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PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

THOMAS BAUER PHD, FRGS, RAINFOREST GUARDIANSchool of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic Universityhmthomas@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism Growth and Sustainability

• During 2010 a total of 935 million international tourist arrivals were recorded (UNWTO 2011)

• In 2020 there will be around 1560 million international arrivals

• Thailand welcomed over 15 million international tourists in 2010 and hopes to attract many more in the future

Increased Tourism

• More tourists means more employment and income for local economies ,but it also means that there can be severe pressures on a destination’s natural, social and cultural resources.

• It is this ever increasing volume of tourists that makes it necessary to consider the sustainability of tourism.

Sustainable Development

• “ Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Brundtland Report, Our Common Future 1987:43)

• Sustainability is a very worthwhile concept but it can be difficult to implement

• Sustainable tourism requires a commitment to a sustainable society and economy by all parties involved from the highest level of government to the individual citizen and tourist

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Climate Change

• “Climate change is the pre-eminent geopolitical and economic issue of the 21st century. It rewrites the global equation for development, peace, and prosperity.”

• UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

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Cyclones and flooding: Impacts of Climate Change

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The oceans are major carbon sinks but there are limits to how much carbon they can absorb

Retreating Glaciers

No Water – No Life- No Tourism

Vanishing Sea Ice in the Arctic

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Coal Fired Power Stations

Wind and Solar as Alternative Energy Sources

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Sewage Treatment

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Welcome to Paradise

Recycling

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Rice Production or Golf Course Development?

Local or Imported Food?

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Valuing wilderness

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Ecosystem Maintenance on my Protected Land

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Reforestation

Environmental Sustainability

• Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.

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Beaches

Wildlife conservation

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www.interntaionalanimalrecue.org

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www..earsasia.org

Economic Sustainability

• Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.

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Socio Cultural Sustainability

• Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.

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Preservation of Culture and Heritage

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Cultural Respect

Achieving Sustainability

• Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary. (WTO 2004)

• All components of tourism need to work harder to ensure their activities are sustainable

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Aviation• Airbus A 380 consumes less

than 3 liters of fuel per passenger per 100 km and only generates 75 g of CO2 per passenger kilometer.

• This compares to the European car industry’s aim of 140 g of CO2 per km in 2009 http://www.enviro.aero/A380casestudy.aspx)

Shipping

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Road Transport

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The P’Synergy Product is a light catalyst filter attached between an engines fuel tank and the engine itself.

The benefits are an average 10% increase in power and torque ... Upwards of 15% savings in fuel ... a projected 50% plus extension in the life of the engine ... and an amazing 70% to 80% reduction in harmful emissions -Seraphime company

Technical Solutions

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Sustainable Architecture

Adaptive Re-Use of Old Buildings

Sustainable Accommodation

Heritage Accommodation

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Best Practices: The Frangipani Resort, Langkawi

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RESORT RESPONSE: Over 100 Measures Contributing to Sustainability at the Frangipani Resort Langkawi

• Energy conservation. We practice energy conservation.• Natural air ventilation We promote natural air ventilation especially in our

restaurant.• Sustainable building practices Our new buildings are built using sustainable

building practices.• Non-motorised tours .We promote non-motorised tours in our resort.• Policy on purchasing energy conservation items. We have our own policy of

purchasing energy-saving items.• Environment Policy .We have our own resort-based Environmental Policy.• We have already installed solar panels for hot water system as our renewable

energy • http://www.frangipanilangkawi.com/index.php/environment-practices/green-practices

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PATA GOLD AWARDS

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Alleviating Poverty: What Role can Tourism Play?

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Destination Management

• “The major issue for many destinations will no longer be to attract increasing numbers of tourists but how to manage them once they have arrived” (Bauer 2003)

Individual Tourists are Very Welcome, But….

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Tourist Crowds in Egypt

Showing Concern for our Visitors

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Limits of Growth of Tourism

• Are there limits to the growth in visitor arrivals around the world?

• What is the optimal level of tourism at any given site or destination?

• Have we already exceeded the carrying capacity at certain sites and should tourism activities be excluded from certain places?

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The Question

What kind of tourism destination does Thailand want to be?

Choices: Sustainability or Destruction

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SUSTAINABILTY IS EVERYBODY’S RESPONSIBILITY

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION BUT PLEASE REMEMBER: