Sustainable_Tourism_Development

Christopher Ynry Espinosa Mr, Jester Ong Chuan BSTM-4D Ecotourism: Challenges and opportunities Over the past decade, tourism has become the largest industry worldwide in terms of employment and share of global gross domestic product. The tourism industry has been growing rapidly as well as changing at a fast pace. As more people are interested in spending leisure time in nature, ecotourism has become one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism industry. This creates opportunities in areas characterized by natural attractions, wildlife and wilderness habitats. Local communities may benefit in economic terms as well as create a commitment to conservation and sustainable development. At the same time, however, increased demands for ecotourism create pressure on carrying capacity. Greater numbers of visitors makes it more likely that habitats will be at risk and the wilderness and cultural heritage could be ruined. It is expected that China will encounter many challenges, because it already ranks sixth worldwide in terms of tourist arrivals. In the next twenty years, China is forecast to be the top tourist destination and the fourth largest source of tourists in the world. This prospect for major tourism growth in China makes it important to quickly consider the environmental and social issues that are part of sustainable tourism development. Careful planning and assessment are important parts of sustainable tourism development. Officials responsible for national parks and other nature areas will have a major responsibility for handling the challenges and deciding which opportunities for tourism development can be sustained over the long term. Local communities will also have to participate in planning and assessment when culture and heritage are important parts of ecotourism. It has been noted that the principles for ecotourism have not yet been firmly established in order to guide planning and assessment. However, two basic principles of ecotourism that have been identified are encourage conservation *Environmental management of tourism development* Tourism plays an important role in economic development at community, national, regional and global levels by using natural resources and environments as key physical inputs. In making use of the environment and natural resources, the negative impacts have to be minimized to assure sustainable use, as well as generate enough tourism revenue to reinvest a certain portion of funds. The reinvestment should aim at enhancing the quality of the resources and build the management capacity at various levels. There is a complex relationship between tourism and the environment, such that tourism has inevitable and important environmental impacts, including: resource use, consumption, waste, pollution and effects from tourism-related transport. At the same time, beaches, mountains, rivers, forests and diverse flora and fauna make the environment a basic resource that the tourism industry needs in order to thrive and grow. While the viability of tourism could be threatened by negative environmental impacts, tourism could also contribute significantly to environmental protection. This shows that tourism and the environment are interrelated and interdependent in complex ways, and together they could provide a sustainable economic base for development. In light of these observations, tourism policy-makers, managers and planners must address the issues of environmental management of tourism development in a sustainable manner. *Promotion of cultural tourism and heritage site management* The major contribution of the tourism industry as a vehicle for economic development in many countries around the world has been widely acknowledged. At the same time, tourism should be seen as an activity that contributes to a better understanding of places, people and their cultures. In the process of sharing and experiencing the culture and heritage of a country such as China, international tourists will also have a stronger positive image of the country at the present time. The phenomenon of cultural tourism can be understood in terms of supply, demand, marketing and promotion. The issues concerning heritage site management can be considered by looking at the supply and demand sides. Many sites, artifacts and festivals in countries worldwide have special meaning and significance for local people and reflect the varied history of mankind. In fact, many places have been designated as world heritage sites. However, the creation of special events and arrangement of sites for the purpose of attracting tourists is a relatively recent phenomenon. The notion of supply with respect to cultural tourism relates to an assessment of how a cultural manifestation would be accepted by the market. An objective, unbiased assessment would be needed, and it is usually best obtained from knowledgeable outsiders. Local culture may also have to be assessed in terms of suitability for tourism, and this means that it is important for local stakeholders to be identified, especially who will benefit more and who will benefit less.