27700 Sustainable Tourism Management

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject provides students with an awareness of significant contemporary issues arising from tourism's impacts on its economic, natural/ecological, social and cultural environments. It explores appropriate policy, planning and management responses to these issues, encapsulated in the pursuit of sustainable tourism. It critically examines a range of broad tourism industry responses, individual enterprise initiatives and forms of government intervention designed to achieve more sustainable tourism. The need to be mindful of tourism's impacts and the pursuit of sustainability are significant parts of the context in which contemporary tourism as a whole and specific firms within it operate.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. discuss the relationship between tourism and its environmental resource base
2. discuss the significance of tourism's impacts on the natural/ecological, social, cultural and economic environments and how these affect its sustainability.
3. demonstrate an understanding of the varying perspectives on, and interpretations of, the concept of sustainable tourism
4. demonstrate an awareness of contemporary environmental issues which arise from tourism in Australia and internationally, and an ability to critically examine those issues
5. describe and critically evaluate planning and management strategies, policies and industry practices designed to mitigate or control the impacts of tourism on its environments and thus produce more sustainable outcomes.

Contribution to graduate profile

Given tourism's potential to generate significant environmental impacts, sustainability is a strong theme in contemporary tourism management. This subject examines the concept of sustainability as it applies to tourism and examines both the issues that underlie it and various policy and management practices that can be used to pursue it. Issues are discussed which are relevant to the management and development of tourist destinations as well as individual enterprises. Principles associated with sustainable management form a significant part of the ethical base on which contemporary tourism needs to operate.

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject will be taught by using a combination of lectures, class and online discussions of set tasks and prescribed readings, audio-visual presentations, and student presentations based on their assignments. Lecture notes and other course material will be made available to students on UTSOnline.

Content

• Introduction: broad concept of sustainability, factors which influence it, and significance for tourism
• Tourism-environment relationships: natural/ecological, economic, social and cultural
• Review of tourism's environmental impacts and implications for management
• The concept of sustainable tourism: definitions; varying interpretations of sustainable tourism and implications for management; the 'triple bottom line'; and key issues in sustainable development of tourism
• The need for sustainable management of tourism: short-sightedness and the problems of the 'commons' in tourism; sources of market failure in tourism; models of tourism development over time, e.g. destination life cycle
• Sustainable tourism management issues in different contexts: protected natural areas and fragile environments; cultural heritage sites; coastal resorts; fragile communities and indigenous cultures; and developing countries
• Tourism and climate change – implications and industry/policy responses
• Impact management methods and models: carrying capacity; limits of acceptable change; visitor impact management and other adaptive management methods; environmental impact assessment; environmental auditing and environmental management systems
• Government intervention versus self-regulation of tourism: tourism industry's recognition of environmental issues; factors influencing industry action
• Government policies for the sustainable management of tourism: policy and regulatory mechanisms; the role of environmental/land use planning; overview of the environmental planning process and mechanisms for enhancing sustainability of tourism

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Essay (Individual)

Assessment item 2: Project on Review of Industry Practices (Group)

Assessment item 3: Exam (Individual)

Indicative references

Ashworth, GJ and Turnbridge, JE (2000) The Tourist-Historic City: Retrospect and Prospect of Managing the Heritage City, Pergamon, Amsterdam.

Becken, S and Hay, JE (2007) Tourism and Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities, Channel View, Clevedon UK.

Black, R and Crabtree, A (eds) (2007) Quality Assurance and Certification in Ecotourism, CABI, Oxford.

Boissevain, J (ed) (1996) Coping with Tourists, Berghahn Books, Providence.

Bramwell, B et al (eds) (1998) Sustainable Tourism Management: Principles and Practice, Tilburg University Press, Tilburg.

Bramwell, B and Lane, B (eds) (2000) Tourism, Collaboration and Partnerships: Politics, Practice and Sustainability, Channel View, Clevedon.

Briguglio, L, Archer, B, Jafari, J and Wall, G (1996) Sustainable Tourism in Islands and Small States: Issues and Politics, Pinter, London.

Buckley, R (ed) (2004) Tourism in Parks: Australian Initiatives, International Centre for Ecotourism Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast.

Buckley, R (ed) (2004) The Environmental Impacts of Ecotourism, CABI, Wallingford.

Buckley, R, Pickering, C and Weaver, DB (eds) (2003) Nature-Based Tourism, Environment and Land Management, CABI, Wallingford.

Burns, P (ed) (1995) Tourism and Minorities' Heritage: Impacts and Prospects, University of North London Press, London.

Butler, RW and Boyd, SW (eds) (2000) Tourism and National Parks: Issues and Implications, Wiley, Chichester.

Butler, RW and Hinch, T (eds) (1996) Tourism and Indigenous Peoples, International Thomson Business Press, London.

Coccossis, H and Mexa, A (eds) (2004) The Challenge of Tourism Carrying Capacity Assessment, Ashgate, Burlington VT.

Coccossis, H and Nijkamp, P (eds) (1995) Sustainable Tourism Development, Avebury, Aldershot.

Cooper, CP and Wanhill, S (eds) (1997) Tourism Development: Environmental and Community Issues, Wiley, Chichester.

Croall, J (1995) Preserve or Destroy? Tourism and the Environment, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, London.

Dredge, D and Jenkins, J (2007) Tourism Planning and Policy, Wiley, Milton Qld.

Drummond, S and Yeoman, I (eds) (2001) Quality Issues in Heritage Visitor Attractions, Butterworth- Heinemann, Oxford.

Dwyer, L and Sheldon, P (eds) (2007) Corporate Social Responsibility for Sustainable Tourism, Cognizant, Elmsford NY.

Eagles, P and McCool, S (2002) Tourism in National Parks and Protected Areas: Planning and Management, CABI, New York.

Edgell, DL (2006) Managing Sustainable Tourism: a Legacy for the Future, Haworth Press, New York.

Edgell, DL, Allen, MD, Smith, G and Swanson, JR (2008) Tourism Policy and Planning, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

Fennell, DA (2006) Tourism Ethics, Channel View, Clevedon.

Fennell, DA and Dowling, RK (eds) (2003) Ecotourism Policy and Planning, CABI. Oxford.

Fennell, DA and Malloy, DC (2007) Codes of Ethics in Tourism: Practice, Theory, Synthesis, Channel View, Clevedon.

Font, X and Buckley, RC (eds) (2001) Tourism Ecolabelling: Certification and Promotion of Sustainable Management, CABI, Oxford.

France, L (ed) (1997) The Earthscan Reader in Sustainable Tourism, Earthscan Publications, London.

Fyall, A, Garrod, B and Leask, A (eds) (2003) Managing Visitor Attractions: New Directions, Butterworth- Heinemann, Oxford.

Glasson, J, Godfrey, K and Goodey, B (1995) Towards Visitor Impact Management, Avebury, Aldershot.

Gossling, S (2006) Ecotourism in Scandinavia: Lessons in Theory and Practice, CABI, Wallingford.

Gossling, S and Hall, CM (Eds) (2005) Tourism and Global Environmental Change. Routledge, London.

Hall, CM (2003) Introduction to Tourism: Dimensions and Issues, 4th ed, Hospitality Press, Sydney.

Hall, CM and Higham, J (eds) (2005) Tourism, Recreation and Climate Change, Channel View, Clevedon UK.

Hall, CM and Lew, AA (eds) (1998) Sustainable Tourism: a Geographical Perspective, Longman, Harlow.

Hall, CM and McArthur, S (1998) Integrated Heritage Management: Principles and Practice, The Stationery Office, London.

Harris, R, Griffin, T and Williams, P (eds) Sustainable Tourism: A Global Perspective, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

Harris, R and Leiper, N (eds) (1995) Sustainable Tourism: an Australian Perspective, Butterworth-Heinemann, Sydney.

Harrison, LC and Husbands, W (eds) (1996) Practicing Responsible Tourism: International Case Studies in Tourism Planning, Policy, and Development, Wiley, New York.

Holden, A (2007) Environment and Tourism, 2nd Ed., Routledge, London.

Howie, F (2003) Managing the Tourist Destination, Continuum, London.

Hunter, CM and Green, H (1995) Tourism and the Environment: a Sustainable Relationship?, Routledge, London.

ICOMOS International Committee on Cultrual Tourism (1999) Tourism at World Heritage Sites: the Site Manager's Handbook, WTO, Madrid.

Inskeep, E (1991) Tourism Planning: an Integrated and Sustainable Development Approach, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.

Laws, E, Faulkner, B and Moscardo, G (eds) (1998) Embracing and Managing Change in Tourism: International Case Studies, Routledge, London.

Liddle, M (1997) Recreation Ecology: the Ecological Impact of Outdoor Recreation and Ecotourism, Chapman and Hall, London.

Mason, P (2008) Tourism Impacts, Planning and Management, 2nd ed, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

McCool, SF and Moisey, RN (eds) (2001) Tourism, Recreation and Sustainability: Linking Culture and the Environment, CABI, New York.

McIntyre, G, Hetherington, A and Inskeep, E (1993) Sustainable Tourism Development: Guide for Local Planners, WTO, Madrid.

McKercher, B and Du Cros, H (2002) Cultural Tourism: the Partnership between Tourism and Cultural Heritage Management, Haworth Hospitality Press, New York.

Meethan, K (2001) Tourism in Global Society: Place, Culture and Consumption, Palgrave, Basingstoke.

Middleton, VTC and Hawkins, R (1998) Sustainable Tourism: a Marketing Perspective, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

Mieczkowski, Z (1995) Environmental Issues of Tourism and Recreation, University Press of America, Lanham.

Minnery, J, Gunawan, MP, Fagence, M and Choy, DL (eds) (1997) Planning Sustainable Tourism, Penerbit ITB, Bandung.

Moscardo, G (1999) Making Visitors Mindful: Principles for Creating Quality Visitor Experiences through Effective Communication, Sagamore, Champaign, Ill.

Mowforth, M, Charlton, C and Munt, I (2007) Tourism and Responsibility: Perspectives from Latin America and the Caribbean, Routledge, London.

Mowforth, M and Munt, I (2003) Tourism and Sustainability: Development and New Tourism in the Third World, 2nd ed, Routledge, London.

Newsome, D, Moore, SA and Dowling, RK (2002) Natural Area Tourism: Ecology, Impacts and Management, Channel View, Clevedon.

Orbasli, A (2000) Tourists in Historic Towns: Urban Conservation and Heritage Management, EandFN Spon, New York.

Page, SJ and Dowling, RK (2002) Ecotourism, Prentice Hall, Harlow.

Price, MF (ed) (1996) People and Tourism in Fragile Environments, Wiley, Chichester.

Priestley, GK, Edwards, JA and Coccossis, H (eds) (1996) Sustainable Tourism? European Experiences, CABI, Oxford.

Reid, DG (2003) Tourism, Globalization and Development: Responsible Tourism Planning, Pluto Press, London.

Ringer, G (ed) (1998) Destinations: Cultural Landscapes of Tourism, Routledge, London.

Robinson, M and Boniface, P (eds) (1999) Tourism and Cultural Conflicts, CABI, Oxford.

Robinson, M, Sharpley, R, Evans, N, Long, P and Swarbrooke, J (eds) (2000) Reflections on International Tourism: Developments in Urban and Rural Tourism, Centre for Travel and Tourism and Business Education Publishers Ltd, Sunderland.

Robinson, M, Sharpley, R, Evans, N, Long, P and Swarbrooke, J (eds) (2000) Reflections on International Tourism: Environmental Management and Pathways to Sustainable Tourism, Centre for Travel and Tourism and Business Education Publishers Ltd, Sunderland.

Robinson, M, Sharpley, R, Evans, N, Long, P and Swarbrooke, J (eds) (2000) Reflections on International Tourism: Tourism and Heritage Relationships, Centre for Travel and Tourism and Business Education Publishers Ltd, Sunderland.

Shackley, M (ed) (2000) Visitor Management: Case Studies from World Heritage Sites, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

Smith, M and Duffy, R (2003) The Ethics of Tourism Development, Routledge, London.

Sofield, THB (2003) Empowerment for Sustainable Tourism Development, Pergamon, Amsterdam.

Stabler, MJ (ed) (1997) Tourism and Sustainability: Principles to Practice, CABI, Oxford.

Swarbrooke, J (1999) Sustainable Tourism Management, CABI, Oxford.

Theobald, WF (ed) (2005) Global Tourism, 3rd ed, Butterworth-Heinemann, Burlington.

Tyler, D, Guerrier, Y and Robertson, M (eds) (1998) Managing Tourism in Cities: Policy, Process and Practice, Wiley, Chichester.

Wahab, S and Pigram, JJ (eds) (1997) Tourism, Development and Growth: the Challenge of Sustainability, Routledge, London.

Wall, G and Mathieson, A (2006) Tourism: Change, Impacts and Opportunities, Pearson Prentice Hall, Harlow.

Wearing, S and Neil, J (1999) Ecotourism: Impacts, Potentials and Possibilities, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

Weaver, D (2001) Ecotourism, Wiley, Milton Qld.

Weaver, D and Lawton, L (1999) Sustainable Tourism: a Critical Analysis, CRC for Sustainable Tourism, Gold Coast.

Weaver, D (2006) Sustainable Tourism: Theory and Practice, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

World Tourism Organisation (2000) Sustainable Development of Tourism: a Compilation of Good Practices, WTO, Madrid.

World Tourism Organisation (2005) Making Tourism More Sustainable: a Guide for Policy Makers, WTO, Madrid.

Journals

The most relevant journal is the Journal of Sustainable Tourism. Others include:

Annals of Tourism Research

Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research

Current Issues in Tourism

International Journal of Tourism Research

International Journal of Tourism Sciences

Journal of Tourism Studies

Journal of Travel Research

Tourism, Culture and Communication

Tourism Economics

Tourism Geographies

Tourism Management

Websites

Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel (BEST): www.sustainabletravel.org

Ecotourism Australia: www.ecotourism.org.au

Ecotourism at Conservation International: www.ecotour.org

Green Globe: www.ec3global.com/products-programs/green-globe/Default.aspx

Green Hotels Association: www.greenhotels.com

International Centre for Responsible Tourism: www.icrtourism.org

International Ecotourism Society: www.ecotourism.org

Partners in Responsible Travel: www.pirt.org

National Geographic Centre for Sustainable Destinations: www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable

Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre: www.crctourism.com.au

Tourism Concern: www.tourismconcern.org.uk

Tourism Partnership: www.tourismpartnership.org

Urbo: Web Portal on Managing World Heritage Cities: http://urbo.ovpm.org

United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO): www.world-tourism.org or www.unwto.org

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC): www.wttc.org