Achieving Sustainability in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry

The document discusses sustainable practices in hospitality and tourism, highlighting the importance of eco-friendly attitudes and behaviors. It emphasizes reducing environmental impact through green hotels and ecotourism, as referenced by Baker et al. (2014) and Fennell (2014). The paper also considers socio-economic benefits for local communities, drawing on research by Strickland-Munro and Moore (2013), which highlights indigenous involvement in tourism. Sustainable tourism is linked to justice and ethics, per Jamal and Camargo (2014), while Liu et al. (2014) stress the role of social capital in fostering pro-environmental behaviors. The importance of managing visitor impact to maintain sustainability is discussed by Marion (2016). Overall, achieving sustainability involves understanding heritage values, as noted by Mowforth and Munt (2015), and requires strategic planning supported by comprehensive data collection and analysis.

Running head: EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
Emerging Issues in Hospitality and Tourism
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
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1EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
Executive Summary:
The report discusses about the emerging issues of tourism and hospitality in Australia. The
issue chosen here relates to attainment of sustainability. The report provides a brief overview
of the issue. There is also discussion on the significance of sustainability on the growth and
future development of sector. The report also puts forward three recommendations meant for
resolving the issue.

2EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Brief Overview of the Chosen Issue..........................................................................................3
Significance of the Chosen Issue for Future Growth and Development of Tourism and
Hospitality Industries.................................................................................................................4
Identification and Recommendations.........................................................................................6
Recommendation 1.................................................................................................................6
Recommendation 2.................................................................................................................7
Recommendation 3.................................................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
References..................................................................................................................................8

3EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
Brief Overview of the Chosen Issue
The chosen issue is attainment of sustainability in hospitality and tourism. Most of the
people believe that there is no sustainable or eco-friendly travel due to the use of vast amount
of carbon, fuel and other resources (Mowforth and Munt 2015). However, this does not stop
people from travelling and hence the numbers continues to grow. Lessening the
environmental impact of millions of people throughout Australia and the world may lead to a
better economy. The hospitality industry in Australia should adopt the policy of green hotel
on a mass scale so that it becomes beneficial to the futuristic development of tourism and the
well-being of the planet (Baker, Davis and Weaver 2014).
Sustainable tourism refers to the kind of tourism that ensures respecting both the local
people along with the cultural heritage, environment and the traveler (Jamal and Camargo
2014.). The importance of sustainability in hospitality and tourism is vital for continuing the
work towards the positive balancing of the experiential, environmental, economic and socio-
cultural impacts. The experiential impact describes the influence of visitors on each other
whereas the socio cultural impact refers to the impact of the visitors on the local residents
(Marion 2016). The impact of hospitality and tourism must not be so overpowering that
makes the local feel alienated to their own country. Thus, the attainment of sustainability in
hospitality and tourism includes ensuring that tourism does not influence the local
communities and the natural environment. Moreover, sustainability is attained through
consultation with the local communities on the planned developments and making sure that
infrastructure improvement helps on benefiting the local people in addition to the tourist.
Sustainability in tourism attained through fulfillment of the concept of ecotourism
(Fennell 2014). Ecotourism refers to a tourism based on nature that involves interpretation
and education of natural environment and is ecologically sustainable. Ecotourism helps in

4EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
recognizing the natural environment that includes cultural components and attainment of the
sustainability factor involves appropriate return on local community and conservation of
resources on a long-term basis (Turcu 2013).
Significance of the Chosen Issue for Future Growth and Development of Tourism and
Hospitality Industries
The natural environment of Australia serves as the key attraction for the international
visitors (Goudie 2013). Thus, maintenance of the reputation and brand of Australia in such
markets is essential for the success and future growth of the hospital and tourism industry
where stress on ecotourism helps in providing memorable, authentic and safe experience of
the visitors. Protection of the cultural and environmental assets of Australia is essential for
underpinning the quality and diversity of the visitor experience. Ecotourism helps in focusing
on the growing and larger sector of the broad tourism experience. The focus on ecotourism
not only helps in attaining sustainability but also helps in the future development and growth
of the hospitality and tourism industry through the following measures:
Protection of the Parks:
1. Ecotourism helps in increased and consistent resourcing of the cultural and natural
heritage management (Strickland-Munro and Moore 2013). The initiative also gives a boost
to the government for investing sustainably and wisely.
2. The ecotourism boost up commercial development within protected areas that is
also in compliance with the best practice guidelines of eco-opportunities in the natural and
protected areas
Involvement of the Operators:

5EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
1. Ecotourism also helps in consultation and engagement with the tour operators for
preparation of their applications
2. Helps in independent preparation of tourism impact assessments for major
development applications
3. Helps in acknowledging the character of cultural destination and landscape in
developing decisions
4. Allowed national park agencies for creating tourism reference groups for licensed
tour operators and industry associations for providing estate wide inputs for issue
management and park planning
Investment in Future:
1. Ecotourism enabled strengthening the tourism agencies for destination and product
development programs as well as functions.
2. Enabled further development of ecotourism plans and boosted research in tourism.
Incentivizing the Quality:
Ecotourism helps in reducing the risk and improving the experience of the visitor
through incentivizing quality operations (Liu et al. 2014).
Identification and Recommendations
The three recommendations for attaining sustainability in tourism are as follows:
Recommendation 1

6EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
For attaining sustainability in hospitality and tourism, recommendations provided for
identifying the stakeholders and considering how and when people should be involved or
consulted for attaining sustainability. The stakeholders in this case might involve visitors,
operators and businesses, tourism organizations, park and environment management
agencies, cultural heritage agencies, regional, local and other governments, communities and
indigenous people. It is also important to ascertain who is responsible for environment,
tourism and heritage issues related to place or region. It is very important for strategically and
systemically identifying and involving those with the stake in place, tourism product and
region that will ensure in involving the right kind of people in the future and planning
activities. This will also ensure determining the heritage significance of the place and in
consideration of all the important issues. This will also help in determining whether the future
actions related to ecotourism are realistic and helps in meeting the needs of everyone.
Through this step, one can also enable building support for regional plans, development
proposals and management plans supporting the ecotourism aspect.
Thus, identifying everyone who needed to be involved in the future decisions for
attaining the sustainability factor in tourism is necessary. This will helps in forming various
types of consultation that can finally leads to some form of involvement.
Recommendation 2
To attain sustainable aspect of hospitality and tourism recommendations for
identification of the existing sources or studies of information is necessary. It is also
important for summarizing and locating the available information on the potential and current
market for tourism. In addition, there is also the necessity for determining the heritage assets,
themes and their values. It is also important to gather information that will act as a powerful
tool for drawing relevant facts for providing solid ground for futuristic decisions related to

7EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
sustainability. For information on managing and planning tourism at heritage places, it is
sometimes necessary to have a look at the newspaper articles, sound recordings, council
records, tour operator records, annual reports, research reports and park management plans.
Information on aspects related to sustainability attained by talking to individuals who are
knowledgeable through various interview, questionnaires, observations and focus group. The
collected information must also be authentic to certain extent. Reliance on heritage
management authorities, state and Australian Government departments and existing tour
operators is also necessary.
Recommendation 3
In order to attain sustainability in hospitality and tourism it is recommended to
identify the special feature of the region, product or place. There are also recommendations
provided on establishing how well the special features helps in the attainment of the
sustainability aspect. It is also necessary for establishing whether there exists further potential
for using the special values of tourism and how their interpretation might lead to the aspect of
sustainability. Moreover, it is also necessary for identifying the important values of the place,
product or region and thereby adopting an ideal means for their communication and thereby
making the aspect of attainment of sustainability in hospitability and tourism easier. While
considering sustainability in tourism it is important to note that a particular place might hold
a special importance not only to the local community but also to the whole world. At the
same time it is also important for identification of cultural and natural heritage values that
contributes to the sustainability aspect and considered the key assets of tourism.ity. On the
other hand, the uniqueness of a place and its values comprises of a larger part of the
hospitality and tourism business and acts as the vital selling points in addition to helping in
the attaining sustainability.

8EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
References:
Baker, M.A., Davis, E.A. and Weaver, P.A., 2014. Eco-friendly attitudes, barriers to
participation, and differences in behavior at green hotels. Cornell Hospitality
Quarterly, 55(1), pp.89-99.
Fennell, D.A., 2014. Ecotourism. Routledge.
Goudie, A.S., 2013. The human impact on the natural environment: past, present, and future.
John Wiley & Sons.
Jamal, T. and Camargo, B.A., 2014. Sustainable tourism, justice and an ethic of care: Toward
the just destination. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(1), pp.11-30.
Liu, J., Qu, H., Huang, D., Chen, G., Yue, X., Zhao, X. and Liang, Z., 2014. The role of
social capital in encouraging residents' pro-environmental behaviors in community-based
ecotourism. Tourism Management, 41, pp.190-201.
Marion, J.L., 2016. A review and synthesis of recreation ecology research supporting
carrying capacity and visitor use management decisionmaking. Journal of Forestry, 114(3),
pp.339-351.
Mowforth, M. and Munt, I., 2015. Tourism and sustainability: Development, globalisation
and new tourism in the third world. Routledge.
Strickland-Munro, J. and Moore, S., 2013. Indigenous involvement and benefits from tourism
in protected areas: a study of Purnululu National Park and Warmun Community,
Australia. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 21(1), pp.26-41.

9EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
Turcu, C., 2013. Re-thinking sustainability indicators: local perspectives of urban
sustainability. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 56(5), pp.695-719.

10EMERGING ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM