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
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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
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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.)