Understanding Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

The concept of ‘Sustainable tourism' is still an evolving one and the scholars theorizing the concept and institutions trying to adopt it as a policy framework are having different set of meanings attached to this often quoted term. In last few decades issue of sustainability in various forms has also emerged as an important one within the domain of tourism planning and operations. The Growth of tourism along with its many benefits was also accountable for various adverse impacts on destinations and to minimize these impacts has become a matter of great concern worldwide. Efforts in this direction have encouraged industry experts and policy makers to promote ‘Sustainable tourism'. The stakeholders in varying degree are sensitive to these dangers and seek to protect tourist destinations and to protect tourism, which is forecasted to grow in future and is currently is world's largest and fastest growing industries. The constant growth of tourism is predicted to have severe impacts on biological diversity, indigenous cultures, environment which provide the base to facilitate tourism.