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Unlock This CourseTravel and tourism is one of the biggest industries on the planet but it comes at a cost. Planes pump out carbon emissions, coral reefs get damaged by sunscreen and careless snorkellers and popular cities like Venice and Barcelona are struggling under the weight of millions of tourists every year. So, what's the solution? That's where sustainable tourism comes in.
Sustainable tourism has grown massively over the last few decades and it's not just because governments are pushing for it customers themselves are changing the way they think about travel. This topic looks at why attitudes are shifting and how that's driving real growth in sustainable tourism worldwide.
Key Definitions:
Sustainable tourism protects natural environments, supports local economies, respects local cultures and tries to reduce negative impacts. It thinks about the long-term health of a destination not just short-term profit.
It's not just slapping a "green" label on a hotel and calling it a day. Greenwashing is when companies pretend to be eco-friendly without actually making real changes. Tourists need to look beyond the marketing!
Sustainable tourism has grown dramatically since the 1990s. The United Nations declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, which shows just how seriously the world takes this issue. But what's actually driving this growth?
Several big forces have come together to push sustainable tourism into the mainstream. It's not just one thing it's a combination of changing attitudes, new technology, global events and political pressure.
As news about climate change has become impossible to ignore, more tourists are thinking about their carbon footprint. Events like COP26 in Glasgow (2021) brought global attention to the environmental damage caused by industries including tourism.
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have shown the world both the beauty of natural destinations and the damage tourism can cause from rubbish-strewn beaches to overcrowded national parks. Information travels fast and so does outrage.
Many governments now have policies to promote sustainable tourism. For example, Bhutan charges tourists a daily fee to limit visitor numbers and fund conservation. The EU has introduced green travel incentives across member states.
According to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), sustainable tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry. A 2023 survey by Booking.com found that 76% of global travellers want to travel more sustainably but many say they don't know how. This "intention-action gap" is one of the biggest challenges in the industry today.
Perhaps the most important driver of sustainable tourism growth is the shift in what customers actually want. This hasn't happened overnight it's been building for decades and it's accelerating fast.
Modern tourists especially younger generations have very different values from the mass tourists of the 1970s. They are often called "new tourists" or "responsible tourists."
| Old Tourist | New Tourist |
|---|---|
| Passive, sun & sea | Active, experience-seeking |
| Wants familiar food | Wants local cuisine |
| Price is everything | Values ethics and sustainability |
| Ignores local culture | Respects and engages with culture |
| Buys from big chains | Buys from local businesses |
Costa Rica is often held up as the gold standard of sustainable tourism. Despite being a small country, it has protected over 25% of its land as national parks and reserves. Its Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) programme rates tourism businesses on a scale of 1–5 based on their environmental and social practices. Tourism generates over $3.5 billion per year for the country and much of it is eco-tourism. Tourists come to see rainforests, volcanoes and wildlife and the government makes sure they do it responsibly.
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has a unique approach: it charges every tourist a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of $200 per person per day (as of 2022). This deliberately limits the number of visitors and funds conservation, infrastructure and local communities. Bhutan measures success not by GDP but by Gross National Happiness a philosophy that puts well-being and sustainability at the heart of everything, including tourism. In 2022, only around 71,000 tourists visited tiny compared to mass tourism destinations, but highly profitable and low-impact.
In the UK, the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) awards Bronze, Silver, or Gold ratings to tourism businesses that meet strict environmental standards. Over 2,500 businesses across the UK are certified, including hotels, visitor attractions and activity providers. The scheme covers energy use, waste management, water conservation and community involvement. Businesses with higher ratings often attract more bookings from eco-conscious travellers.
Travel to natural areas with minimal impact. Examples include wildlife safaris in Kenya's Maasai Mara run by local Maasai communities, or guided rainforest tours in the Amazon. The key is that local people benefit directly.
Tourists stay in local villages, eat local food and pay local families directly. This keeps money in the community rather than sending it to international hotel chains. Popular in countries like Peru, Nepal and Tanzania.
Instead of rushing between destinations, slow travellers stay longer in fewer places, use trains instead of planes where possible and immerse themselves in local life. It reduces carbon emissions and benefits local economies more deeply.
Sustainable tourism sounds great in theory but it's not without its challenges. Here are some of the biggest obstacles to truly sustainable growth:
In your exam, remember that sustainable tourism must balance three pillars:
If a tourism activity only ticks one or two of these boxes, it's not truly sustainable!
The growth of sustainable tourism is one of the most important trends in the travel industry today. It's being driven by a genuine shift in what customers want especially younger travellers who are more aware of environmental and social issues than any previous generation. Businesses that ignore this shift risk being left behind, while those that embrace it are finding new markets, loyal customers and a genuinely positive impact on the world.
For your iGCSE exam, make sure you can explain why customer attitudes have changed, how this has driven sustainable tourism growth and give specific examples from real destinations and businesses. Case studies like Costa Rica, Bhutan and the UK's Green Tourism Scheme are excellent to use in exam answers.