Rethinking the ideology of responsible tourism

Abstract

Drawing on the critique of ideology elaborated by the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, in this conceptual paper we rethink responsible tourism. More specifically, in line with Žižek's argument that ideology is closely linked to reality and not a dreamlike illusion, we reconceptualise the ideological character of responsible tourism. This ideological character, we propose, is fundamentally rooted in real global issues, and often inadvertently and implicitly sustains the mechanism of modern global capitalism. Although responsible tourism has been a powerful unifier among tourism stakeholders, we argue that its critical conceptual considerations have not yet been given sufficient robust reflection. Hence, in this conceptual paper, we rethink responsible tourism through the lens of ideology contributing to further knowledge about this topic. In doing so, we analyse two key policy documents: the Cape Town (2002) and Kerala (2008) Declarations from which the term of responsible tourism originated. Following Žižek's critique of ideology, we aspire to shape more inclusive and effective sustainable and responsible development as advocated by the Sustainable Development Goals and responsible tourism stakeholders. Furthermore, the novel interjection of the Žižekian concept of ideology to the context of responsible tourism opens up new theoretical possibilities for critical tourism studies.

The Role of Millennial Tourists in Promoting Responsible Tourism: A Case in Singapore

“…In view of this, many destinations and destination organisations are now encouraging responsible tourism and focusing on becoming more sustainable. Responsible tourism has also caught the attention of many who are involved in the tourism industry, be it the academicians, tourism practitioners, tourists or event society at large (Burrai, Buda, & Stanford, 2019). Responsible tourism can be seen as a form of tourism that would minimize and reverse the negative effects of travelling (Goodwin, 2011) or "any form of development or tourist activity which respects and preserves in the long term natural, cultural and social resources and contributes in a positive and fair way to the development and the bloom of people who lives, works and spend their holiday in this place" (Manente, Minghetti, & Mingotto, 2014, p. 2).…”

Inclusivity and Responsible Tourism: Designing a Trademark for a National Park Area

“…The importance of involving multiple stakeholders in the production and management of action of responsible tourism was established in the 2002 Cape Town Declaration. This document emphasizes that sustainability in tourism is the objective that can only be achieved if various tourism stakeholders (governments, communities, businesses, and consumers) act with "responsibility" (that is, the means) [27,28]. In the same document, responsible tourism was defined as a three-tiered approach including: building a better place for local community; enhancing the tourists' experiences in destinations, and finally, creating better business opportunities for tourism enterprises [29,30].…”

Understanding Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility and Responsible Tourism in Literature vs Practice

“…Given that communities and the natural environment constitutes the tourism industry's base of operation and main industry product, the emergence of responsible tourism can be said to be a natural product of the increased climate change concerns and corresponding call for sustainability, combined with the growth in CSR uptake in the private sector driven by both academia and civil society (Burrai et al, 2019;Caruana et al, 2014). The origin of the concept of responsible tourism can be traced to Krippendorf (1987) but was formalised at the international level at the 'Responsible Tourism in Destinations' conference in South Africa, an event which preceded the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and culminated in the Cape Town Declaration (Burrai et al, 2019;Fennell, 2008;van der Merwe & Wöcke, 2007). The Cape Town Declaration defines Responsible tourism as "tourism which:…”

“…Klein (2011) categorises the focus of the responsible tourism definition into three broad groups: (1) the environmental impact of tourism; (2) fair a nd equitable distribution of the economic benefits of tourism to the host communities; and (3) mitigating the negative socio-cultural and heritage impact of tourism. Responsible tourism, hence, lays emphasis on incorporating local/host communities in the d ecisionmaking process, improving access to employment opportunities for local community members, contributing to responsible governance, abnegating corruption, reducing economic leakages, increasing inclusion for women and the disabled, ensuring fair labour standards, and ensuring that resources (natural, ecological, cultural, and heritage) are sustainably managed (Booyens, 2010;Burrai et al, 2019;Caruana et al, 2014;Cooper & Ozdil, 1992;Fennell, 2008;Idahosa, 2018;Klein, 2011).…”