Sustainable Tourism: Operations, Destinations, and Sustainability

This report provides a comprehensive overview of sustainable tourism, encompassing its guiding principles, certifications, and indicators. It delves into the concept of sustainable development, evaluating its diverse perspectives and emphasizing the three pillars of sustainable tourism: environmental, social, and economic. The report also examines the triple bottom line, a framework for assessing organizational performance, and explores the Butler Sequence, a model for understanding the evolution of tourist destinations. Furthermore, it analyzes the sustainability practices of Six Senses resorts, including environmental, social, and economic responsibilities, and discusses green marketing strategies. The report highlights the challenges associated with sustainable tourism and concludes with a discussion on building resilience in the context of the Maldives' recovery. The report references GSTC standards and relevant academic literature.

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SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS
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SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 2
Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................4
2. Reflection.....................................................................................................................................5
3. Background of Sustainable Development..................................................................................5
4. Three Pillars of Sustainable Tourism..........................................................................................6
5. Challenges of the Three Pillars of Sustainability........................................................................7
6. Overview of Triple bottom line...................................................................................................8
6.1 People.....................................................................................................................................8
6.2 Planet......................................................................................................................................8
6.3 Profit.......................................................................................................................................8
7. The Butler Sequence....................................................................................................................9
7.1 Discovery stage....................................................................................................................10
7.2 Growth and development stage............................................................................................10
7.3 Success stage........................................................................................................................10
7.4 Problem -stagnation stage....................................................................................................10
7.5 Rejuvenation or decline.......................................................................................................10
8. Three pillars in Six Senses.........................................................................................................11
8.1 Environmental responsibility...............................................................................................12
8.2 Social responsibility.............................................................................................................13
8.3 Economic responsibility.......................................................................................................13
8.4 Responsible Consumption....................................................................................................13
9. Building Resilience on Maldive’s Recover...............................................................................14
10. Green Marketing......................................................................................................................14
11. Conclusion...............................................................................................................................16
References......................................................................................................................................17

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 3
Appendices....................................................................................................................................19
Appendix 1: Sustainability Measures in Six Senses..................................................................19

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 4
1. Introduction
The primary objective of the study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of
sustainable tourism guidelines, concepts, certifications and indicators. This assessment will
evaluate different notions regarding sustainable development and also emphasizes the different
prospective from which sustainable tourism can be assessed. The evaluation will also verify the
three pillars of sustainable development. Along with that, the study demonstrates the triple
bottom line, which is an accounting framework that provides a detailed overview of the
organizational performance in a broader perspective. Apart from the sustainable development
and tourism, triple bottom line, the assessment will also provide a detailed discussion regarding
Butler's sequence. Which is a theoretical framework that measures the changing nature and
demands of the tourist industry. In addition to Butler's sequence, the report will measure various
standards of The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The GSTC is a global body
which forecasts increased understanding and knowledge of sustainable tourism activities. Along
with that, the study will also discuss sustainable tourism philosophies and the growing claim for
sustainable travel.

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 5
2. Reflection
Through the entire assessment, the various perspectives of sustainable development in the
travel and tourism sectors are described. In the study, the three pillars of the sustainable tourism
and challenges of three pillars of sustainability are described. With the detailed discussion of
three pillars sustainable development I learnt about the detailed framework of sustainable
development. Along with that, I also got an idea regarding the way sustainable development
model can be used in terms of better resource management and meeting the environmental
standards. With the Butler Framework, I studied the overall changing prospective of the tourism
sector and it also helped me to formulate an idea regarding the tourist’s changing behavior. The
study also focusses on the three major perspective of sustainable development of the travel sector
which are the economic responsibility, environmental and socio-cultural responsibility. With the
detailed discussion of these three major perspectives, I understood the different dimensions of
sustainable development strategies. In future, the study will help me to comprehend and
formulate the better sustainable development strategy with proper resource allocation and
maintaining the environmental standards.
3. Background of Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is the procedure for the people to utilize the natural resources in such a
method that it can fulfil the requirements of the present, without putting a limit to the needs of
future generations. There are some certain goals of sustainable development, which are
sustainability in terms of the health of sea, air and land., proving better standards in healthcare
and education, minimizing the huger issues and poverty.
Sustainable tourism is a procedure of exploring and travelling a destination while
respecting their environment, culture and people. Sustainable tourism can be based on the four
pillars, which are the environmental pillar, socio-cultural pillar, the financial pillar and the
transversal pillar. According to Hall (2015), the Socio-cultural pillar is founded on respect for
equal opportunities and human rights for all member of the society necessitating an equitable
circulation of facilities.

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 6
4. Three Pillars of Sustainable Tourism
The three pillars of sustainability are considered as an influential tool that defines the
entire sustainability problem. The pillars of sustainability are economic, environmental and
social pillars. Each of the pillars has its own significance, and if any of the pillar is placed in a
weak position, the entire model becomes unsustainable. The concept of environmental
sustainability is often explained as the various measures that are undertaken with a motive to
preserve resources and ensure that needs of the upcoming generations are fulfilled. The socio-
cultural pillar defines minimizing the negative impacts of the environment and focusing more
on the positive environmental and social attributes, like maintaining the local traditions and
promoting the cultural exchange. The final pillar of sustainable tourism is the economic pillar
which revolves around the money. The term economic sustainability emphasizes reducing the
leakages and increasing the linkages-more, explicitly keeping the money within national
boundaries (Hall, 2015).
Figure 1: Three Pillars of Sustainable Tourism
(Source: Holden, Linnerud & Banister, 2016))

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 7
5. Challenges of the Three Pillars of Sustainability
Though, the three pillars of sustainability provide a full overview of the tourism industry in
terms of three main perspectives which are environmental, economic, and socio-cultural pillar.
In recent years, the term tourism is hugely linked with the term sustainability, and in the tourism
sector, the above discussed three components are defined as the total perspective of "sustainable
tourism". The three challenges of sustainable tourism are
● One of the major problems with the environmental pillars is an organization's impact is
often not fully costed. The various costs like wastewater, land reclamation, carbon
dioxide and other wastages, in general, are not easy to calculate for the organization.
Because of the organizations are not always on the hook for the waste they produce.
● As opined by Holden, Linnerud & Banister (2016), one of the major trials with the social
pillar is the business organization need to refocus on the engagement and retention
strategies, including more benefits like flexible scheduling, paternity and maternity
benefits.
6. Overview of Triple bottom line
The triple bottom line is referred as the bottom line that endures to evaluate the profits
and acts as a measurement tool to measure the company's influence on the planet and on the
people. As stated by Valentin (2018), the triple bottom line is a procedure of stating the
organization's sustainability and impact on a global and local scale. In triple bottom line there
are three components which are planet, people, and profit. The three Ps are described below:
6.1 People
Companies that track the principles of the triple bottom line in terms of doing business
reflect about their course of movements have on all the individuals complicated with them. The
primary consideration of this department is based on everyone's wellbeing. In certain specific
cases, the "People" bottom line can also be defined as the public where the organization does
business (Alhaddi, 2015).

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 8
6.2 Planet
As stated by Schulz & Flanigan (2016), triple bottom line companies take pains to
eliminate or decrease the ecological footprint. As the organization struggle for sustainability,
understanding the fact “going green” may become more lucrative for a longer period
(McWilliams, Parhankangas, Coupet, Welch & Barnum, 2014).
6.3 Profit
The financial bottom line is considered as the global aspect that all the organizations
share, whether the organizations use the triple bottom line or not. Furthermore, the entire idea of
profits will sustain and empower the organizations as a whole, and not just flow to the
shareholders and CEO (Rambaud & Richard, 2015).
Figure 2: Triple Bottom Line
(Source: Alhaddi, 2015)

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 9
7. The Butler Sequence
The primary perspective of the Butler Sequence is based on the grow, develop and tourist
resorts. The fundamental characteristics of the tourism industry are constantly changing and
dynamic. According to Williams (2017), the Butler model is considered as the procedure of
understanding the tourist resorts and seeing the way it can modify over different timeframe and
in order to the requirements of the travel industry. There are five components of the Butler
Sequence that breaks down tourist resort growth. These periods are discussed below.
7.1 Discovery stage
Being the first stage of the model, this refers to the phase where guests share their views,
perspectives and knowledge about a place after they visit it (here ‘discovers’ it). The listeners
then visit the sample place with a motive to gain the same experience that they had heard.
7.2 Growth and development stage
An increasing number of tourists arrive perceived about the residence by articles in
Tourism enhancements in papers like The Sunday Times, or through word of mouth, traveler
guides and brochures. The publicity will also increase the number of visitors. The visitors willing
to appointment new places will also lead to unique hotels, shops and restaurants to serve for the
arrival of people (Fernández-Tabales, Foronda-Robles, Galindo-Pérez-de-Azpillaga & García-
López, 2017).
7.3 Success stage
With an increased number of visits to the resorts, the benefits will completely be utilized.
In this stage mass tourism changes the real economic function of the payment. This may reason
some hatred with visitors who have not benefitted from the new business or the loss of a separate
individuality.

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 10
7.4 Problem -stagnation stage
The entire idea of popularity may be short-lived. The visitors may find the recourse as a
boring place once the original appeal had gone, and slight of the real natural atmosphere will
endure for a more extended period.
7.5 Rejuvenation or decline
The tourist resort tends to have two different scopes, either the management can go for
rejuvenating or decline and construct more maintainable strategies in terms of inferior visitor
numbers.
Figure 3: Five Different Stages of Butler Sequence Model
(Source: Williams, 2017)

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 11
8. Three pillars in Six Senses
Sustainable tourism is the form of tourism, which meets the requiremts of the tourist
industry, fulfil the requirements of tourists and host communities without negotiating the
capacity of coming generations. There are mainly three dimensions that structure the form of
sustainable tourism. These three pillars are environmental conservation, economic efficiency,
and social equity. According to Leal Filho et al. (2018), the six senses have been hugely known
in terms of establishing the early benchmarks for the hospitality industry. The sustainable
development of Six Senses can be measured into four significant dimensions which are
environmental responsibility, social responsibility, economic responsibility and responsible
consumption.
Figure 4: Logo of Six Senses
(Source: Six Senses, 2019)
8.1 Environmental responsibility
The term sustainable consumption and sustainability can be described with the terms of
environmental sustainability. It can be stated that there is a great bond between economic
sustainability and environmental sustainability. The protection of natural resources offers not an
overreaching panacea in terms of earning social justice and economic vitality.

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AND DESTINATIONS 12
The management of Six Senses produced 57320/2,600 pounds/kilograms organic
vegetables from their organic garden in the year 2018. The administration also used the solar
panels for pathway lightening and water heating (Williams, 2017). Six Senses also collaborates
with the Oceanography Institute to survey and research the coral and plan for its restoration
(Rycroft et al., 2019).
8.2 Social responsibility
The term social responsibility defines the relationship between environmental decay and
social conditions. The theoretical framework of social organization signifies the negative
relationship between poverty levels and sustained natural resource exploitation (Hashemkhani
Zolfani, Sedaghat, Maknoon & Zavadskas, 2015).
The social responsibility of the Six Senses is linked with the drinking water projects to
educational employment and programs; the management also maintains more significant
relationships with the community. The managerial body of Six Senses also provides the school
equipment and computers in the Luong Son and Ninh Van areas. As opined by Xu, Lv & Dong
(2019), the management also saves 10,000 plastic bags per month from going to landfill and
entering the resort.
8.3 Economic responsibility
The economic sustainability defines a production system which satisfies the present
consumption level without granting the future needs of an individual. As per the economists, the
overall supply of natural resources is unlimited. They also believe that the massive economic
growth will encourage the technological capacity to fill up usual resources demolished in the
manufacturing procedure (Ramos et al., 2015).
The sustainability fund of Six Senses comprises 0.5 percent of revenues, 100 percent
donations and soft toy sales and 50 percent of house bottled water sales (Williams, 2017).
8.4 Responsible Consumption
The main aim of sustainable production and consumption is about endorsing energy and
resource efficiency, delivering admission to the essential services for all individuals. The main