourists;
• SDG 3 (good health and well-being): tax income generated from tourism and visitors fees collected in protected areas can be reinvested in health care and services;
• SDG 4 (quality education):
  capacity and skills need to be built to ensure the tourism sector can prosper and provide job opportunities for youth, women and those with special needs;
• SDG 5 (gender equality):
  tourism can empower women, particularly through the provision of direct jobs and income generation in tourism and hospitality-related enterprises;
• SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation):
  tourism investment requirement for providing utilities can play a critical role in achieving water access and security, hygiene and sanitation;
• SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy):
  tourism can help reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs), mitigate climate change and contribute to energy access by promoting clean energy investments;
• SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth):
  decent work opportunities in tourism, particularly for youth and women, and policies that favor better diversification through tourism value chains can enhance tourism’s positive socioeconomic impacts;
• SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure):
  tourism can influence public policies aimed at upgrading and retrofitting infrastructure to make it more sustainable, innovative and efficient;
• SDG 10 (reduced inequalities):
  sustainable tourism can engage local populations and all stakeholders in tourism development, and contribute to urban renewal and rural development;
• SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities):
  tourism can, inter alia, promote urban regeneration, and preserve cultural and natural heritage;
• SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production):
  adopting sustainable consumption and production (SCP) models can help monitor sustainable development impacts for tourism, including for energy, water, waste, biodiversity and job creation;
• SDG 13 (climate action):
  tourism stakeholders can play a critical leading role in fighting climate change by reducing their carbon footprints;
• SDG 14 (life below water):
  tourism development can help preserve marine ecosystems and promote a blue economy and the sustainable use of marine resources;
• SDG 15 (life on land):
  sustainable tourism can help conserve and preserve biodiversity, and generate revenue as an alternative livelihood for local communities;
• SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions):
  tourism can help foster multicultural and interfaith tolerance and understanding, and peace in post-conflict societies; and
• SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals):
  Tourism can strengthen public-private partnerships (PPPs) and engage all stakeholders to work together to achieve the SDGs.

Source: UNWTO – Tourism for Development: Key Areas for Action – 2018

What exactly does “sustainable tourism” even mean?

To most people, “sustainable” is synonymous with “eco-friendly.”, though it’s true that being environmentally-conscious is a big part of being sustainable. But it’s not the only thing to consider. An attraction or destination can be as “green” as green can be, and still not be sustainable. Sustainability takes it one step further, by combining the previous mentioned values, and the idea of conserving the resources as much as possible so that it can be experienced and enjoyed by generations to come.

When it comes to sustainability, there are three founding “pillars” to consider: environmental, economic, and socio-cultural. In order for the tourism sector to be truly sustainable, it has to be proactive in all three areas. Just dealing with the problem at hand is beneficial no doubt, but the idea is to think of long-term solutions.

Environmental Sustainability

The environment element of the “pillars” is quintessential to tourism. Both the natural environment (such as beaches, forests, waterways) and the built environment (such as historic buildings and monuments) must be preserved for an area to be environmentally sustainable. Preservation may include minor renovations to maintain the structural integrity of the built environment. Environmental sustainability means making sure resources in an area (whatever they may be) can be preserved for use by future generations. It’s much more than just being “green.”

Socio-cultural Sustainability

When an area starts being frequented by tourists, there are bound to be some social and cultural impacts of those tourists on the host community. This has been experienced by many tourist hotspots globally. Bali, Indonesia known as being a popular tourist destination, has seen their local economy be majorly influenced and catered to the tourism sector. Locals may see increased congestion and overcrowding in towns and cities, perhaps an increase in crime, the introduction of new languages and values, and perhaps even an influx of migrant workers to be employed in the tourist industry. Socio-cultural sustainability, then, means minimizing these negative impacts and focusing on more positive ones, such as promoting cultural exchange and preserving local traditions. In Bali, their local art scene has received massive attention by the export of their artwork internationally. This is an example of positive socio-cultural effects on the local community, making their artwork more desired and valued. This can usually be achieved by getting the locals involved in the tourism industry. Having the community involved will not only offer visitors a more genuine experience, but the locals will be more likely to see tourism in a positive light due to the abundance in resources generated to the local socio-cultural demographic.

Economic Sustainability

The last pillar of sustainability revolves around perhaps the most important part – the money. Many people don’t consider economics when thinking about sustainability, but it’s really the key to making a tourism venture sustainable. Economic sustainability means building linkages and reducing leakages – essentially, by keeping the money local. A hotel or company owned and operated by a foreign entity will not likely be motivated to contribute much to the local economy thus, the money will likely be repatriated instead. This is not sustainable practices. Not only should the community be involved in tourism, but instead they should also all share in the financial benefits gleaned from it in a fair and equitable approach.

… but Why Does it Matter?

So why should we care about sustainability?

At the core of it, the fact is, sustainable tourism actually benefits every party involved, and not just one half of the equation. Unsustainable tourism might be fine from the point of view of the tourist, but it’s unlikely to benefit or gain support from the host community. To create a fair and equitable solution, sustainability is the only way forward for those currently involved and also not forgetting future generations to come.

Ultimately, at the end of the day, tourism should not be a one-way street in terms of benefits. Everyone involved should be benefiting from it in one way or another, whether, it be the concierge worker at the hotel, to the hotel owner, to even the local man .

So, the next time you’re torn between two attractions or destinations or hotels or tour companies, consider these points: Which one is locally-owned? Which one is more eco-friendly? Which one employs local people? Which one contributes the most to the local economy? Which one is more sensitive to its impacts on the host community?

Basically, which one is more holistically sustainable?

Considering these points just might change the way you travel.