Sustainable tourism ensures that tourists needs and expectations are met now and into the future by adopting responsible practices that consider the environment and social surrounds in which the activity is conducted.
The development of a sustainable Western Australian tourism industry should fulfil the aspirations of its people, be profitable and environmentally and socially responsible.
Sustainability should be the driving ethos for all tourism development and operations, not just nature-based.
The impacts of climate change and sustainability has far-reaching consequences on the tourism industry. This site will help you to find out more about climate change, sustainable tourism practices and where to go to get started.
What is sustainability?
Sustainability can be described as the conducting of activities in a responsible manner that protects, maintains, and in some cases even, enhances economic, environmental and social values. The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) defines sustainable tourism as:
“A kind of tourism that:
(1) makes 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;
(2) respects the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserves their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contributes to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance; and
(3) ensures 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, thus contributing to poverty alleviation”.
Sustainability is also often described as the ‘triple bottom line’ which considers the environmental and social implications and not just profit when making operational decisions. In recent times the triple bottom line has been modified to encompass people, planet and profit.
Responsible travel
Responsible Travel was founded in the UK in 2001 to enable travellers to buy locally distinctive holiday packages and experiences from tour operators with a strong sustainable background and commitment to local communities. Over 900 tourism operators from all parts of the globe are featured on the www.responsibletravel.com website.
Recently Tourism Western Australia in the UK partnered with Responsible Travel to produce a Sustainable Guide to Western Australia. Together, our aim is to provide a marketing platform for local WA product that helps sustain livelihoods, support local communities and conserve the world's natural and cultural heritage, and importantly to gain exposure in the UK and global responsible travel market.
If your business conforms to these high ethical standards and you would like to know more we invite you to review the criteria for involvement.
Nature based tourism review
Western Australia's rich biodiversity attracts visitors from all over the world and is an integral component of the State's tourism product. To ensure nature-based tourism is protected and nurtured for the long term benefits of all, a review was conducted to examine the roles and relationships between industry and Government agencies. It also looked at how to improve the delivery of nature based tourism for the State. Read more about the nature-based tourism review.