Sustainable Tourism Literature Review

MAIN ISSUES ADDRESSED IN THE SCOPE OF PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES (1990-2016)

BY Özlem GÜZEL, Associate Dr. Özlem GÜZEL

Akdeniz University, Tourism Faculty along with

Mustafa GÜLMEZ

Dilara BAHTİYAR

SUMMARY

Sustainable tourism is an approach that brings together practices that ensure the protection and development of their attractiveness while using environmental, cultural and natural resources subject to tourism.

The sector practitioners and the academic community should take the lead in defining and disseminating the applications that constitute the content of this approach.

Based on this point, in this study, the sustainable tourism-themed, theoretical and applied studies, principles and techniques in the last quarter century, i.e. the period from the 1990s to the present, have been examined.

In the light of the findings obtained, it has been observed that the number of sustainable themed academic studies has been increasing over the years and that the topics of economic continuity, local welfare, environmental naturalness, physical integrity and cultural wealth are intense in terms of the twelve goals of sustainable tourism. On the other hand, studies pointing to local control, social welfare, employment quality, social equality, visitor satisfaction, biodiversity and resource efficiency were found to be insufficient.

Keywords: Sustainability, Sustainable Tourism, Literature Research.

INTRO

While it gained its existence in the sustainable environment in the 1970s, this laterality gained popularity in development and tourism studies since the 1980s (Liu, 2003; Berno & Bricker, 2001). However, Jayawardena (2003) and Liu (2003) emphasize that their research is weak and inadequate. Liu (2003) states that in the tourism literature research that emerged, mixed concepts, wrong measurements and inadequacies led to the discussion. Jayawardena (2003) emphasizes that practitioners should develop viable practical models of expectations from academics. Creating a business model of future tourism research, good practice examples, analyzing the benefits of good practices, relationships between customer and service providers, understanding tourism perceptions and social value, reflections of not taking advantage of green opportunities, environmental product measurement, and joint research that brings academies together, success stories. It suggests sharing with the masses, case studies and success stories as part of the training. Marshall and Toffel (2005) emphasize that a clear definition of knowing cannot be made and that the reason for this is that it is a continuity and continuity process. Similarly, Padin and Svensson (2013) stated that the sequence is planned to be defined not as a concept or structure, but as a unit, the intended tourism emergence and repetition. Undoubtedly, useful researches are useful in the renewal and definition of the process. Scientific research, understanding of the intrinsic relationships between tourism, local communities and the environment, understanding the value and roles of stakeholders, placing destinations on the foundations of providing polarization modeling, understanding the realization of the realization beyond the protection of the environment, reading in the economic, environmental, socio-values ​​section of tourism It is of critical importance in examining the influence of tourists and emphasizing the consumer identity of tourists. In this context, it is thought that these issues, which focus on the literature research, will be important in terms of the place where the subject is concentrated and the missing part between years.

Sustainable Tourism

One of the most important responsible for the damage to the environment and nature is the tourism sector (Güzel, 2012; Papatya et al., 2011; Demir & Çevirgen, 2006; Meydan, 1998). Emphasizing the existence of the ecological crisis as one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse created by the green / global capitalist system approaching its zero point, Daisy and others have emphasized the fact that nature is transformed into an object of consumption with the realization that the ecological crisis creates the sustainable environmental paradox and tourism activities endanger their future. (2011: 223). The sustainable tourism approach, popular with the Brundtland report in the 1980s, is an approach that aims to ensure the development and permanence of the sector, and to eliminate the negative effects of destinations in terms of environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects in the long term. Sustainability principles are emphasized in the “Global Code of Ethics in Tourism” in the investment reports of the World Tourism Organization (WTO). Within the Global Code of Ethics in Tourism

The third of the 10 principles that include the social, economic, cultural and environmental contents of travel and tourism movements is “tourism as an element of sustainable development” (http://ethics.unwto.org). As emphasized in Article 3, the tourism sector is the main element of sustainable development and this article has the following contents (http://ethics.unwto.org):

• In the development of tourism, all parties are obliged to protect the natural environment in the perspective of sound, continuous and sustainable economic growth, and future generations should be taken into account in meeting the needs.

• Resource-saving, particularly types of tourism, which prioritize water and energy-saving methods and reduce waste, should be encouraged by national / regional / local public authorities.

• Periods of increased tourist flow such as school holidays should be arranged in a way to reduce the impact of tourism on the environment.

• Tourism infrastructure and activities should be prepared in a way that ensures the conservation of ecosystem, biodiversity and wildlife.

• Nature tourism and eco-tourism should be considered as the basic elements that play a role in the development and enrichment of tourism.

Considering why the World Tourism Organization (WTO) attaches importance to sustainable tourism, it can be pointed out that the tourism enterprises in the sector have insensitive practices, and the local people and tourists are unconscious about the effects of tourism. Concrete examples of this situation can be seen in the sustainable tourism development report published by the World Tourism Organization in 2013. The negative aspects of tourism, which is shown as the most important force of development in the report, are listed as follows:

• Tourism leads to climate change by contributing 5% to existing carbon emissions, mainly with transportation facilities and tourism activities such as accommodation as well as transportation.

• Failure to properly dispose of solid and liquid wastes by tourism enterprises causes local land and water pollution.

• Tourist activities pose problems in some regions.

• Accommodation businesses use non-renewable and valuable resources such as land, water and energy. In some areas, more water is consumed in holiday villages than the local people use.

• Inadequate management of tourism development and inappropriate activities in sensitive areas can damage biodiversity.

• There may be negative impacts on cultural heritage sites where there is insufficient visitor management.

• Tourism can cause negative effects on local communities in regions with unrestricted entry, such as increased crime, sexual exploitation, and the destruction of socio-cultural traditions and values.

• While creating job opportunities, tourism can lead to poor working conditions.

• The sector is sensitive to source markets due to economic performance, economic conditions, natural events and security concerns.

Table1. Literature Research Summary (1990-2016)