Tourism: A Right Way to Sustainable Development
The United Nations World Tourism Organization stressed in 2017 the importance of tourism development by presenting a distinctive annual theme: “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development”. Sustainable development (SD) refers to a process through which humans’ needs are provided and satisfied without deteriorating natural and man-made resources that are essential for the next generations. Stated otherwise, SD tries to avoid environmental deterioration and to keep minimum the destruction of vital resources made by any kind of development. The importance of tourism SD lies in the fact that the tourism industry is growing fast in recent years and this may lead to the uncontrollable exploitation of the environment/nature and local people with various social, cultural, and economic consequences.
On the other hand, an increase in the number of tourists accompanied by SD can undoubtedly result in the creation of various jobs, development of economy in urban and rural areas, reduction of immigration rates, and more competitive markets. Such will come true subject to an effective consideration of local cultural and environmental capacities/attractions such as flora and fauna, tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and ethnic customs. Tourism by taking into account the sustainable developmental principles and the respective codes of ethics makes an effort to establish an equilibrium between demand and supply in order to preserve existing resources and create competitive advantages for local populations. A balanced tourism development in terms of economic, cultural-social, and environmental aspects and a minimum destruction of resources is the final goal of tourism SD. It should be argued that SD in the tourism industry necessitates a global perspective away from political boundaries so as to provide its benefits for all the current and future generations, leading finally to a sustainable globe with everlasting capacities.
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