Session 6: Sustainability

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Session 6 Sustainability Culture

• Karina M. Smed

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Agenda 10-12-2006

• Moralisation of tourism
• Sustainability as a concept
• Citizen involvement
• Group Work
• Student Presentation Mona

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What we did on our holiday

• For my honeymoon in 1997 we stayed in a flat on
  Mijas Costa on the Costa del Sol for a fortnight.
  We had a wonderful time, dividing our holiday
  between the coastal resorts and towns and
  villages inland. On returning, a workmate asked
  me where we had been. Southern Spain I replied.
  The Costa del Sol sounded a bit common. Whilst
  Costa del Sol evokes crude mass tourism,
  Southern Spain evokes culture. Oh,
  whereabouts? Did you go to Granada? Horrified at
  my lack of cultural capital, I searched for an
  answer that would keep me in the camp of
  traveler, and out of that of Mass Tourist. Well,
  we stayed in Mijas beautiful little place set
  back from the coast. Lots of tourists, but even
  more character. Oh how lovely weve been
  there, too. Phew, I thought. My credibility
  teetered on a knife edge, but Id come through
  it. We even went to a bullfight errr I
  floundered as I realized that for the thinking
  tourist, bullfights are not culture but
  barbarism.
•  
• (Butcher, 200319)

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• either we preserve the environment by
  reducing the number of tourists and adopting
  ecotourism, or we destroy it (Croall, 1995)
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• Is ecotourism the answer?

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Moralisation of tourist types

• Positive
• ecotourism
• Alternative tourism
• Ethical tourism

• Negative
• Mass tourism
• package/charter tourism

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• The tourism industry is in crisis a crisis of
  mass tourism that has brought social, cultural,
  economic and environmental havoc in its wake, and
  it is mass tourism practices that must be
  radically changed to bring in the new (Poon,
  19933)
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• Is New Tourism a real alternative?

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Mass vs. Moral

• Mass Tourism New Moral Tourism
  uniformity differentiation
• insensitive sensitive
• destructive constructive
• modern old fashioned
•  

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Critique

• The proposed alternative forms of tourism are not
  without problems
• Selfcontradictions and obstacles for own goals
• Narrow definition of development
• Tourism has become a moral, ethical issue

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Sustainable development

• development that meets the needs of the present
  without compromising the ability of future
  generations to meet their own needs
• (Brundtland report, 1987)
• Agenda 21
• (http//www.ecouncil.ac.cr/about/ftp/riodoc.htm)
  (http//www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/
  english/agenda21toc.htm)

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Dimensions of sustainability

• Economy
• Environment
• Culture

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Citizen involvement problem areas

• More than one voice in the local population
• Minority as spokespersons for the whole
  population
• Politicians relations to local opinions and
  involvement
• Conflict reappears
• The position of the tourism industry
• Central politics local problems
• Outside control

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• Arnstein, Sherry R. (1969) A ladder of citizen
  Participation
• real/symbolic/no influence
• Boon, Tove Ragnhild Enggrob (2003)
  Borgerinddragelse i det åbne land hvorfor og
  hvordan?
• degree of influence

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Citizen controlDelegated power Citizen
power/real influencePartnershipPlacation C
onsultation Tokenism/Symbolic Influence
InformingTherapy Nonparticipation/No
InfluenceManipulation
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Reasons to involve the local community(Based on
Hall McArthur, 1998)

• Skills and experiences in the population may
  contribute to creativity and innovation
• Conflict reduction
• Increased efficiency
• Safeguarding implementation
• Contribution to local sense of community
• Understanding of local culture and the importance
  of maintainance
• Growing confidence and trust in planners

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• Sustainable tourism, which entails the tourist
  activity itself and the attached infrastructure
  now and in the future, is the kind of tourism
• which is carried out within the framework nature
  sets for its ability for recreation and future
  productivity of natural resources,
  (environmental)
• it recognises the contributions that the local
  population and the local community, customs, and
  ways of life add to the tourist experience,
  (sociocultural)
• that accepts that populations must have a fair
  share of the economic advantages, tourism gives,
  (economic)
• and that is guided by the wishes of local
  population and local community in the host area
  (sociocultural)
• (own translation of definition by WWF, AKF nyt
  nb. 4, 1999)

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Sustainable tourism should

• Minimize negative environmental, social and
  cultural impacts
• Generate greater economic benefits for local
  people and enhance the well being of host
  communities by improving working conditions and
  access to the industry
• Involve local people in decisions that affect
  their lives and life chances
• Make positive contributions to the conservation
  of natural and cultural heritage and to the
  maintenance of the world's diversity
• Provide more enjoyable experiences for tourists
  through meaningful connections with local people,
  and a greater understanding of local cultural and
  environmental issues
• Be culturally sensitive and engender respect
  between tourists and hosts
• (worldsurface.com, sep. 25 2006)

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Case Work

• which kind of tourists/travellers would this
  guide be relevant for, i.e. who could one expect
  to follow this guide?
• how would the guide affect the cultural encounter
  on the destination, i.e. if it is followed?
• what do you think of this as an initiative for
  promoting sustainable tourism?
• From a political perspective, what do you find
  the most important in order to promote
  sustainable tourism?

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Student presentation Mona