Why Case Studies Matter
It's one thing to talk about sustainable tourism in theory. It's another to see it actually working or struggling in real places, with real people and real consequences. Case studies give you the evidence you need to back up your arguments in the exam.
The iGCSE Travel & Tourism syllabus expects you to know specific examples of sustainable tourism in practice. This session brings together a range of carefully chosen case studies from around the world, covering different environments, different approaches and different levels of success.
Key Definitions:
- Sustainable tourism in practice: Real examples of tourism that tries to meet the needs of visitors, local communities and the environment at the same time without causing lasting damage.
- Case study: A detailed, real-world example used to illustrate a concept or principle.
- Stakeholder: Anyone with an interest in tourism tourists, local communities, governments, businesses and conservation organisations.
🌎 Case Study 1: Bhutan The "High Value, Low Impact" Model
Bhutan is a small kingdom in the Himalayas, sandwiched between India and China. It has taken one of the most unusual approaches to tourism in the world deliberately keeping visitor numbers low and prices high.
How Does It Work?
Bhutan charges every tourist a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of $100 per person per night (introduced in 2022, replacing the older daily tariff system). This fee goes directly into funding healthcare, education and environmental conservation. Tourists must book through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator and cannot travel independently.
📌 Key Facts: Bhutan
- Only around 300,000 tourists visit per year compared to millions in neighbouring Nepal
- Over 70% of the country is covered by forest, protected by law
- Tourism is the country's second-largest source of foreign income
- The government measures success using Gross National Happiness (GNH) not just GDP
- Carbon negative: Bhutan absorbs more CO₂ than it produces
What Makes It Sustainable?
🌿 Environmental
Low visitor numbers reduce pressure on fragile Himalayan ecosystems. Forest cover is constitutionally protected at a minimum of 60%.
👥 Social
Tourism income funds schools and hospitals. Local culture and Buddhist traditions are actively preserved rather than commercialised.
💰 Economic
High fees mean fewer tourists generate more revenue per visitor. Local operators keep profits inside the country.
Criticisms of the Bhutan Model
- The high cost excludes lower-income travellers is this fair?
- Some argue it creates an elitist form of tourism
- The 2022 fee increase caused a sharp drop in visitor numbers, hurting local tourism businesses
- Over-reliance on a single high-value market makes the economy vulnerable
🏔️ Case Study 2: The Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal
Nepal's Annapurna region is one of the most popular trekking destinations on Earth. It attracts hundreds of thousands of hikers each year and managing that footfall sustainably has been a major challenge.
The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP)
Established in 1986, ACAP was one of the first conservation area projects in the world to put local communities at the centre of management. Rather than creating a traditional national park where local people are excluded, ACAP works with communities to manage tourism and protect the environment.
📌 Key Facts: Annapurna
- Covers 7,629 km² the largest protected area in Nepal
- Home to over 100,000 local residents from diverse ethnic groups
- Trekking permit fees go directly into conservation and community projects
- ACAP has helped reduce deforestation by promoting kerosene and solar energy instead of firewood
- Local Conservation Area Management Committees (CAMCs) make decisions about tourism in their own villages
Sustainable Practices in Action
- Waste management: "Carry in, carry out" policies; rubbish collection points along trails
- Energy: Micro-hydropower schemes and solar panels reduce reliance on firewood, protecting forests
- Community income: Entrance fees fund local schools, health posts and trail maintenance
- Cultural preservation: Festivals, traditional architecture and local crafts are promoted as part of the tourism experience
Ongoing Challenges
- Plastic waste remains a serious problem despite regulations
- The 2015 earthquake severely damaged infrastructure and scared off tourists for several years
- Rapid growth in visitor numbers risks outpacing management capacity
- Some trekking companies are foreign-owned, meaning profits leave Nepal
🌎 Case Study 3: Palau Protecting a Pacific Paradise
Palau is a tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean, famous for its extraordinary coral reefs, jellyfish lakes and marine biodiversity. It has introduced some of the most innovative sustainable tourism policies in the world.
The Palau Pledge
Since 2017, every visitor to Palau must sign the Palau Pledge a commitment stamped into their passport promising to act in an environmentally responsible way during their visit. It reads: "I take this pledge as your guest, to preserve and protect your beautiful and unique island home."
📌 Key Facts: Palau's Pledge
- First country in the world to require tourists to sign an environmental pledge in their passport
- Tourists agree not to damage coral reefs, remove marine life, or litter
- In 2020, Palau banned "reef-toxic" sunscreens chemicals that damage coral
- Palau has closed certain dive sites to allow coral recovery
- 70% of the country's land is protected forest; 80% of its waters are a marine sanctuary
Why Is This Significant?
The Palau Pledge shifts responsibility onto the individual tourist. Rather than just relying on governments and businesses to be sustainable, it asks visitors to make a personal commitment. This is a powerful example of how tourist behaviour is being managed as part of a wider sustainability strategy.
Results and Limitations
✅ What Has Worked
Coral reef health has improved in protected areas. The pledge has raised global awareness of Palau as a responsible destination. Tourism income remains high despite lower visitor numbers than mass-tourism competitors.
❌ What Hasn't Worked
Enforcing the pledge is difficult there are no real penalties for breaking it. Climate change continues to bleach coral reefs regardless of tourist behaviour. Rising sea levels threaten the islands' long-term survival.
🏭 Case Study 4: The Gambia Community-Based Tourism
The Gambia is one of West Africa's smallest countries and one of its most popular tourist destinations. For years, mass beach tourism dominated with most profits going to foreign-owned hotels. Community-based tourism (CBT) has been developed as an alternative.
The Village Tourism Programme
The Gambia Tourism Authority (GTA) has supported a network of community-based tourism initiatives that allow visitors to stay in villages, eat local food, learn traditional crafts and participate in cultural activities. The money stays in the community.
📌 Key Facts: The Gambia
- Tourism accounts for roughly 20% of GDP and employs around 20% of the workforce
- The "Gambia Experience" and similar operators promote responsible tourism packages
- Village tourism programmes in areas like Tumani Tenda provide income to communities far from the coast
- Tourists can visit bird-watching sites, participate in traditional music and learn about local farming
- The Gambia is a major destination for birdwatching over 570 species recorded
Sustainable Tourism Features
- Economic sustainability: Money circulates locally rather than leaking to foreign companies
- Cultural sustainability: Communities control how their culture is presented and shared
- Environmental sustainability: Birdwatching and nature tourism create incentives to protect habitats
- Empowerment: Women and young people are trained as guides and craft producers
Challenges
- The Gambia is heavily dependent on UK and European tourists political instability or travel advisories can devastate the industry overnight
- "Sex tourism" has historically been a problem, damaging the country's reputation
- Infrastructure (roads, electricity, water) is poor in rural areas, limiting CBT expansion
🌿 Case Study 5: The Amazon, Brazil Ecotourism in the World's Largest Rainforest
The Amazon rainforest covers over 5.5 million km² and is home to an estimated 10% of all species on Earth. Tourism here is both an opportunity and a threat.
Sustainable Lodges and Indigenous Tourism
Several eco-lodges in the Brazilian Amazon have become models of sustainable tourism. The Uakari Lodge in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve is one of the most celebrated examples. It is community-owned and managed, with local people trained as guides, cooks and managers.
📌 Key Facts: Uakari Lodge, Mamirauá Reserve
- Located in a flooded forest (várzea) ecosystem one of the most biodiverse on Earth
- 100% of staff are from local ribeirinho (riverside) communities
- Tourism income has reduced local dependence on logging and hunting
- Visitors can spot rare pink river dolphins, uakari monkeys and giant otters
- The lodge uses solar power and rainwater collection
- Visitor numbers are strictly capped to prevent environmental damage
The Bigger Picture: Threats to the Amazon
Even the best-managed ecotourism cannot solve the Amazon's biggest problems. Deforestation driven by cattle ranching, soya farming and illegal logging continues at a massive scale. Sustainable tourism represents a small but important part of the argument for keeping the forest standing it gives the forest economic value beyond timber and agriculture.
🏠 Case Study 6: Slovenia Europe's Green Tourism Champion
Slovenia is a small Central European country that has quietly become one of the world's leading sustainable tourism destinations. In 2016, it became the first country in the world to be awarded the Green Destination of the World title by Green Destinations.
What Makes Slovenia Sustainable?
🚌 Transport
Slovenia has invested heavily in cycling infrastructure, electric buses and train connections. Its capital Ljubljana is largely car-free in the city centre.
🏭 Accommodation
The "Slovenia Green" certification scheme awards eco-labels to hotels, campsites and tourist agencies that meet strict environmental standards.
🌿 Nature
Over 60% of Slovenia is forested. Triglav National Park is managed with strict visitor controls. Local food and farm tourism (agritourism) is widely promoted.
📌 Key Facts: Slovenia
- Ljubljana was named European Green Capital in 2016
- The "Slovenia Green" scheme covers destinations, accommodation, agencies and attractions
- Agritourism (staying on working farms) keeps money in rural communities
- Tourism grew by 60% between 2013 and 2019 without significant environmental damage a rare achievement
Why Slovenia Is a Useful Exam Example
Slovenia shows that sustainable tourism is not just for developing countries or remote wilderness areas. A small European country can build a national tourism strategy around sustainability and make it commercially successful at the same time.
📈 Comparing the Case Studies: What Do They Have in Common?
Looking across all six case studies, some clear patterns emerge. Successful sustainable tourism tends to share the same key features, regardless of where in the world it takes place.
Common Success Factors
- Local community involvement: In every successful example, local people have a real role not just as employees, but as decision-makers and owners
- Controlled visitor numbers: Bhutan, Palau and the Uakari Lodge all limit how many tourists can visit at once
- Revenue staying local: Profits that leak out to foreign companies undermine sustainability
- Education and awareness: Tourists who understand why rules exist are more likely to follow them
- Government support: Strong national policies (Bhutan, Slovenia, Palau) make a huge difference
- Diversification: Destinations that rely on one type of tourist or one market are more vulnerable
Common Challenges
- Balancing economic growth with environmental protection
- Preventing profits from leaving the local economy (economic leakage)
- Managing rapid growth in visitor numbers
- Climate change threatening the very environments that attract tourists
- Greenwashing destinations claiming to be sustainable without real evidence
💡 Exam Tip: Using Case Studies Effectively
In the exam, don't just name a case study use it. Always include:
- The name and location of the example
- A specific fact or statistic (e.g. "Bhutan charges $100 per night as a Sustainable Development Fee")
- An explanation of why it is relevant to the question being asked
- A balanced view what works and what doesn't
Examiners reward specific, accurate detail. Vague answers like "some countries use ecotourism" will not score highly.
📋 Case Study Quick-Reference Summary
At a Glance
🏔️ Bhutan
Model: High value, low impact
Key feature: $100/night Sustainable Development Fee
Strength: Limits numbers, funds services
Weakness: Excludes poorer tourists
🏔️ Nepal (Annapurna)
Model: Community conservation area
Key feature: Local management committees
Strength: Community ownership
Weakness: Plastic waste, leakage
🌎 Palau
Model: Tourist pledge + marine protection
Key feature: Pledge stamped in passport
Strength: Raises tourist awareness
Weakness: Hard to enforce
🏴 The Gambia
Model: Community-based tourism
Key feature: Village stays, local guides
Strength: Money stays local
Weakness: Over-reliance on European tourists
🌿 Amazon, Brazil
Model: Community eco-lodge
Key feature: Uakari Lodge, 100% local staff
Strength: Reduces logging pressure
Weakness: Small scale vs. huge deforestation
🏠 Slovenia
Model: National green strategy
Key feature: "Slovenia Green" certification
Strength: Whole-country approach
Weakness: Growth still risks overtourism
📋 Key Terms to Revise
- Sustainable Development Fee (SDF): A charge paid by tourists in Bhutan to fund conservation and public services
- Community-Based Tourism (CBT): Tourism that is owned and managed by local communities, keeping profits local
- Economic leakage: When tourism profits leave a destination and go to foreign companies instead of staying in the local economy
- Carrying capacity: The maximum number of visitors a destination can handle without causing damage
- The Palau Pledge: A personal environmental commitment signed by every tourist visiting Palau, stamped in their passport
- Gross National Happiness (GNH): Bhutan's alternative measure of national success, prioritising wellbeing over economic growth
- Agritourism: Tourism based around working farms and rural food production as practised in Slovenia
- Conservation Area Management Committee (CAMC): Local bodies in Nepal's Annapurna region that make decisions about tourism management
✅ Summary: What Makes Sustainable Tourism Work in Practice?
The case studies in this session show that sustainable tourism is not a single formula it looks different in every place. But the most successful examples share the same foundations: local ownership, controlled growth, genuine conservation and fair distribution of benefits.
The biggest lesson? Sustainable tourism only works when all the stakeholders tourists, local communities, governments and businesses play their part. When one group ignores its responsibilities, the whole system starts to break down.
For your iGCSE exam, you now have six detailed, specific case studies you can draw on. Use them with confidence and remember to include real facts and figures to support your arguments.