The concept of sustainable development proposes to synthesize the often-conflicting aims of conserving precious natural resources and utilising the same resources to provide for human well-being (Southgate and Sharpley 2002, World Commission on Environment and Development 1987). The incorporation of the definition of sustainable development within the tourism industry led to the formation of the concept ‘sustainable tourism’, which is tourism that incorporates the principles of sustainable development – environmentally sound development and operation, economic viability and community integration (Butler 1998, Shaw and William 2002) - as a guiding philosophy.
Sustainable tourism development is believed to hold the key towards establishing an effective and accepted solution to the problems of negative tourism impacts and preserving the tourism industry’s long-term viability (Liu 2003, Southgate and Sharpley 2002). Sustainable tourism is one step towards reconciling the conflicts that may occur through the energetic interrelationships between the tourism industry, the visitors, the natural environment and host communities (Bramwell and Lane 1993).
For tourism to contribute to sustainable development, it must satisfy the key criteria of being economically viable, maintaining ecological integrity, and supporting cultural heritage (Wall 1997). It has been frequently argued that sustainable tourism is synonymous with small-scale tourism; however, it is now accepted that issues of management, community participation and impact control are more significant factors than focusing on the type of tourism (e.g. small-scale tourism) in achieving the principles of sustainable tourism (Hall 2001, Shaw and William 2002, Weaver 2000).
Beyond the concept, the operational aspect of sustainable island tourism development is through the use of wise practices that present practical applicability in developing tourism in accordance to the principles of sustainability (Filho 1996, Lew and Hall 1998, UNESCO 2001). Recognising and implementing the operational aspects of an intangible but widely accepted concept is an important and significant step in answering the changing demands of today’s increasingly sensitive and perceptive visitors (Moscardo 1999, Stewart 1993). Three examples where the symbiotic relationships between the visitor, the wildlife, the natural marine environment and the management regime attempt to reach a sustainable method of development, promotion and presentation are given in Table 2-3.
Table 2-3: Examples of Sustainable Island Tourism Development Strategies
Philip Island Penguin Reserve (Victoria, Australia) (Harris 2002, Harris and Leiper 1995)
• Include high-quality interpretation guides and audio-visual displays within a visitor’s centre;
• Construction of boardwalks to prevent physical degradation to the coastal environment; and
• Introduction of user-pays system to generate funds for management, research and further conservation works.
Kingfisher Bay Resort and Village (Fraser Island) and the Couran Cove Resort (Queensland) (Australia 1997)
• Extensive community and government involvement;
• Meticulous and rigorous research;
• Detailed environmental management plans and sensitive architectural design;
• Staff involvement; and
• Visitor education.
Lakshadweep Islands (South-west India) (Kokkranikal et al. 2003)
• Promotion of water-based activities so as to minimise pressure on scare land;
• Resorts do not provide amenities such as air-conditioners, television, telephone and newspapers;
• Allow only domestic tourists on inhabited islands to avoid sociocultural problems;
• Restrict visitors and holiday activities to specific tourist enclaves; and
• Regulation of the number of tourists allowed and infrastructural changes to minimise pressure on local resources.
Whilst these examples may serve to show that it is possible to internalise the concept of sustainable development within the tourism industry, it is still prudent to remember that it is always the journey of attaining sustainability that is relevant and that will be beneficial and not the attainment of an end state, as it is never possible to precisely reach a state of sustainability. It is important to realise and reemphasize that although sustainability may be an ideal concept to espouse, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly and actualise precisely. One way to resolve the conflicts stated above is to realise that an inherent feature of tourism development is change. However, it is possible to minimise the negative impacts through awareness and consideration of the following factors – the intensity of the tourist-site use; the resiliency of the ecosystem; the time perspective of the developers; and the transformational character of the development
(Wilkinson 1989). Specific operational procedures include the development of a
‘sustainable tourism strategy’ – such as Samoa’s sustainable tourism indicators - that identifies precise and well-defined practices which embraces the concept of sustainability and translates it into operational entities (South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme 2003, pp.26-27). Sustainable island tourism strategies must take into consideration the numerous stakeholders involved in the industry and to understand the nature of their linkages and connections in playing a role towards the sustainability of the industry (Milne 1998, Sautter and Leisen 1999). In other words, for island tourism to positively benefit local communities and maintain ecological viability, the cooperation of tour operators, developers, governmental agencies, host communities plus environmentally aware visitors is essential (Kerr 2005). Working in harmony, the conflict between recreating alongside fragile and valuable island destinations and conserving its ecosystems and biodiversity may be resolved.