Puntacana Ecological Foundation and the Scaling of Sustainable Tourism Development

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The terms "sustainable tourism," "ecotourism," "sustainable development," and "sustainability" have all been applied to various aspects of the global tourism industry to indicate that operators in those industries have accounted for the environmental, social, and economic impacts of their endeavors on the geographical regions within which they function. However, there has been increasing criticism that models for sustainable tourism do not account well for the long-term impacts of resort operations and how they scale in terms of local and regional economies, environmental footprint, and effect on local culture. The case of the Puntacana Ecological Foundation is cited here as a successful example of how locally focused, adaptive, and integrated sustainability efforts may provide useful models for the scaling of durable sustainable tourism activities in other regions and globally.

Research in tourism sustainability: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis from 1990 to 2022

“…Su et al [ 162 ] examine the impact of tourism and resettlement on the livelihoods of a rural community in China and whether tourism-related strategies contribute to community livelihood sustainability, highlighting the need for measures to diversify livelihood options and mitigate potential challenges for the affected community. Uzzo [ 163 ] examines the criticisms raised on the long-term impacts of resort operations on local and regional economies, environment, and culture.…”

Análisis de la sostenibilidad en emprendimientos turísticos ubicados en áreas rurales y naturales. Estudios de caso en la provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina

“…Pereira (2008) también defiende que, la sostenibilidad aplicada al turismo debe establecer una relación equilibrada entre la gestión eficaz de los recursos, de manera que ésta integre el desarrollo económico y los principios ambientales, culturales y sociales característicos de las localidades involucradas. Por su parte, Uzzo (2013) destaca que el turismo sostenible aprovecha los sistemas sociales existentes, así como sus interrelaciones, para aumentar el nivel de vida de las poblaciones involucradas, buscando las adaptaciones necesarias para atender las demandas de la economía de servicios, con el fin de preservar la cohesión social y el equilibrio entre los aspectos sociales, ambientales y económicos. De esta manera, la sostenibilidad turística requiere análisis, planificación y monitoreo, teniendo en cuenta aspectos desde la escala regional hasta la global, y considerando las tendencias ambientales, sociales, económicas y políticas.…”