1. Sustainable Tourism
Development

2. Objectives
• Understand the different stages in destination
development
• Understand sustainable tourism development
and its benefits
• Identify the different prerequisites of a
sustainable tourism development.
• Analyze the roles played by various
stakeholders in sustainable tourism
development.

3. Stages of Destination Development

4. Stage 1: Discovery
• The stage of exploration
• A destination begins as a relatively
unknown place and visitors initially
come in small numbers restricted
by lack of access, facilities, and
local knowledge

5. Stage 1: Discovery
Boracay during 1970s

6. Stage 2: Development
• The stage of growth
• As more people discover the
destination, the word spreads
about its attractions and the
amenities are increased and
improved

7. Stage 2: Development
Boracay during 1980s

8. Stage 3: Stagnation
• The stage of maturity
• Tourist arrivals then begin to grow
rapidly toward some theoretical
carrying capacity which involves
social and environmental limits.
• Often happens rapidly.

9. Stage 3: Stagnation

10. Stage 4: Decline
• Possible trajectory of a destination after
the stage of stagnation
• The stage of saturation and alienation
• Increased congestion and unsustainable
development caused the resources that
originally drew visitors to the destination
to become corrupted, or no longer exist.
• The destination has become saturated
• The appeal of the destination has
disappeared and the tourists now look for
unaltered destination

11. Stage 4: Decline

12. Stage 4: Rejuvenation
• Possible trajectory of a destination
after the stage of stagnation
• Technological developments or
infrastructure improvements leading
to increased carrying capacity can
help rejuvenate a destination.

13. Resources for Developing
Tourism
• Resources can be divided into 4
categories:
– Capital
– Labor
– Materials
– Knowledge
• In tourism, materials include
natural and human-made assets.

14. Terrestrial
s
Features,
Marine
Features,
Wildlife
Cultures,
Customs,
History
Building,
Structures
Production
Service
Equity
Investment
Knowledge
Experience

15. Why Do We Need
Sustainable Planning?
• Resources are scarce and finite.
• Society must choose among economic
activities including tourism that could have
higher returns to scale.
• Provided that tourism increases economic
diversion, then resources can be allocated
in developing it.

16. What is Sustainable
Development?
Sustainable development is
progress that meets the needs of
the present without compromising
the ability of the future to meet their
own needs (UN WCED, 1987).

17. In tourism, sustainability
means…
• Achieving quality growth in a manner
that does not deplete the natural and
built-in environment and preserves the
culture, history and heritage of local
community.
• Achieving balance between number of
visitors and the capacity of the given
environment
• Greatest interaction and enjoyment
with the least destruction.

18. Carrying Capacity
• The largest number of people a
destination can efficiently manage
within its given environ and
management capabilities

19. Issues to be considered:
• Natural and man-made cultural and
environmental resources comprising
tourism product are conserved and
renewed when necessary.
– For the benefit of succeeding
generations.
– Tourists not only consume the
tourism product, they should be
made aware of the need to protect it.

20. Issues to be considered:
• Tourism must be beneficial for the
receiving destination, region and
country.
– For the receiving destination to be
prepared to accommodate tourists
and hospitality be extended when
tourists overstayed.

21. Issues to be considered:
• Maintaining and renewing the
tourism product is critical.
– To sustain steady tourist flow
– To ensure tourist satisfaction
– Sometimes, this means limiting
tourists flows

22. Issues to be considered:
• Benefits and costs must be politically
acceptable for the governing entities
at national, regional and destination
levels.

23. Prerequisites to Sustainable
Tourism Development
• High quality attractions
• Tourism infrastructure
• Community support and tolerance
• Government assistance at all levels
• Personal security and safety of
tourists
• Code of ethics and behavior of
tourists

24. High Quality Attractions
• Attractions draw visitors
• Offers experiences that visitors
want and need
• The goal of sustainable tourism
development is the preservation of
the attractions so that future
generations can enjoy them

25. Attributes of Attractions
• Natural or human made
• Fixed or mobile
• New or ancient
• Large or small
• Temporary or permanent
• Maybe designed for some type of
human activity
• Unique

26. Key Players
• Private Sector
– Owns and operates profit making
tourist attractions and facilities
• Government Sector
– Owns and operates public facilities
and attractions
– Establishes regulatory guidelines
• NGOs

27. Tourism Infrastructure
The sum total of basic facilities,
equipment and installations needed
for a functioning tourism industry.
• Tourist Facilities
• Transportation System
• Utilities
• Health Facilities
• Cultural and recreational infrastructures

28. Tourism Infrastructures
• Infrastructures may be owned privately
• Maybe operated for profit or non profit
• Infrastructures serve tourists as well as local
population
• Regardless of who builds and operates them,
infrastructures must be carefully planned and
executed.
• Infrastructures must serve higher goals of the
nation, region and destination.
• Public opinions must be heard and political
systems must be employed in evaluating the
merits of proposed tourism projects.

29. Mistakes are made
when single purpose
tourism infrastructures
are narrowly
conceived and
rushed.
Feasibility and market studies are required to
evaluate the financial realism and the
environmental, social and economic impacts of
tourism development.

30. Community Support and
Tolerance
Culture:
•Has numerous and diverse traits
•A learned behavior
•Creation of human mind and practice
•Spreads through communication
•Not limited to human acts, customs or
material possessions
•Embraces a large field of human
behavior and creativity

31. Community Support and
Tolerance
• Cultural harmony is an important issue
in sustainable tourism development.
• Cultural diffusion is the process of
spreading individual cultural traits from
their source to other areas.
• Tourism is a means of transmitting
culture.
• A safe and secure environment must
be established where law prevails and
local culture is protected.

32. Community Support and
Tolerance
• Harmony between traditional and
foreign cultures must be established
through demonstration and
communication
– Mutual respect can be gained
– Acceptance of tourism and cultural
changes can be achieved

33. Government Assistance
• National level
– Initiates tourism development
• Regional level & local level
– Strategy is broken down into
components
– Assigned to different agencies for
implementation

34. Personal Security and
Safety of Tourists
• Personal security is a prime
consideration
– War
– Terrorism
– Political instability
– Natural disasters

35. Personal Security and
Safety of Tourists
• Well equipped medical facilities
and competent medical staff are
required
– Emergency first aid kit
– Exit strategy for tourists in cases of
emergency

36. Personal Security and
Safety of Tourists
• To ensure safety of tourists,
government services must be
immediately available.
• Local governments must be
prepared to respond to multiple
crises including ordinary and
unexpected.

37. Code of Ethics and
Behavior for Tourists
• Tourists should extend their respect
for local authority to the local
population and culture.
• To promote cultural understanding,
tourists must be aware of the local
codes of ethics, social mores and
behavioral conventions.

38. Benefits of Sustainable
Tourism Development
• Developing new businesses
• Expanding job opportunities
• Increasing income
• Marketing new products
• Improving infrastructures
• Encouraging diversification
• Integrating local economy
• Promoting community pride
• Higher quality of life for local population