SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Robin Tauck is an advocate for Sustainability including both “green” initiatives to reduce environmental impacts and efforts for “sustainable tourism” education, awareness and leadership forums such as WTTC, STSC, Travel Professional “Make a Difference”, UNF, UNWTO, and Tourism Cares. She has authored travel publication articles, speeches and educational materials. She offers her experience to associations, governments and boards dedicated to this current world issue Affiliations & Boards.

Sustainable tourism is on a rapid rise … Our world’s ecosystems, biospheres and treasured natural and cultural sites are currently endangered by the growth and development in global population, industrialization and current levels of carbon emissions. Consumer awareness of sustainability efforts is growing and they are demanding change. The tour and travel industry, associations, corporations and individual advocates are making a positive effort through strategic plans. Such changes include wonderful programs and efforts to enhance cultural integration and development with local people and the local economy.

DEFINITIONS

Sustainable Tourism is envisaged as leading to management of all resources such that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems (source: WTO).

GeoTourism is tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place – the environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture and well-being of its residents. (source: National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations)

Sustainability is about “building a relationship” with the places you visit – with the local culture, the natural environment and working together with people who live there and partners to enhance and protect for the future.

For more definitions please see the glossary of terms at SustainableTravelInternational.org.