SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainable travel and tourism is on the rise: consumer demand is growing, travel industry suppliers are developing sustainable programs, and governments are creating new policies to encourage sustainable practices in tourism. But what does “sustainable tourism” really mean? How can it be measured and credibly demonstrated, to build consumer confidence, promote efficiency, and fight false claims?
According to the World Tourism Organization 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”. Translating this concept into developing a sustainable business or destination is more complicated, even more difficult is to find sustainable products in the market place.