The Impact of Sustainable Tourism on the Tourism Sector

Sustainable tourism and its role in protecting the environment and local culture

Background of the Research

Sustainable tourism can be referred to as that kind of tourism that meets the needs of the tourist as well as the modern communities without limiting the capability of the future generations to meet their personal goals (Panasiuk 2021). It is assumed that the management of all tourism resources can meet the aesthetic, social, and economic needs of the tourists, and in the process maintaining significant environmental practices, cultural integrity, life support systems, and biodiversity. Today, almost the entire world recognises the benefits and opportunities of sustainable tourism, however, with the increasing significance of this industry, it is inevitable to recognise the evidence as well as the benefits in regards to the environment. The environment, as well as the industry, are interdependent, and adequate efforts must be made to improving the positive relationship between the environment and tourism and in order to reduce poverty (Khan et al. 2020). The main goal of sustainable tourism is to maximize revenue while reducing the negative influences of tourism on tourist destinations. This can be achieved by managing and maintaining, developing and executing, several activities of tourism to protect the natural resources, the environment, and the wildlife.

Problem Statement

Sustainable tourism is a relatively new branch of the industry that, apart from having implications on the industry itself, also has implications on researchers, social workers, environmentalists, community workers, students, as well as local business enthusiasts. Sustainable tourism is a kind of tourism that follows and operates on the pre-established principles and strategies of sustainability (Fennell and Cooper 2020). It provides an industry that aims to minimise the impact on the environment and the local culture while assisting and supporting the local residents to create opportunities for employment and income. Solidarity tourism can be referred to as a form of travel that is based on travellers' respect for the people and the places that they visit, through an in-depth understanding of the host nation's reality and active cultural exchanges between the two parties. The economic enhancement of the area, hospitality and accommodation in the community-run locations, consumption of fair trade products, and visits and participation in solidarity projects, develop there. Therefore, sustainable tourism provides a solidarity travel method for the travellers that not only has a positive impact on them but also on the visiting communities.

Rationale of the Research

The rationale of this research work is to understand the impact of sustainable tourism, its strategies, initiatives, as well as policies in the context of the contemporary world. It cannot be denied that sustainable tourism is the need of the hour to address the contemporary, environmental and social, and economic issues that the tourism industry is incurring in the world (Higham et al. 2016). Therefore, this research will also be useful in solving the problem statement, for the market researchers of various tourism companies and will help them to understand the causes, advantages, and influences along with the recent trends prevailing in the recent industry, which has consequentially led them to undertake sustainable tourism for remaining competitive in the market.

Causes and significance of sustainable tourism

Research Aims and Objectives

The key aim of the project is to identify and analyse critically the major impacts that sustainable tourism within an organization, and how the incorporation of this concept by an organization can be effective to modify the key policies of the business. The central objectives of the research work include:

• To understand the concept of sustainable tourism.
• To identify and deduce the impact of sustainable tourism incorporated by an organization.
• To understand and deduce the sustainable tourism methods, initiatives, and strategies prevalent in the tourism sector.
• To understand the repercussions on revenue generation by a business due to the effectiveness of sustainable tourism.

Research Questions

RQ1: What is the concept of sustainable tourism?

RQ2: What is the impact of sustainable tourism incorporated by an organization?

RQ3: What are the sustainable tourism methods, initiatives, and strategies prevalent in the tourism sector?

RQ4: What are the repercussions on revenue generation by a business due to the effectiveness of sustainable tourism?

Research Hypothesis

H0: Sustainable tourism has a significant impact on the tourism sector.

H1: Sustainable tourism has no impact on the tourism sector.

Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourism provides an appropriate balance between several aspects of the development of tourism, for instance, environmental aspects, economical aspects, and aspects of social culture, and each of these aspects play an important role in protecting the biodiversity of the nation (Pan et al. 2018). This type of tourism aims at minimising the adverse impact of tourism on the local areas of the host nation. The negative impacts of the travellers on the tourist destinations is reduced by sustainable tourism as well as the protection of culture as well as the environment, so that these are available to the future generations, and contribute to the creation of opportunities for income and employment as well as the local ecosystem's protection. Sustainable tourism is also defined in terms of responsible tourism and this particular term is mainly regarded as the industry adoption as well as the utilisation of sustainability as an overused and often misunderstood term. Responsible tourism incorporates that form of tourism that can be used as well as consumed responsibly. Responsible tourism pays more attention to the responsibility of the tourism industry, formulates an increasing number of financial opportunities for the local residents, enhances the natural as well as the cultural heritage of the host nation, provides convenience for the disabled tourists, as well as strengthens the relationships between individuals, both among the travellers as well as of the travellers and the residents of the host nation, and it is ensured that this relationship is based on the foundation of respect (Edgell 2019). Responsible tourism between hosts and tourists can be more accurately defined as the utilization of appropriate strategies as well as methodologies to improve destinations in terms of their suitability for individuals to visit as well as to live.

Concept of responsible tourism

Causes and Significance of Sustainable Tourism

There are three main reasons for sustainable tourism. It is precisely for these reasons that this form of tourism determines its importance. These areas include nature protection, human well-being, and animal welfare. It is necessary for sustainable tourism organisations and businesses to be inclusive in their consideration of the significance and the necessity of all three aspects, not just one aspect because all of these aspects are interrelated (Ioannides, Gyimóthy and James 2021). In modern times, over-tourism or excessive tourism has become a real-time issue. The environment and natural resources have been deliberately destroyed not just by the tourists but also by the industry of tourism itself. Several instances of animals being kept in captivity to entertain the tourists is also a negative impact of over-tourism. The industry is driven by this negative activity and the chain is fatal. For example, it started with the tourism industry of the host countries that attract tourists to specific tourist destinations on a large scale. Due to the massive investment of foreign investors, a large area of the environment has been cleaned up and used to build hotels and other entertainment centres for the purpose of accomodating and entertaining more and more tourists, which in turn has led to the extinction of many animal species, their habitat, as well as the food sources (Argan 2016). These animals are further put into zoos and circuses for tourists to be entertained. Local water sources are also utilised and exploited to meet the needs of the tourist. The local residents, therefore, have no drinking water because they cannot avail of it and they also lose their rental apartments. This is because the landlords of the rental apartments of the local residents make more money on tourist rentals, and they are driven out of their homes. It is important to consider the impact of these measures, which is why sustainable tourism is now highly necessary. Tourists can make a significant impact by travelling more responsibly (Han et al. 2018).

Impact of Sustainable Tourism

The three areas, that is, natural conservation, human welfare as well as wildlife protection, are all supported by the strategies of sustainable tourism. Respect for the religion, customs, tradition, and lifestyle of the local residents is one of the main factors affecting people's wellbeing (Kawaguchi-Suzuki et al. 2019). Visitors can gain learning not only about the basics of culture but also about the unwritten system and policy of the host nation. It also has a direct impact on the economy of the local region, as tourists in the tourist destinations purchased products from the street vendors as well as the local businesses to make certain that this monetary value is reached to the local population that would assist in the development of the local economy. Animal welfare is the second-largest impact of sustainable tourism. Animals have always been used for entertaining visitors. Sustainable tourism includes the refusal to pay or use the services of people or organizations that harm animals such as zoos, donkeys or elephant rides, and many more (Carr and Broom 2018). The third most significant area is environmental protection. Many aspects, such as the protection of natural resources, the effective generation and management of waste through tourism, the protection of monuments, and many more. Green tourism also helps to develop solutions for environmental degradation in the global sphere as well as for climate change in the global sphere, and contributes to sustainable tourism development, because investment in this tourism industry leads to the use of local resources and contracts. In addition, this type of tourism has an indirect impact on the tourism industry by creating employment opportunities in their related infrastructure fields. Sustainable tourism also contributes to local development and poverty reduction (Medina-Muñoz, Medina-Muñoz and Gutiérrez-Pérez 2016).

Prevalent methods and strategies of sustainable tourism

Research Philosophy

Research philosophy includes methods for broadly expanding and interpreting research concepts. There are three forms of research philosophy: interpretivism, positivism, and realism. Positivism philosophy is used for undertaking a critical analysis of logical issues and explanations (Marsonet 2019). Interpretivism philosophy can be used to evaluate the research work in its phases of management and performance, while realism philosophy uses a hybrid approach of the above philosophies. This research makes use of the positivism research philosophy to logically explain the research topic in order to draw expected conclusions.

Research Design

Three types of research designs can be used to conduct research, including exploratory research, explanatory research, and analytical research. An exploratory research plan evaluates the research topic in the initial phases of the research, thereby establishing the basis for the research. The relationship between various variables that are identified in the research topic for deriving the corresponding results, the explanatory research design is helpful. The analytical research design is helpful for undertaking descriptive research through analysis (Coral and Bokelmann 2017). This study adopts the analytical research plan to draw conclusions through in-depth understanding and analysis.

Data Analysis

Research data is analysed using quantitative or qualitative methods. Quantitative research uses numerical analysis of data and presents data in the form of graphs, statistics, tables, and equations (Fox 2015). Qualitative research uses collected concepts and data and concisely synthesises data with secondary data collected to draw conclusions. This study, however, has undertaken primary quantitative research to ensure that the study has better accuracy in its data collection as well as to enhance the accuracy of the data analysis in the project. The primary quantitative research data is also helpful for the researcher to organise and analyse the data faster and in a convenient way so that they can be used for future use.

Data Collection and Sampling

The survey method has been used to collect significant primary data from selected respondent groups. For the purpose of high representativeness in the method, the survey technique is used in this research. It is a cost-effective way of collecting real-time information and also assists the researcher to conduct quantitative research effectively (Zhang et al. 2017). Random sampling has been used to collect data from 50 respondents from customers of the tourism industry worldwide.

Analysis Method

The SPSS statistical is used in this research for analysing and assessing the quantitative data collected. Under the SPSS method, several data testing has been used like validity testing, correlation analysis, reliability tests, and multiple regression processes. The SPSS software provides these testing methods and the researcher is required to run these tests to achieve accurate results.

Repercussions on revenue generation in the tourism sector

Ethical Issues and Cost Consideration

Strict ethical protocols have been followed as consent was acquired before collecting the primary data from the respondents. The secondary data has also been thoroughly referenced in the project. It has been ensured that accessible data collection methods and convenience in data collection are maintained. The estimated costs have been met suitably which is around £500.

Effectiveness of Research Method

The above-mentioned research methodology aims at accuracy in both data collection and data analysis. It has not only helped to represent data but has also helped in interpreting the data.

Alternative Research Methodologies

Secondary research could have been suitable for this research that would undertake a descriptive exploration of the research topic and conduct a thematic analysis (Braun, Clarke and Weate 2016).

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