English teaching materials for students at AGH UST Krakow, Poland SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Key words

sustainable tourism

intercultural understanding

cultural heritage

conserving resources

host

I Pre-reading questions

1. How do you think sustainable tourism differs from ecotourism?

2. Have you heard about the concept of responsible tourism? Can you explain it?

3. What does responsible tourism expect from tourism stakeholders and from tourists themselves?

II Work in groups of three or four. Discuss with your friends how sustainable tourists can reduce the negative impact of tourism. Exchange your opinions with other groups

.

III Read the articles about sustainable and responsible tourism and compare the information they present with your answers. Is there anything you have not mentioned?

IV What is responsible hospitality about? Think of some examples that would illustrate this concept.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_tourism

Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make as low impact on the environment and local culture as possible, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves. Sustainable tourism is not the same as ecotourism.

by Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST ) You are free to display and print these materials for your personal, non-commercial use, but you may not otherwise reproduce any of the materials without the prior written consent of the owners. You may not distribute copies of the materials in any form (including by e-mail or other electronic means.)

English teaching materials for students at AGH UST Krakow, Poland

. Sustainable tourists can reduce the impact of tourism in many ways:

informing themselves of the culture, politics, and economy of the communities visited anticipating and respecting local cultures, expectations and assumptions

contributing to intercultural understanding and tolerance

supporting the integrity of local cultures by favoring businesses which conserve cultural heritage and traditional values

supporting local economies by purchasing local goods and participating with small, local businesses

conserving resources by seeking out businesses that are environmentally conscious, and by using the least possible amount of non-renewable resources

Increasingly, destinations and tourism operations are endorsing and following "responsible tourism" as a pathway towards sustainable tourism. Responsible tourism and sustainable tourism have an identical goal, that of sustainable development. The pillars of responsible tourism are therefore the same as those of sustainable tourism – environmental integrity, social justice and economic development. The major difference between the two is that, in responsible tourism, individuals, organizations and businesses are asked to take responsibility for their actions and the impacts of their actions. This shift in emphasis has taken place because some stakeholders feel that insufficient progress towards realizing sustainable tourism has been made since the Earth Summit in Rio. This is partly because everyone has been expecting others to behave in a sustainable manner. The emphasis on responsibility in responsible tourism means that everyone involved in tourism – government, product owners and operators, transport operators, community services, NGOs and

Community-based organization CBOs, tourists, local communities, industry associations – are responsible for achieving the goals of responsible tourism.

Responsible tourism

Responsible tourism is regarded as a behaviour. It is more than a form of tourism as it represents an approach to engaging with tourism, be that as a tourist, a business, locals at a destination or any other tourism stakeholder. It emphasizes that all stakeholders are responsible for the kind of tourism they develop or engage in. Whilst different groups will see responsibility in different ways, the shared understanding is that responsible tourism should entail an improvement in tourism. Tourism should become ‘better’ as a result of the responsible tourism approach.

Within the notion of betterment resides the acknowledgement that conflicting interests need to be balanced. However, the objective is to create better places for people to live in and to visit.

Importantly, there is no blueprint for responsible tourism: what is deemed responsible may differ depending on places and cultures. Responsible Tourism is an aspiration that can be realized in different ways in different originating markets and in the diverse destinations of the world (Goodwin, 2002).

Focusing in particular on businesses, according to the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism, it will have the following characteristics.

minimises negative economic, environmental, and social impacts

generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host communities, improves working conditions and access to the industry

involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances

by Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST ) You are free to display and print these materials for your personal, non-commercial use, but you may not otherwise reproduce any of the materials without the prior written consent of the owners. You may not distribute copies of the materials in any form (including by e-mail or other electronic means.)

English teaching materials for students at AGH UST Krakow, Poland

makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the maintenance of the world’s diversity

provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful

connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues

provides access for people with disabilities and

is culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and confidence

Sustainable tourism is where tourists can enjoy their holiday and at the same time respect the culture of people and also respect the environment. It also means that local people (such as the Masaai) get a fair say about tourism and also receive some money from the profit which the game reserve make. The environment is being damaged quite a lot by tourists and part of Sustainable tourism is to make sure that the damaging does not carry on.

Responsible hospitality

As with the view of responsible tourism, responsible hospitality is essentially about creating better places for people to live in, and better places for people to visit. This does not mean all forms of hospitality are also forms of tourism although hospitality is the largest sector of the tourism industry. As such we should not be surprised at overlaps between responsible hospitality and responsible tourism. In the instance where place of permanent residence is also the place where the hospitality service is consumed, if for example a meal is consumed in a local restaurant, this does not obviate the requirement to improve the place of residence. As such, the essence of Responsible Hospitality is not contingent upon touristic forms of hospitality.

While Friedman (1962)famously argued that, admittedly within legal parameters, the sole responsibility of business was to generate profit for shareholders the idea that businesses’

responsibility extends beyond this has existed for decades and is most frequently encountered in the concept of corporate social responsibility. There are numerous ways businesses can and do engage in activities that are not intended to benefit shareholders and management, at least not in the short term. However, often acts of corporate social responsibility are undertaken because of the perceived benefit to business. Usually in hospitality this relates to the cost reductions associated with improved energy efficiency but may also relate to, for example, the rise in ethical consumerism and the view that being seen to be a responsible business is beneficial to revenue growth.

As per the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism, responsible hospitality is culturally sensitive. Instead of then calling for the unachievable, responsible hospitality simply makes the case for more responsible forms of hospitality, hospitality that benefits locals first, and visitors second. Certainly, all forms of hospitality can be improved and managed so that negative impacts are minimized whilst striving for a maximization of positive impacts.

by Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST ) You are free to display and print these materials for your personal, non-commercial use, but you may not otherwise reproduce any of the materials without the prior written consent of the owners. You may not distribute copies of the materials in any form (including by e-mail or other electronic means.)

English teaching materials for students at AGH UST Krakow, Poland V What other collocations with the word sustainable do you know and what is their meaning?

VI Translate into Polish sentences in bold.

THE GEOTURISM CHART

Source: ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotourism )

I Pre-reading question.

In what sense is geotourism a broader concept than sustainable tourism and ecotourism?

II Read The Geotourism Chart and match the words in the column with their definitions.

adhere

making sth less severe

disseminate

the act of taking care or or managing sth

resilience

to prevent sth harmful from from spreading or becoming worse

civic

having beautiful natural scenery

alleviation

to spread information

stewardship

the ability of a substance to return to its original shape after

damage

sprawl

making sth less harmful

contain

to keep sth

retain

to cover a large area

scenic

connected with people who live in a town or city

mitigating

to stick firmly to sth

Geo-tourism(NGG-tourism program) is "best practice" tourism that sustains, or even enhances, the geographical character of a place, such as its culture, environment, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.

The concept of Geographical sustainable tourism with coining the word Geo-tourism, was introduced publicly just in the USA in a 2002 report by the Travel Industry Association of America (as of 2009 this organization adapted name to U.S. Travel Association) and National Geographic Traveler magazine. National Geographic senior editor Jonathan B. Tourtellot and his wife, Sally Bensusen, coined the term in 1997 in response to requests for a term and concept more encompassing than ecotourism and sustainable tourism

by Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST ) You are free to display and print these materials for your personal, non-commercial use, but you may not otherwise reproduce any of the materials without the prior written consent of the owners. You may not distribute copies of the materials in any form (including by e-mail or other electronic means.)

English teaching materials for students at AGH UST Krakow, Poland The National Geographic Society defines geotourism as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.

National Geographic Society has also drawn up a "Geotourism Charter" based on 13

principles:[7]

1. Integrity of place: Enhance geographical character by developing and improving it in ways distinctive to the local, reflective of its natural and cultural heritage, so as to encourage market differentiation and cultural pride.

2 . International codes: Adhere to the principles embodied in the World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the Principles of the Cultural Tourism Charter established by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

3. Market selectivity: Encourage growth in tourism market segments most likely to appreciate, respect, and disseminate information about the distinctive assets of the locale.

4. Market diversity: Encourage a full range of appropriate food and lodging facilities, so as to appeal to the entire demographic spectrum of the geotourism market and so maximize economic resiliency over both the short and long term.

5. Tourist satisfaction: Ensure that satisfied, excited geotourists bring new vacation stories home and encourage friends to experience the same thing, thus providing continuing demand for the destination.

6. Community involvement: Base tourism on community resources to the extent possible, encouraging local small businesses and civic groups to build partnerships to promote and provide a distinctive, honest visitor experience and market their locales effectively. Help businesses develop approaches to tourism that build on the area’s nature, history and culture, including food and drink, artisanry, performance arts, etc.

7. Community benefit: Encourage micro- to medium-size enterprises and tourism business strategies that emphasize economic and social benefits to involved communities, especially poverty alleviation, with clear communication of the destination stewardship policies required to maintain those benefits.

8 . Protection and enhancement of destination appeal: Encourage businesses to sustain natural habitats, heritage sites, aesthetic appeal, and local culture. Prevent degradation by keeping volumes of tourists within maximum acceptable limits. Seek business models that can operate profitably within those limits. Use persuasion, incentives, and legal enforcement as needed.

9. Land use: Anticipate development pressures and apply techniques to prevent undesired overdevelopment and degradation. Contain resort and vacation-home sprawl, especially on coasts and islands, so as to retain a diversity of natural and scenic environments and ensure continued resident access to waterfronts. Encourage major self-contained tourism attractions, such as large-scale theme parks and convention centers unrelated to character of place, to be sited in needier locations with no significant ecological, scenic, or cultural assets.

10. Conservation of resources: Encourage businesses to minimize water pollution, solid waste, energy consumption, water usage, landscaping chemicals, and overly bright nighttime lighting. Advertise these measures in a way that attracts the large, environmentally sympathetic tourist market.

11. Planning: Recognize and respect immediate economic needs without sacrificing long-term character and the geotourism potential of the destination. Where tourism attracts in-migration of workers, develop new communities that themselves constitute a destination enhancement. Strive to diversify the economy and limit population influx to sustainable by Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST ) You are free to display and print these materials for your personal, non-commercial use, but you may not otherwise reproduce any of the materials without the prior written consent of the owners. You may not distribute copies of the materials in any form (including by e-mail or other electronic means.)

English teaching materials for students at AGH UST Krakow, Poland levels. Adopt public strategies for mitigating practices that are incompatible with geotourism and damaging to the image of the destination.

12. Interactive interpretation: Engage both visitors and hosts in learning about the place.

Encourage residents to promote the natural and cultural heritage of their communities so tourists gain a richer experience and residents develop pride in their locales.

13. Evaluation: Establish an evaluation process to be conducted on a regular basis by an independent panel representing all stakeholder interests, and publicize evaluation results.

III Which article of the chart says that:

1. Tourists should enhance their knowledge of the places they visit

2. Tourism businesses should do their best to avoid depleting natural resources in the places visited by tourists.

3.It is important to prevent excessive sprawl of resorts.

4. It is good for the environment to limit the number of tourists visiting a place 5. Authorities should control the flow of workers from outside to tourist destinations.

6. Tourism of a region should be evaluated regularly by an independent body.

IV Complete the blanks in the text with the words from the list.

focuses, sustainability, incentive, branding, incorporate, principle, revenues, generic, contribute, artisanry, do-no-harm, enhancement

Like true ecotourism, geotourism promotes a virtuous circle whereby tourism

1…………provide a local 2………… to protect what tourists are coming to see, but extends the 3…………… beyond nature and ecology to 4…………… all characteristics that

5……………. to “sense of place”—historic structures, living and traditional culture, landscapes, cuisine, arts and 6……………, as well as local flora and fauna. Geotourism incorporates 7…………… principles, but in addition to the 8…………… ethic, geotourism 9…………… on the place as a whole. The idea of 10…………… allows for development

based on character of place, rather than standardized international 11…………., and 12………….. architecture, food, and so on.

V. Project

Work in groups of three or four to plan a five-day holiday for a group of business representatives who are coming to Poland. Make sure that your plan is based on the principles listed in the Chart.

by Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST ) You are free to display and print these materials for your personal, non-commercial use, but you may not otherwise reproduce any of the materials without the prior written consent of the owners. You may not distribute copies of the materials in any form (including by e-mail or other electronic means.)

English teaching materials for students at AGH UST Krakow, Poland by Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST ) You are free to display and print these materials for your personal, non-commercial use, but you may not otherwise reproduce any of the materials without the prior written consent of the owners. You may not distribute copies of the materials in any form (including by e-mail or other electronic means.)