Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Demand for responsible tourism
The Roman philosopher Seneca alluded to the deeper meaning of a holiday when
he said that 'you need a change of soul rather than a change of climate.You must
lay aside the burdens of the mind; until you do this, no place will satisfy you'
(Seneca, as cited in Krippendorf, 1987, pxv). As the tourism industry matures,
there is an increasing demand for unique, authentic and meaningful holidays.
Tourists are expressing a desire to learn about the visited destination and
themselves whilst travelling. Many tourists want to interact with the local culture
and actively engage with the tourism product-offering, rather than just passively
consuming it (Institute of Directors in Southern Africa, 2002; Pérez and Nadal,
2005). Travelling for some has, thus, become as much an emotional and philo-
sophical journey, as a physical one.
Research indicates, that besides seeking a more meaningful experience at the
destination, tourists are beginning to take note of the impacts that their visit has
on the host destination (Bachleitner and Zins, 1999). Tearfund's 2001 study
found that 30 per cent of tourists are asking about social, environmental and
economic issues. The Association of British Travel Agents' (ABTA) research cited
that 87 per cent of holidaymakers felt it to be important that their holiday did not
damage the environment, whilst 76 per cent of respondents said that tourism
should benefit those in the destination through jobs and business opportunities
(ABTA, 2002). The Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) and National
Geographic Traveller's study of the travel patterns of 3300 US adults found that
more than 75 per cent of travellers believed it is important not to damage the
environment, and that over 17 million US travellers consider environmental
factors when deciding which travel companies to patronize (TIA/NGT, 2003).
Whilst these figures do not represent the entire tourism consumer base, and might
be inflated due to respondents answering in a manner that is socially acceptable,
they do indicate a significant shift and trend towards more ethical and responsible
consumption.
Goodwin and Francis (2003) argued that unlike commodities, fair trade and
responsible tourism practices can have a positive impact on the product offered.
Coffee that has been traded fairly will not differ significantly from regular coffee.
Increased community involvement, participation and fair trade initiatives,
however, have been shown to add a unique dimension to the tourist's experience.
Participation and understanding of tourism by communities often leads to
goodwill, resulting in a friendly atmosphere and lower crime rates (Ashley and
Haysom, 2006; George, 2007; Tearfund, 2000, 2002; UN-WTO, 2007).
Research on responsible tourism has mostly been based on studies conducted
in developed countries such as the UK and the US where wider consumer market
trends towards lifestyle marketing and ethical consumption are spreading to
tourism. (Goodwin and Francis, 2003). However, consumer trends are not as
robust in South Africa as they are in the UK. Research carried out by Frey
(2007), van der Merwe and Wöcke (2007), as well as Spenceley (2007) indicates
that the hotel, tour operator and greater tourism business sectors are still finding
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