Exploring the antecedents of sustainable tourism development

Abstract

We use two historical case studies (UK and Costa Rica) to explore the antecedents and legitimization of sustainable development in hospitality and tourism, demonstrating the value of historical analysis through careful consideration of motivations, context, and development type under different circumstances. Design: Utilizing government and private archival materials, oral history testimonies, industry reports and secondary literature, we deploy careful historical analysis of developing and developed country approaches to two cases of hospitality and tourism development and how this impacts on notions of sustainability. Findings: Issues surrounding sustainability in hospitality and tourism are longstanding and impacted by their situated context. In considering 'bottom-up' and 'top-down' approaches, this study finds that the private-sector is critical in legitimizing tourism and hospitality development through addressing sustainability aims. Research Implications: Issues faced in developing hospitality and tourism markets should not be taken in isolation and, by drawing upon historical cases, scholars can better-understand how developed tourism markets shape the sustainability of developing contexts.

Assessing the Mediating Role of Residents’ Perceptions toward Tourism Development

“…If developed carefully, a focus on tourism can allow local communities to benefit from increased wages, higher living standards, and a wider range of employment opportunities (Rasoolimanesh, Jaafar, and Barghi 2017). However, tourism development can also cause communities to suffer from higher living costs, higher prices for goods and services, higher property prices and taxes, and fewer career prospects due to the perceived unskilled nature of many tourism and hospitality occupations (Látková and Vogt 2012; MacKenzie and Gannon 2019).…”

“…Nonetheless, the sociocultural impact of tourism development is again not always wholly positive, as increased visitor numbers can lead to overcrowding, traffic, crime, and litter, all while commoditizing local culture in the process (Akama and Kieti 2007; Jaafar, Rasoolimanesh, and Ismail 2017). Further, tourism development can have an adverse environmental impact, damaging natural landmarks and local ecosystems while also increasing air and water pollution (MacKenzie and Gannon 2019). As such, consistent with SET, the interconnected benefits and drawbacks of tourism development leave local communities with tough decisions when debating whether to cultivate a tourism industry (Rasoolimanesh et al 2015; Sharpley and Telfer 2008).…”

The COVID-19 crisis and sustainability in the hospitality industry

“…Research has also explored the origins of sustainability within the hospitality industry (e.g. Mackenzie and Gannon 2019), and a number of the themes (e.g. Jones and Wynn 2019) and frameworks (e.g.…”

Living as Residents in a Tourist Destination: A Phenomenological Approach

“…Thus, due to the interest of tourists, residents may preserve the valuable natural environment and traditional culture in the destination [21]. On the other hand, growing pressure on tourists has made residents think negatively about tourists [23,24]. Residents' negative attitudes toward tourists are a result of exceeding the area's human capacity limit.…”