Sustainability and Tourism

Running head: SUSTAINABILITY AND TOURISM
Sustainability and Tourism
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1SUSTAINABILITY AND TOURISM
According to Lee et al. (2016), tourism industry is one of the most important
emerging industries of the world and various other industries like hospitality, airlines and
others are directly dependent on this industry for the process of their business operations. As
per a report of the Unwto.org (2016), the net annual revenue generated by the tourism
industry in 2016 was more than 7.6 trillion U.S. dollars besides the 2.3 trillion U.S. dollars
that the industry helped its associated industries to earn. However, in the recent times it is
seen that the industry is facing various kind issues like the risks on the score of terrorism,
climate change and others besides the damage to nature that this industry and also the tourists
cause to the environment and also the tourist destinations (Henderson, 2016).
The three pillars of sustainability, namely, the social, economic and the environment
pillars can be used by the tourism industry not only to enhance its profitability but also to
attain sustainability as well. The essay will analyze the tourism industry of Singapore through
the three pillars of sustainability. The essay will begin by providing an overview of the
concept of sustainability and also the Singaporean tourism industry. The essay will then
analyze it on the basis of the economic, social and environment pillars of sustainability. The
essay will also show the major concerns that the tourism industry of Singapore is facing
currently related to these factors and will also propose measures for their mitigation.
Qureshi et al. (2017) are the viewpoint that sustainability is the process of attaining a
harmonious balance among the various resources and the means which an organization has at
its disposal and also utilize it in an effective manner. This not only ensures the long-term
growth of the concerned organization but also helps it to earn a higher amount of profitability
as well (Henderson, 2016). In addition to this, Cohen and Cohen (2015) hold the viewpoint
that the organizations need to make a valuable proportion of contribution towards the planet
and also the environment so as to ensure the continued growth of the planet. More
importantly, the various organizations also need to take into effective consideration the pillars

2SUSTAINABILITY AND TOURISM
of sustainability like social, economic and environmental factors. The concept of
sustainability becomes even more important from the perspective of the tourism industry
because of its close association with the environment and the society of the nations in which
the industry is operational (Henderson, 2016). Sustainable is the catch phrase of the modern
times since the organizations related to this industry are not only required to help in the
economic growth of the nation in which it is operational but also towards the social as well as
the environmental growth of the nation as well (Qureshi et al., 2017). This concept becomes
especially important from the perspective of the Singaporean tourism industry.
As opined Lee et al. (2016), the Singaporean tourism industry is one of the largest
ones of the world and has attained unprecedented growth in the recent times. As per a report
of the Unwto.org (2018), the Singaporean tourism industry for the year 2014 generated
“S$23.6 billion”. More importantly, the tourism industry of the concerned is the 5th largest in
the world in terms of the number of visitors (17.4 million in 2017) and the 2nd largest one in
the continent of Asia (Visitsingapore.com, 2018). The low crime rate of the concerned
nation and the effective management of the different tourist destinations of the nation have
contributed in a substantial manner towards this success. Some of the most famous tourist
destinations of the nation under discussion here are “Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Night
Safari, Jurong Bird Park” and others (Lee et al., 2016).
According to Bhati and Pearce (2017), the tourism industry of Singapore not only
forms the backbone of the economy of the nation but also contributes in a substantial manner
towards the growth of other industries of the concerned nation as well. In this regard, it can
be said that as per the economic pillar of sustainability, the organizations have an ethical as
well as moral responsibility to contribute towards the economic growth of the nation (Cohen
& Cohen, 2015). The Singaporean tourism industry when viewed through this lens would
reveal insight details. As already mentioned the concerned industry in Singapore for the 2014