· BIG ISSUES ·
What is Sustainable Travel and is it the same as Ecotourism?
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 07 Sep 2024
What actually is sustainability in respect to tourism, and what is ecotourism? I think my mum just assumes both are just about flying less and recycling more! However, understanding exactly what both terms *actually mean* can provide travellers with a framework to work from when trip planning – one that helps curate a more thoughtful journey.
Sustainable travel and ecotourism have become buzz phrases recently – but what exactly do they mean?
The attitude with which we approach travel will shape our trip and determine exactly what we personally get out of it; however it also affects the cultural, economic and environmental circumstances of everyone we interact with on route.
So how do we adjust our own behaviours and decisions when travelling to help enhance, rather than harm, host communities?
As a background, I’m a scientist, so this post explores these questions and provides a general background in sustainability and ecotourism using sources and experts. I figure that’s better than reading yet another travel blogger’s rant about sustainability and eco tourism, most of whom are just guessing about what they actually mean.
IN THIS GUIDE //
What is Sustainable Travel and Eco Tourism?
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY IN TRAVEL?
THE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY
ARE THERE ANY CONS OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM?
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ECO AND SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
IS ECOTOURISM SUSTAINABLE?
WHAT CAN WE DO AS INDIVIDUALS?
FINAL THOUGHTS – SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
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What is Sustainability in Travel?
According to a recent National Geographic travel survey, 42% of people interviewed were willing to prioritise sustainable travel, but only 15% were adequately able to describe what it actually meant.
Jargon like ‘ethical’, ‘sustainable’, ‘responsible’ and ‘green’ are bandied about a whole lot (myself included here), so I thought I’d get a more informative, substantial, and practical answer to this question.
THE DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABILITY
To start with, the dictionary definition of sustainable is as follows:
Sustainable: able to be maintained at a certain rate or level
So how is this applied to travel? Simply, UNESCO defines sustainable development as:
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
The U.S. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 defines the goal of sustainability as:
“to create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.”
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation defines sustainable tourism as:
“Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”
They further define three statements that sustainable tourism should do:
1. Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.
2. Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.
3. Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.
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So given all these definitions, how do we interpret this information into more user-friendly language that can guide us in making better choices when we travel?
Firstly, the three points defined by the United Nations above are a complex way of writing the ‘three pillars of sustainability’ – environmental, social and economic (more informally: planet, people, profit). Any company, development or, in this case, tourism endeavour, must abide by all three points in order to be classed as sustainable.
The Three Pillars of Sustainability
Economic
This is (sadly) the most important characteristic of sustainability.
Without money, the tourism industry wouldn’t function, so any venture must be economically viable. Economic sustainability, in terms of a tourist though, is about keeping money local and ensuring the recipient of your money contributes back to the community in which the payment was made. It is ensuring that the local economy benefits from your visit – avoiding economic leakage and consequently promoting economic justice.
The economic impacts of tourism can be split into three: direct, indirect and induced. Direct is the money you might spend at a business, such as a shop or restaurant. The business then buys goods with your money – this is ‘indirect’. The employees of the business will also buy products with your money which is called the ‘induced’ impact.
When the indirect or induced money is spent outside the community, this has then ‘leaked’ away, despite your potentially good intentions. In areas with significant tourists, more international products will be imported, increased luxury goods will be available – reducing the percentage of tourism spending that remains in the region.
ECONOMIC LEAKAGE
There is an array of leakage values dependent on the country/region. Generally, leakage is higher for smaller economies than for larger ones. Here are a few (of many) notable examples:
◊ Research into financial leakage from hotels in Bali showed that the highest loss of 55% was in 4/5-star international brand hotels. Non-chain 4/5-star hotels were only 7.1%. The lowest leakage was in non star-rated hotels at 2.0%. The average leakage across all accommodation was 19.5%.
◊ In Fiji, the central bank estimated that 60% of tourism revenue left the country in 2015.
◊ It is thought that more than 90% of expenditure leaks away near most nature and eco-tourist locations.
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Subtle Economic Impacts
On a more subtle note, the economic benefit of ensuring minimal leakage is about more than just making local people richer. If residents have more money, the burden on them to use natural resources reduces and they are more likely to encourage and support tourism, therefore actively protecting the environment around them. Conversely, with minimal profit from tourism they may feel marginalised and be more likely to harm rather than conserve the region.
This is all subjective; benefits depend on who you are. For example, if you are wishing to sell land and tourism has driven up real-estate prices then that is in your favour; if you are looking to buy then it is less so. This analogy applies to almost everything – there are always winners and losers.
Economic sustainability is a tricky one to quantify, since economic growth is not always synonymous with the success of local populations – gross national product can increase while unemployment, poverty and inequality also rise.
Environmental
This is probably the most common topic people consider when they think of sustainable tourism. It relates to maintaining the natural world and reducing degradation of ecosystems like beaches, forests, oceans and wildlife. It also includes man-made environments such as buildings, ruins and infrastructure.
Tourism intrinsically causes negative impact to the environment. No matter how sustainable the development is, it will have an effect on local ecosystems. Even ecotourism, although less impactful than the ‘sun, sand and sea’ style of tourism still causes problems, especially as the typical eco-minded traveller will visit more delicate destinations.
There are three main components to the environmental impact of tourism: travel to the region, accommodation and activities. Very rarely is it possible to partake in a trip that matches the premise of sustainability in all three of these categories. In fact, often, we have no choice! Pollution from motorised vehicles, the over-use of resources and increased infrastructure replacing/damaging ecosystems are all reasonably obvious consequences. However, there are more indirect and incidental impacts of which we should be aware.
Subtle Environmental Impacts
More subtle factors to consider for the environment on your sustainable trip will depend on the activity and site chosen.
As an example, soil and vegetation trampling is an obvious one, but the extent of the damage will be subject to the location. Meadows are likely more sensitive than rainforests, however soil contamination and seeds could be more damaging in rainforests than sparse mountains. Individual human waste will be far more damaging in small streams and water holes than in oceans and fast flowing rivers. Even human voices can be distressing to wildlife!
The sustainability of your choice of accommodation varies depending on whether you camp, stay in an eco-resort or anything in between. No matter what you choose, it is worth being mindful that the most minimal styles of sleeping will still leave their mark. Even with camping, there is the interference with vegetation, potential introduction of pathogens, water pollution, noise from voices and litter such as food scraps. This is an extreme example; however, it illustrates the significant impact of staying in an eco-lodge.
Finally, it is worth noting that although problems like plant trampling are well-researched, it is impossible to predict the harm caused to every ecosystem on the planet by sustainable tourism initiatives. It is best to be aware and tread extra carefully.
Socio-Cultural
This pillar is about people. In particular, the cultural traditions and heritage of local inhabitants, especially marginalised or indigenous communities. Local values and traditions can be as delicate as the tourism-induced environmental concerns, but are often overlooked.
This, along with more quantifiable impacts on housing, infrastructure and employment, can often be neglected by the tourism industry despite the substantial impact on host communities. Often, tourists chasing the elusive ‘authentic experience‘, do not consider the cultural damage they might cause.
Academic papers claim that long-term success of tourism in an area is dependent on the acceptance of the host community. If this is the case, then preservation of cultural traditions is as important in tourism sustainability as the preservation of local ecosystems. It is common for tourism development to progress without the full input of local people, understandably causing conflict and detriment.
In practical terms, this pillar should be about minimising our impact on the traditions of people we visit. We should be considerate of the changes our presence makes to local culture, as well as the environment and their economies – it ties directly into the above definition of sustainable.
CULTURAL CHANGES
When questioning if something is culturally sustainable, it is also vital to take into consideration more than just the modification to traditional ways of life, values and customs. With the introduction of tourism also comes:
◊ Changes in population structure, including changing family sizes
◊ Changes in rural-urban balance of the population
◊ Alternative types of occupations, including possible increased requirement for female labour
◊ Seasonality of employment
These are just a few of the impacts of increased visitors. It is vital to be aware of the less obvious impacts we have, in order to find the most benign approach possible to tourism and maintain the cultural fabric of the host society.
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Overtourism
One simple way of directly looking at the potential impact of your trip is to see if the location you have chosen already suffers from ‘overtourism’:
“An excessive number of tourist visits to a popular destination or attraction, resulting in damage to the local environment and historical sites and in poorer quality of life for residents”
Although ‘overtourism’ is not technically in the dictionary as I write this, it has been used so often that it was shortlisted for addition in 2018 due to enormous use.
The definition describes a destination with an abundance of tourists and an inability to manage the volumes. It’s totally location dependent – a large city in China may appear busy, but not suffer from overtourism as they have the infrastructure to cope, whereas a smaller city in Europe with a fraction of the visitors could feel the tourism impacts far more.
Some places that have recently been in the news due to excessive tourism are Venice, Bali and Dubrovnik, all of which are suffering from the dangerous consequences of overtourism.
Are There Any Disadvantages of Sustainable Travel?
Fundamentally, no.
In the purest form, it is a great idea and a necessary ideal in this current climate of expanding travel and development.
Ideologically though, it could be seen as enabling travel and encouraging travel where it does not belong. It could also be criticised as encouraging the continuation of western capitalism and, by definition, imprecise enough that it does not deliver fixed strategies for change.
Differences Between Eco and Sustainable Travel
The terms ‘eco’ and ‘sustainable’ are used interchangeably, and sometimes in error, along with ‘nature-based’, ‘adventure based’, ‘green’, ‘ethical’, ‘responsible’ and ‘non-consumptive’ tourism.
It is important to be mindful that this type of terminology is commonly used by companies as a marketing ploy to attract well-meaning customers, despite being imprecise. This conduct is dubbed ‘greenwashing’.
Fundamentally, ecotravel is a specific niche or type of travel – so it refers how you conduct your trip, whereas sustainability refers to more of a framework to guide travellers, developers and companies in their decision making.
These descriptors are not interchangeable – ecotourism may not be sustainable, and sustainable tourism is not necessarily conducted in natural or ‘eco’ environments. It could transpire that maybe the average eco-tourist is actually less sustainable on average than the regular tourist, who frequents locations that are able to manage the resources needed for mass-tourism.
ECOTOURISM DEFINITION
Evolving definitions of ecotourism have been around since the mid-80s and are no more exact than that of sustainability. One contentious definition is:
“responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.”
This statement is questionable since no matter the intention, ecotourism fundamentally will change the environment and people who are subject to said tourism. On the other hand, if managed correctly, there are circumstances where tourism may well sustain the well-being of local people along with helping enhance protections and management of sensitive ecosystems.
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Is Eco-Tourism Sustainable?
How can any tourism be sustainable?
As discussed above, it must be economically viable, environmentally practical and culturally sensitive. Ecotourism is often assumed to be sustainable, but is it? Fundamentally, it still uses potentially scarce resources and directly impacts on seldom explored destinations.
There are numerous reasons why it may be harder for this niche of travel to be sustainable:
Sensitive locations | the locations in which eco-travellers visit are often more delicate. Consider the Galapagos Islands which have an environmental fragility that could (and are being) easily be disrupted by tourism.
Wildlife | eco-tourism volumes are generally higher in wildlife areas during critical moments such as breeding, nesting and migrations.
Distances | it is common to travel very long distances, normally by air, to reach these destinations.
Impact | a slightly more subtle effect worth thinking about is the impact of even a small volume of tourists. Academic papers (such as The Professional Geographer) have discussed the relationship between the numbers of people visiting a destination and their associated impacts. The damage from a group of tourists does not linearly increase with the number of people. This means even a small number of people can do a large amount of harm. A simple example of this is a new trail through a rainforest. Every set of boots does some damage – but an initial small number would have the most impact in terms of ecosystem damage.
Leakage | economically, companies that organise trips to ecotourism destinations in the global south tend to be based in developed nations, diverting profit away from host communities.
Visitor types | ecotourism destinations are also generally less likely to have repeat visitors – the ‘once in a lifetime’ sites are called that for a reason!
Costs | another feature of ecotourism is that prices must inherently be high if groups are to be kept small enough to avoid ecological damage and for a significant profit to be made.
Culture | in terms of social impact, most visitors to the global south are from the north, meaning a potentiall large cultural difference between visitor and host.
Livelihoods | there is also the contradiction between environmental and social causes when an area is designated as protected but this limits local people from hunting, farming or making a traditional living.
Despite the above, ecotourism is not all bad. Ecotourists are more likely to be sensitive to local customs, eat local food be respectful of religious and moral values. Ecotourism can also raise awareness of issues, such as endangered animals in a way that does not exploit them and can actively support them.
Finally, what can we do as Individuals?
Social Guidelines
Adhering to standard social guidelines for every destination we travel should always be at the forefront.
Respect for residents should never be overlooked, even in places that receive a lot of tourists – remember residents must live and work there too, while you vacation. The following is a basic list of points to be aware of:
1. Respect local customs and traditions
2. Always ask for permission for photographs and be cognisant that people may not understand that they could end up on the internet!
3. Dress appropriately, always.
4. Do not expect people to speak your language.
5. Ensure your behaviour does not invade the of privacy of others.
6. Consider your response to begging.
7. Remember that although you are on holiday and every night is an excuse to party – for local people it is just another working day.
8. Be sensitive with bartering and bargaining – it is a person’s living and probably just a dollar in your pocket.
9. Educate yourself on indigenous rights and any marginalised communities you may be visiting.
10. Always be aware of and obey local officials and laws. This goes for driving, too.
OTHER PRACTICAL SUSTAINABILITY SUGGESTIONS
◊ For the environment – take direct flights where possible; avoid one-use plastic; avoid food waste; consider vegan/vegetarian options; utilise shared overland transport; buy local. All the same standard environmental things you are told will benefit your home country!
◊ Put the time in – research companies, products and people. After your trip, provide decent feedback via reviews to help the next person.
◊ Is there an educational component to a tour, trip or trek? This is the type of question I ask before I book something. This kind of thing is something that can differentiate one tour from another and more often than not, educational programs have better sustainability initiatives.
◊ Look for revenue sharing programmes, for example ones that provide funding for community projects.
◊ The motivation for sustainable development in tourism should also be questioned. Is the development sustainable in order to safeguard the longevity of tourism, or is it to genuinely elevate the host community? Being sustainable for the right reasons makes a difference (although any form of sustainability is good in the current climate).
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Some Thoughts – Sustainability and Eco Tourism
Maybe we should stop using the saying ‘take only photos and leave only footprints’? While well-meaning, it ignores the fact that our footprints leave an enduring mark, no matter how much we attempt to be eco-conscious. The saying makes it seem like it is possible to travel with no environmental, economic or cultural repercussions which is almost always incorrect.
Personally, I think the concept of sustainable tourism can be wrapped up nicely by calling it conscious travel.
For a more in-depth dive into criteria for the travel and tourism industry, check out the Global Sustainable Tourism Council who set the global baseline standards for sustainability in tourism.
To find out more about the sustainability problems some locations face and about ways we can help avoid overtourism and promote the issues of sustainability, read our companion article on slow travel. For a few helpful, totally practical ideas to apply to your next trip, check out our tips for more eco-friendly travels.
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Thank you, Claire + Nick
