Sustainable tourism: Striking a balance between economic growth and environmental protection
Sustainable tourism may be the answer to increasing societal economic production, favorably impacting the environment, and providing visitors and local communities with a favorable outlook on social and cultural sustainability
Water and air pollution, global warming, and biodiversity loss are at the center of the sustainability debate, and sustainable development is the framework within which these concerns must be addressed.
Bangladesh's environmental preservation initiatives, as well as the country's overall economy, have been influenced by the country's prospective economic growth. Sustainability is one of the most serious global issues, affecting both emerging and developed countries as the global economy expands.
Growing demand strains limiting resources, potentially weakening environmental regulations as the economy expands.
Sustainability has emerged as the largest problem for Bangladesh's tourism industry. Sylhet, the Sundarbans, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Cox's Bazar, and Kuakata, all major tourist destinations in Bangladesh, must assure both economic advancement and environmental protection if they are to achieve long-term development.
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Hence, environmental concerns and sustainable practices are increasingly valued by tourism educators and stakeholders.
Bangladesh's tourism industry contributes to the growth of the country's economy, commercial sector, and accessibility. As a result, the current challenge is to find an effective medium between tourism and environmental development. A strategy that considers the role of sustainability in the tourism sector is essential for the management and marketing of tourist sites.
To ensure that tourist attractions remain habitable in the long run, marketing and branding should be employed to augment efforts. Sustainable tourism may be the answer to increasing societal economic production, favorably impacting the environment, and providing visitors and local communities with a favorable outlook on social and cultural sustainability.
Responsible tourism should be prioritized. Creating sustainable tourism within a cohesive framework, on the other hand, should be a top focus for both tourism management and marketing.
Sustainable and responsible tourism for long-term growth necessitate the collaborative efforts of tourism management and marketing professionals. To keep the corporate world moving forward, the tourism industry must be examined through the lens of sustainability (i.e., striking a good balance between economic growth, environmental protection, and social well-being).
The term "sustainability" in this context refers to the economic, social, and environmental concerns that are all vital to the tourism industry.
Therefore, understanding the roles of managers, governments, and policymakers in encouraging sustainable tourism is crucial. Thus, stakeholders in the tourist industry, such as marketers, should examine sustainable tourism management and promotional strategies.
The concept of sustainable tourist destinations is central to sustainable tourism management. Businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations all have a part in the economy and must be considered for environmentally responsible tourism management.
Sustainable tourism management is an academic area that arose from the idea of promoting tourism in a more environmentally friendly manner. When sustainability is the primary concern in the field of management and tourism, the individual, private companies/agents, government organizations/authorities, and all involved agencies can all work together to conserve natural resources, develop regions or areas, and protect culturally significant sites (e.g. Lalbagh Fort, Somapura Mahavihara).
Another notion with possible applications in the realm of tourism management is the concept of stakeholders, which may aid in the sustainability of the tourism business. A stakeholder is defined as anybody or anything who has a vested interest in the accomplishment of an organization's goals.
Destination management organization (DMO) management, stakeholder management, tourism policymaker management, and community management all play a role in the function of tourism management and marketing towards sustainable tourism as a connected process.
The active participation of management in supporting sustainable tourism has been shown to have positive benefits on human well-being, social cohesion, the protection of natural and cultural assets, biodiversity preservation, and natural resource preservation. Because of the managerial character of the position, it is possible to perform these responsibilities from a manager's role.
The formulation of policies involving local governments, the transmission of knowledge about sustainable concepts, and the absorption of native ecosystems and cultural practices are all tasks of a destination's trained and highly professional management team.
Participation of stakeholders in decision-making processes is critical to the success of sustainable tourism, which is a response to industry demands for more responsible policies and corporate governance systems.
Sustainable tourism can only be realized with the collaboration of the commercial sector, non-profit groups, and government agencies in developing guidelines and implementing innovative practices.
Adopting a sustainable tourism plan that brings people and their natural surroundings closer together is one method to improve the interaction between progress and environmental protection.
As an extra advantage, the potential of the sustainable idea to promote social and touristic well-being while also contributing to the preservation of destination character is critical to the preservation of our business populations' financial health.
Tourism management has been found to increase human well-being and ecological services, in addition to fostering social cohesion, maintaining natural regions and cultural heritage, and conserving biodiversity and national parks. This is critical given the importance of tourism management in fostering a more environmentally friendly business.
The government, tourist stakeholders (such as DMOs), and policymakers with the authority to formulate policy and assess tourism innovation are examples of sustainable tourism actors. Promoting products or services to visitors via channels such as word of mouth, innovation, and networking is an important aspect of marketing in the field of sustainable tourism. The marketing aspect may result in joy, education, and exposure.
To summarize, sustainable tourism does not imply incorporating economic, environmental, and cultural components into tourism; rather, it entails combining the aspects of mass tourism growth in the most sustainable manner possible.
In light of this, the term "sustainable tourism" refers to an approach to the industry that considers the environmental impact of visitors.
The tourism sector is one of Bangladesh's most important economic foundations. Growing sustainable tourism into sustainable development requires a greater focus on meeting future needs while also addressing their financial, social, and environmental elements.
Dr Mohammad Shahidul Islam is an Assistant Professor at BRAC Business School, BRAC University. He can be reached at mohd.sh.islam@bracu.ac.bd
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
