Tourism Topic 3.2 (effectiveness of stakeholders in influencing sustainable tourism development)

stakeholders

1. government

2. international organizations

3. businesses

4. locals

5. tourists

strengths of government

1. establishing policies and creating plans

2. enforcing regulations

limitations of government

1. poor enforcement

2. the decision to priorities economic development

strengths of international organizations

1. offering consultancy to countries

2. providing financial assistance

3. raising public awareness

limitations of international organizations

1. lack of understanding of local contexts

2. lack of funding

strengths of businesses

1. seek advice from other stakeholders

2. participate in decision making

limitations of businesses

1. compromising of sustainable practice to survive

2. differing understanding and ways of measuring sustainability

strengths of locals

1. seeking advice from other stakeholders regarding sustainable tourism practices

2. participating in decison making

limitations of locals

1. lack of financial or technical assistance

2. prioritizing economic benefits over sustainability

strengths of tourists

1. developing a genuine interest in the tourist destination and seeking to enhance its environment, culture and economy

2. interacting responsibly with the environment and people when they travel

limitations of tourists

1. some sustainable tourism options may be out of their budget

2. lack of clear information which may confuse tourists on the sustainable options available

other challenges faced

1. stakeholders may have different understandings and measurements of sustainable tourism development

2. stakeholders have differing amounts of control over resources

3. stakeholders have different priorities which can make negotiation challenging

strengths (gov) : establishing policies and creating plans

• Governments can set up policies or plans that stakeholders may be required to adhere to 

• Can help ensure minimal damage to the environment while maximizing benefits to locals (eg channeling tourism revenue to set up and expand national park sand provide social services to locals) 

• Example : In Sentosa, the authorities bring together different stakeholders to develop a series of plans to enable the island to become more sustainable. These plans include : 

  • Conserving Sentosa’s rich heritage

  • Protecting island’s biodiversity 

  • Achieving carbon-neutral status by 2030

strengths (gov) : enforcing regulations

• Governments play a key role in enforcing regulations to ensure sustainable tourism development 

• These include enforcing regulations on the types of tourism activity and the number of tourists who can enter

• Enforcing regulations is critical to ensure that the policies and plans are adhered to 

• Example : In Bhutan, tourists can only enter the country by organizing their trip with licensed tour operators. They are tasked with ensuring tourists adhere to laws and regulations to minimize the negative impacts of tourism, such as ensuring tourists only trek on designated trails 

limitations (gov) : poor enforcement

• In order for regulations to be effective, active enforcement is required

• Governments which lack resources or political influence, or face corruption, may not be able to ensure that regulations are adhered to 

• Might hinder sustainable tourism development 

limitations (gov) : the decision to priorities economic development

• Some gov put economic development first and may neglect environmental and social dimensions

• Might hinder std 

• Example : 

  • Every year, Mount Everest receives hundreds of tourists who wish to scale up the mountain, but poor enforcement of waste disposal leads to the mountain becoming increasingly polluted 

  • Together regulations have not been imposed by the Nepali authorities

  • If tighter regulations were imposed, the flow of tourists might be reduced, affecting revenue 

strengths (international organization) : offering consultancy, technical assistance and financial support

Example : 

• In handicraft villages in Ha Tay Province, Vietnam, the united nations world tour organisation, provided support 

• a marketing plan was developed with the villagers to encourage independent travellers and tour operators to visit the villages

• locals received handicraft skills training for them to create handicrafts to be sold to tourists

• Financial aid is given to carry out small-scale infrastructural improvements 

Example : 

• Unesco has introduced the people protecting places programme, which provides information for travelers on how to protect unesco world heritage sites as tourists 

• Wadi Al-Hitan, Egypt, saw large tourists arrivals which threatened the safety of highly delicate fossil remains

• With the help of unesco, visitors were informed to stay on footpaths while walking to key sites

• This helped to preserve the integrity and natural beauty of Wadi Al-HItan 

limitations (international organisation) : lack of understanding of local context

• International organisations may compromise members from various countries and backgrounds

• They may have different perspectives regarding an issue and may not understand the local contexts of places they work with 

• Locals may not support their actions, hindering sustainable tourism development 

limitations (international organisation) : lack of funding

• Many international organisations tend to be non-profit, hence it may be challenging when it comes to choosing projects to provide financial assistance for

• Without funding, some plans may not beagle to be implemented, hindering sdt

strengths (businesses) : seek advice and participate in decision making

• business have an incentive to pursue sustainable tourism as it can keep them profitable

• have finances to enact plans

• they can :

  • Seeking advice from other stakeholders regarding sustainable tourism practices

  • Participating in decision-making for sustainable tourism development.

Example: Quicksilver Cruises in Australia specialises in tours of the Great Barrier Reef works with: 

• The planning authorities to promote ecotourism.

• A research team of marine biologists to observe and monitor the marine ecosystem, which helps the planning authorities in managing the Great Barrier Reef.

limitations (businesses) : compromising on sustainable practices to survive

• Ultimately, businesses may prioritise profits above sustainability, which can hinder sustainable tourism development by, for instance, polluting the environment or exploiting resources.

limitations (businesses) : differing understanding and ways of measuring sustainability

• Different businesses may have a different understanding of sustainability and how to measure it.

• Businesses may end up greenwashing - marketing themselves as 'sustainable' when their practices may not be so.

strengths (locals) : seeking advice from other stakeholders

• Locals may not have the necessary knowledge and experience, which other stakeholders such as governments, businesses and international organisations have, to pursue sustainable tourism.

• By seeking advice from these stakeholders, locals can adopt sustainable tourism practices that have already been tried and tested.

• This will help to protect the environment and ensure that sustainable tourism can continue to grow and thrive.

• Example : In Singapore, locals can seek guidance from the National Environment Agency to pursue sustainable tourism practices such as waste management and recycling when hosting international events, meetings and conventions.

strengths (locals) : participate in decision making

• Having local knowledge, the involvement of locals in decision-making is critical. They can suggest ways to minimise the harmful impacts of tourism, such as protecting the flora and fauna in their local community.

• This can be done through community-based tourism which priorities the participation of the local community and ensures that the benefits gained from tourism stay with the local community.

limitations (locals) : lack of financial or technical assistance

• Some locals may not have the information on how to apply for financial or technical assistance, and therefore lack sufficient resources to carry out plans for sustainable tourism development.

limitations (locals) : prioritizing economic benefits over sustainability

• Some locals may pursue tourism practices that may not be sustainable as long as it brings in a higher income to support themselves and their families.

strengths (tourists) : developing a genuine interest in the tourist destination and seeking to enhance the env, culture and economy

• Tourists can choose tours or services which prioritise sustainable tourism or channel their revenue toward environmental conservation efforts.

• Example: At the Tiger Tops Elephant Camp in Nepal, an ethical elephant camp, elephants can walk around freely in the jungle with no routine imposed on them. This allows tourists to observe the elephants interacting in their natural state. The revenue generated by tourism is used for the conservation and upkeep of animals in the region such as tigers and elephants. It can also be used to invest in the education of local students.

• Tourists can also get involved in environmental conservation or community projects that benefit the tourist destination.

• Example: At the sea turtle volunteering conservation programme in Costa Rica, tourists can help care for injured sea turtles and patrol the beaches for sea turtles and their nests to protect them from poachers.

strengths (tourists) : interacting responsibly with the environment and people when they travel

• Tourists can read up on the local practices and cultures, and be mindful of their attire or behaviour when travelling as a way to show respect to the local customs and cultures.

• Example: 

  • In Bali, Indonesia, tourists should be aware that they have to dress modestly when visiting religious sites.

  • They can look after the environment when travelling such as not littering or vandalising the areas they visit.

limitations (tourists) : some sustainable tourism options may be out of their budget

some sustainable options may be more expensive due to the costs required to ensure the tourism experiences are sustainable, and tourists may not be keen to pay those fees

limitations (tourists) : lack of clear information, which may confuse tourists on the sustainable options available

• varied understanding of sustainable tourism and the ways of measuring it

• tourist may be confused about if a tourist business they engage with or their tourist practices are truly sustainable

challenges : stakeholders may have different understandings and measurements of STD

• understanding and measurement of sustainability vary from place to place, as well as amongst stakeholders themselves

• this can lead to a conflict of ideas between stakeholders, which may make coming to a consensus of STD difficult

challenges : stakeholders have differing amounts of control over resources

• stakeholders may have varying degrees of power and influence

• those with more power and control over resources might have more say over the final decision made, which may override the perspectives of other stakeholders, hindering STD

challenges : stakeholders have different priorities which can make negotiation challenging

• stakeholders hv different priorities, which can make negotiation challenging

• example : locals may want to limit number of tourist in their neighborhood to minimise congestion, but gov might oppose as it might reduce tourism revenue

• could be economic, social or environmental trade-offs that stakeholders may hv to compromise and accept