Social Sustainability

Sustainable Tourism

Meaning statusEstablishedSource recordDirect source requestedWhy these are different

Definition

Sustainable tourism is 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 (the UN Tourism definition). It manages tourism's footprint — transport emissions, water and energy use, waste, ecosystem pressure, cultural commodification — while preserving its development benefits, and is operationalised through certification schemes (GSTC criteria), destination management and carrying capacity planning.

References

www.unwto.orgBulk import source

Source imported for editorial provenance.

Source organisationSupporting reference

This reference provides supporting context for how “Sustainable Tourism” is defined and used.

Overview

How it is used

The concept structures destination policy, GSTC-based certification, national tourism strategies and SDG target 8. 9 monitoring.

Why it matters

Tourism is the world's largest voluntary migration; whether it funds conservation or liquidates it is a management choice.