Sustainable Turism

Sustainable Hotel Siting, Design and Construction is available for purchase for £175 and can be ordered by sending an email to iblf@mmcltd.com.

Travel and leisure is a key industry that has significant environmental impact on critical ecosystems, however, it also has the greatest potential to bring about positive and progressive environmental change. International tourism arrivals are forecasted to reach over 1.56 billion by 2020—doubling the number of people currently traveling. Due to such an increase, the hotel industry will need to accommodate the demand by providing more properties. This increase in hotel construction must occur in a manner that incorporates sustainability and environmental issues.

Against this backdrop of a rapidly growing tourism industry, and fears about the environmental impact that such unmonitored growth will have, nine of the world’s leading hotel companies have come together, through the International Business Leaders Forum, to work with CI to address the issue of sustainable hotel siting design and construction. These companies: Accor, Carlson, Four Seasons, Hilton, InterContinental, Marriott, Rezidor SAS, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and TAJ Hotels Resorts and Palace actively supported the development of these “guiding principles,” which are available in Sustainable Hotel Siting, Design and Construction. At present, these hotels chains are determining how to implement these principles into their new hotel and resort developments.

Tired of tourist traps and guilt trips, or just want to have a positive impact on the people and places you visit? THE ETHICAL TRAVEL GUIDE lists over 300 amazing places in 60 countries that benefit local people - DIRECTLY. From simple local-style holidays, treks, construction projects in Tibet, art holidays, and culinary and luxury retreats, there is something to suit every taste and budget. This is the essential resource for responsible global travellers.

"All too often the problems are well hidden," says Tricia Barnett, Director of Tourism Concern. "How would you know that this beautiful hotel is on land snatched from fishermen and for which they weren't compensated? How would you know that the water in the pool and shower are depleting local people's resources and their access to water is limited to two hours a day - as in villages in Goa?"

The Earthscan Reader in Sustainable Tourism, Paperback £22.95 ISBN 1853834084

Tourism is one of the world's largest industries, if not the largest. Its environmental impact - whether from the act of travelling, the infrastructure to accomodate tourists, or directly from the tourists themselves - is enormous. Correspondingly, establishing criteria and guidelines for sustainable tourism is crucial, but while a great deal of work has gone into researching these issues, the results have been distributed piecemeal, and consequently have been difficult to act upon.

This Reader brings together in one volume those essays most relevant to the debate over what exactly sustainable tourism is, and how best it can be applied. The selection represents a range of viewpoints on different kinds of tourism and different destinations. It provides an indispensable handbook for all those studying tourism or involved in trying to ensure that tourism becomes genuinely beneficial and hence sustainable.

www.earthscan.co.uk  Earthscan is one of the leading publishers in Sustainable Development. Our authoritative books and journals provide a valuable reference for our readers, subscribers and customers.