Research title:

Research aim:

Literature review

Introduction

Sustainable tourism involved various activities that get considered over a long-term period as it benefits the natural and cultural environments as well as social and economic environments of the area where it takes place (Amerta et al. 2018, pp.248). It is about adapting and re-focusing. Sustainable tourism is one of the considering aspects for the economic growth of the country by creating a positive impact on employment, gross production, and income, on the balance of payments. The current segment of this paper is developed to conduct brief research on sustainable tourism by using some relevant themes on the research topic to generate findings.

Methodologies used in the journals and articles considered in this literature review:

Findings

Theme 1: The concept of sustainable tourism practices

According to Hales and Larkin (2018, p.930), sustainable tourism refers to a form of tourism that fulfils the needs of the tourism industry, tourists, and communities who host such tourism without compromising or deteriorating the capability of the future generations to fulfil their own needs. According to WTO (World Tourism Organization), utilising the natural resource is most valuable in developing sustainable tourism chain, maintenance of essential processes of ecology, and assisting to conserve biodiversity and natural heritage are the another aspects here. As mentioned by Pan et al. (2018, p.550), sustainable tourism respects the host communities’ socio-cultural authenticity, conserves their built as well as inner values and original cultural heritage, and contributes to inter-cultural tolerance and understanding. Sustainable tourismprotects and enhances opportunities for the present as well as for the future. This particular form of tourism leads the management of every natural resource in a way that social, aesthetic, and economic needs get fulfilled while maintains biological diversity, necessary ecological processes, cultural integrity, and various systems that support life.

As per Higgins-Desbiolles et al. (2019, p.158), a constant economic development can be achieved by practicing the sustainable tourism as well as social development is also a benefited factor. It also ensures the benefit to socio-economic context to every stakeholder following a fair distribution including opportunities to earn income and stable employment, social services to the host communities, and contributes to the alleviation of poverty. Sustainable tourism practices are economically viable whereas do not bring any kind of harm or destruction to the resources available in the natural, social, and cultural environment. Thus, sustainable tourism practices ensure the storage or conservation of natural including coastal and marine ecosystem and other environmental resources on which the future of tourism depends (Sangha et al. 2019, p. 103595). This form of tourism maintains the host community’s social fabric and the physical environment. Overall, sustainable tourism practices ensure utilization of resources sustainably, reduces waste and over-consumption, maintains biodiversity, support and involve local economies, and increases employment that ultimately impacts a country's economy positively.

Theme 2: Identification of sustainable tourism practices

In view of Nepal et al. (2019, p.150), energy management is one of the key practices of sustainable tourism that makes tourism companies invest in alternative and renewable sources of energy. In particular, solar power is the most preferred alternative for renewable energy resources. Some most responsible tourism companies use a few kinds of solar systems for their water heating and electricity. Wind power stands another, not as big as solar power yet, renewable energy resource that gets used by tourism companies as sustainable tourism practices. Waste management is another sustainable tourism practice sustainable tourism companies follow to provide benefits to the natural environment and conserve it for future use by the coming generation. Tourism companies prevent their sewage in order to ensure no contaminating of the environment and for this reason, they undertake some initiatives related to managing different types of waste (solid and liquid waste) range from purchasing responsible to the separation of waste and recycling them. Considering Dale et al. (2017, p.18), among sustainable tourism practices, water conservation is crucial as it is a scarce commodity in many countries but most important for a healthy life. Sustainable tourism practices make tourism companies use water efficiently for reducing unnecessary usage of water and keep pollution away by putting an end to plastic use to ensure no water pollution.

Protecting natural and cultural heritage by saving endangered species and restoring historic monuments and buildings is also a significant sustainable tourism practice. This particular practice makes tourism companies, and tourists to show care for the natural and cultural heritage which ultimately increases and preserve the aesthetics of a country. Considering the statement made by Qureshi et al. (2017, p.149), the more a country is having natural and cultural heritages, the great it becomes able to attract tourists which ultimately helps it to increase revenue from tourism and strengthen GDP. Providing tangible economic and social benefits for the local communities is also an important part of sustainable tourism practice. Allowing locals to promote their crafts and inspiring tourists to purchase local crafts ensures financial contribution to the local communities' as well as the country's economy.

Theme 3: Role of sustainable tourism on economic growth

According to Dwijayanthi et al. (2017, p.20), sustainable tourism plays a significant role to accelerate the economic growth of a country by driving economic growth community level. It brings economic growth at the global and community level by minimizing all the negative impacts of tourism for ensuring sustainable utilization of natural resources and providing sufficient revenue from tourism that ultimately increases a country’s GDP (gross domestic products). Sustainable tourism practices are the significant economic drivers for its ability and strong competency of providing a huge number of job opportunities and income. It has the capacity to bring grant benefits when it also has to utilize the costs on the host communities. The environment of a country stands as the major factor and source of generating tourist products and therefore, it must be well protected to ensure the growth of a country’s tourism as well as economic growth in the future. This is especially true as tourism is based on the volume of the natural environment and on the historical and cultural heritage. In view of Amerta et al. (2018, p.251), sustainable tourism economic development of the world for the past three decades. Sustainable tourism practices ensure better protection of a country’s cultural and historical heritage and natural environment. The more a country includes a healthy natural environment and a large number of eye-catchy heritages, the grate it attracts tourists from foreign countries to explore the natural beauty, serenity and the cultural and historical heritage of such country. 

This ultimately attracts foreign currency and an increase in revenue for the country. In order to ensure a healthy natural environment, sustainable tourism practices play a significant role by executing better waste management, water conservation, protection of natural resources, etc. Considering Higgins-Desbiolles (2019, p.160), sustainable tourism is one of the best ways to attract foreign currency and ensure economic growth by contributing its GDP positively thus, reduces inflation, recession, etc. It attracts foreign tourists that increases the demand for tourism products and tourism companies need to expand in terms of operation. This makes tourism companies increase their manpower that ultimately results in increased employment and job opportunity. Increased job opportunities reduced a country’s unemployment which in turn reduced poverty, increased domestic production, income level and all these consecutively boost a country’s economy (Robinson et al. 2019, p.1015). In a country like Australia, sustainable tourism is definitely catching up among the locals and seeing a large segment of youth participating in sustainable tourism practices. For example, in FY2018–19, Australia has generated and contributed 60.8 billion dollars in GDP from tourism gross. This represents 3.5% than the previous year and faster GDP growth of the country. Also, tourism directly employed around 666,000 Australians creating 5% of this country’s workforce (Tourism.australia, 2021).

Conclusion

In terms of concluding the literature review section, the development of sustainable tourism practices are always measure a country’s economic activities to focus on the impacts in the future to its industries. The practices related to sustainable tourism act as a cardio tonic for the economic growth of a country. Sustainable tourism is a steady process influencing a country’s economic, social, and environment. It is significant to ensure and protect the natural and cultural wealth of a country. In order to practice sustainability it is important to cover a wide area so that every sector gets benefited from this. A well organised planning is necessary here considering contributed factors for the sustainable development. There are various factors that contributed to the sustainable tourism such as social responsibilities, green tourism, waste management, water management, eco labelling and others. By creating demand for tourism products, generating employment, and attracting foreign currency increases a country's revenue and GDP which accelerate the country's economic growth. 

Research question/s:

Conceptual model

Figure 1: Conceptual Model

(Source: Created by the author)