Sustainable tourism has officially become a buzz word in the Middle East – however, the growth of the budget and mid-market sectors in this region appear to be matched with growing confusion surrounding what sustainable tourism is and why it is relevant to our sector.
“More and more companies are re-evaluating their business model to incorporate responsible tourism products and programmes, and are using this as a tool to attract ethically and environmentally minded guests and clients as well as to support local government efforts or in response to legislated change,” says Arabian Travel Market exhibition manager Nadege Noblet-Segers.
However, academics often agree that among the many obstacles that sustainable tourism development faces, the lack of a clear and widely accepted definition is one of the main challenges to its implementation.
A very concise definition is that of McIntyre where sustainable tourism is viewed as that which increases the quality of life of the local people, improves the quality of the tourist’s experience and preserves the environment on which both the visitors and the community depend. But this definition brings us no closer to practical, actionable or measurable responses to the issue.
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As academics often point out, the sustainable tourism debate is hampered by “a surplus of wishful thinking and a lack of realism and pragmatism”. They note that sustainability definitions fail to address important questions, such as what needs to be sustained, for how long and how this will be accomplished?
Therefore, in anticipation of several sustainability seminar theatre sessions at Arabian Travel Market 2016, I urge you all to prepare your questions carefully, to be directed to the experts on stage. It is relatively easy to discuss sustainable tourism policies, but much harder to implement them.
Furthermore, sustainability solutions do include ‘no-cost practices’ and ‘low-cost practices’, in addition to medium to high cost practices that may require more investment. So, seek to obtain clear answers regarding budget and mid-market strategies and request specific and measurable solutions that fit within your fiscal budgets and physical capabilities.
Ultimately, sustainability is unlikely to fade away, and with the influx of ecologically literate millennials seeking the budget and mid-market hotels in the MENA region, there is significant business to be won for those who act now.
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