MGBBT1TEN Tourism Environment and Industry Assignment Sample
Module code and Title: MGBBT1TEN Tourism Environment and Industry Assignment Sample
Introduction
Sustainable tourism implies a tourism destination that takes into account all the present and future social, environmental as well as economic impacts. This type of tourism addresses the needs and requirements of visitors, the environment as well as the industry and the host communities. Many countries all across the world are working towards developing themselves as the best sustainable tourism destination. Some examples of sustainable tourism include Bhutan, Fiji, Britain, Sweden and many others.
This current research study will emphasise on analysing the development process of a tourism destination in Scotland, United Kingdom. Scotland is one of the best sustainable tourism destinations present in the United Kingdom. This will help in exploring the different aspects of developing a sustainable tourism destination as well as the various macro and micro environmental factors that create an impact on this industry. Stakeholders play a huge role in the discussion of the correct path of development of a tourist place and thus the study will be discussing the various roles of stakeholders by identifying them in terms of Scotland’s sustainable tourism.
Discussion
Concept of sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism refers to the different sustainable practices that the tourism industry takes into account for a palace or country. As per the views of Figueroa-Domecq et al. (2022), it provides an inspiration to cover all the aspects of tourism both negative and positive. The prime aim of this type of tourism industry is to mitigate the negative impacts on the environment and enhance the positive ones to their maximum potential.
Additionally, the key responsibilities of sustainable tourism comprise “protection of the environment”, “natural resources” and “wildlife”. On the other hand, it also provides benefits related to socio-economic conditions for the local communities living in those tourist destinations. According to Mustafa et al. (2021), sustainable tourism is often referred to as “ecotourism”. The “Global Ecotourism Network (GEN)” has defined the term ecotourism as “responsible travel” to certain natural areas that work towards conserving the environment and sustaining the well-being of the local community living there.
Moreover, it develops knowledge and understanding via interpretation and education of all the people involved like the visitors and staff (Gst Council.org, 2022). The three main principles of sustainable tourism are economic sustainability and social and economic sustainability. In terms of the choice of the sustainable tourism destination that is Scotland, the tourism industry here follows certain principles to incorporate responsible travelling.
These principles include “protecting the landscape”, “boosting the local economy”, and “providing funds for new and innovative projects”. The tourism industry of Scotland which “visitscotland.com” has developed a website that helps tourists understands the need for responsible travelling. It also has a list of dos and don’ts for tourists visiting Scotland, which will help in keeping the environment of Scotland preserved and special.
On the other hand, Mirehie and Cho (2022) state the three pillars or principles of sustainable tourism are the prime aim that every tourist destination working towards sustainability should meet. As per the name “environmental stability” targets minimizing damage and harm to the environment and protecting it in every possible way. Scotland tourism has sorted out some examples of promoting environmental sustainability in their websites for their visitors like rethinking the mode of travel, managing waste by carrying a small garbage can while travelling and remembering to respect the animals.
In the views of Olszewski-Strzyżowski (2022), social sustainability links with economic sustainability in terms of ecotourism as visitors can support local businesses as well during their stay for vacation. Visitors can discover the local cuisine and eat at local restaurants, which will also help the local businesses to grow. The most important elements were to respect the local people as well as their traditions and customs. All these principles make the development of sustainable tourism successful.
Discussing the role of stakeholders in the decision-making of a sustainable tourism development
A stakeholder or stakeholders are an independent party who impacts or gets affected by an organization or activity which they have invested or are associated with. The tourism industry and the “development of sustainable tourism destinations” also need the involvement of stakeholders. In the opinion of Sun et al. (2022), involving stakeholders in any kind of decision-making will aid in developing a competitive advantage for that specific destination.
Moreover, it makes sure of “long-term sustainability” by strengthening institutional governance and establishing a “strong and vibrant identity” surrounding a destination. In sustainable tourism, stakeholders can be the tourists themselves, the business providing services and goods for tourists, the government, as well as the hosting community like the local people.
As per the views of Xu et al. (2022), “one of the largest and fastest-growing industries” around the world, tourism is made up of a complex web of parties having invested or have interest in the creation, promotion, and administration of travel destinations. In addition to economic and environmental factors, the socio-cultural backdrop is “the third pillar of sustainable destination development”.
Thus, this requires the need for a stakeholder who will help in the process of decision-making. Any person or group with an “interest in a project”, a company, or an industry is considered a stakeholder. Although they may not necessarily directly relate to the project or even the industry, stakeholders are still impacted by the results. Different stakeholders have different roles such as the “National and Local Government Stakeholders”.
Governments on both the national and municipal levels contribute significantly to tourist planning by luring investment as well as by developing laws and policies. According to Ianeva and Basmadzhieva (2022), “for successful travel and tourism operations, the government is responsible for constructing and maintaining suitable infrastructures, such as highways and airports”. Additionally, they guarantee the security and safety of both their residents and guests.
On the other hand, “Local Community Stakeholders” play a vital role. It is essential to comprehend residents’ attitudes and perceptions toward tourism as well as the factors that influence these perceptions if “any sort of tourism development” is to succeed and last. Among other potential factors, these include things like waste management, inflation of goods and services, “construction work”, “rising visitor numbers and public disturbance”, “the environment, air and noise pollution”, and “waste management”.
“Visitor Stakeholders” are the most important stakeholder in the tourism industry. Visitors are mistakenly the most significant destination stakeholders in terms of tourism and they add economic value to the particular destination. In the views of Tescașiu et al. (2021), In the age of social media, a positive visitor experience might lead to destination promotion via user-generated content. Positive attitudes will help a destination brand develop and increase visitor numbers.
On the other hand, “the social and economic stability of a destination” is at risk due to negative experiences and the propagation of unfavourable assessments (Khan Syed et al. 2022). It could harm the reputation of the travel destination, discourage travellers from visiting, endanger neighbourhood businesses, and worsen rather than improve the quality of life for locals.
Analysis of the macro-environmental factors
Different external or macro-environmental factors also impact the overall development of a sustainable tourism determination. In order to understand the better development of sustainable tourist destinations in Scotland, the study identifies the different factors that affect the tourism industry externally. The different macro-environmental factors that contribute to sustainable tourism are political factors, economic factors, social factors, technological factors, legal factors as well as environmental factors. Tourism plays a vital role in economic and political change.
The political factors of Scotland remain to be in alliance with the tourism industry as the Scottish government has various responsibilities in different areas like education, justice, economy, environment, and transportation as well as transport. Moreover, as illustrated by Zakharchenko et al. (2021), responsibilities like the constitution, immigration and foreign policies that relate to the tourism industry are the main responsibility of the government. On the other hand, the development of a nation is influenced by economic factors. Variables like inflation, domestic and international trade, unemployment rate, and poverty affect the well-being of the population.
This has a positive impact on the development of sustainable tourism. Moreover, 5.51 million people live in Scotland as of the present. In the UK, the Scots are the warmest and friendliest people. Their accent is frequently rated as the friendliest. As per the views of Liu et al. (2022), the warmth of the local people in Scotland brings a positive impact in attracting more tourists to the destination.
Further, the increasing technological advancements happening in this country help the tourism industry to connect with the outside world and share information with their visitors regarding their upcoming activities towards meeting sustainability. A thriving technology sector generates billions of pounds for the Scottish economy and this has helped the overall industry to implement technology for various activities.
Devolved subjects are those that touch the majority of areas of Scottish daily life, and they can be passed by the Scottish Parliament. Therefore, visitors will have no kind of issues visiting this place with the fear of not getting fair treatment. In the opinion of Rigelský et al. (2021), Scotland is a gorgeous nation with many historic castles, uninhabited areas, and breathtaking landscapes.
It is normally cold but not to the point of being inhospitable, and it has a maritime climate. However, it encounters some environmental difficulties due to things like “climate change, flood risk, coastal change, water availability and quality, and extreme weather events”. This creates a huge positive impact on attracting customers and visitors to this beautiful place.
Analysis of the micro-environmental factors and tourist motivating factors
Like the macro-environmental factors, many micro-environmental factors or internal factors motivate tourists towards maintaining sustainability. The different internal factors include the attitudes of tourists, values, beliefs, perceptions of tourists and the “personality of the tourists”. According to Wang and Cai (2022), travelling, engaging in leisure activities, exploring novelty and abilities, fostering self-expression and self-assurance, being competitive, relaxing, and feeling a sense of belonging are just a few of the psychological needs that tourism can help people with.
The “intrinsic motivations” are concerned with ensuring one’s capacity on various emotional fronts. In order to derive intangible benefits like “fun, assurance, and other emotional needs”, tourists choose to travel for “intrinsic motivation”. The attitude of a tourist includes the personal knowledge of the person regarding the place or objects, which may be positive or negative.
On the other hand, Sumani et al. (2022) state that the tourist’s perception can be understood by observing, listening and adapting knowledge from the tourists. The “personality of the tourists” refers to the “nature and physique of a tourist”, which play a substantial role towards tourism motivation.
Conclusion
Summary
In conclusion, to the above study, one can say that the key responsibilities of sustainable tourism comprise “protection of the environment”, “natural resources” and “wildlife”. The tourism industry of Scotland which “visitscotland.com” has developed a website that helps tourists understands the need for responsible travelling. The three main pillars of sustainable tourism are economic sustainability and social and economic sustainability.
Moreover, involving stakeholders in any kind of decision-making will aid in developing a competitive advantage for that specific destination. This study further identifies all the external and internal factors that create an impact and contribute to the establishment of a “sustainable tourism destination” in Scotland. Variables like inflation, domestic and international trade, unemployment rate, and poverty affect the well-being of the population. This has a positive influence on the enhancement of sustainable tourism.
Recommendation
The tourism industry in Scotland can implement various ways that will help them in developing a fully sustainable ecotourism destination. Some of them may be including alternatives for transportation mode in the trip, which in turn helps in reducing carbon footprint. In order to improve sustainability in the tourism industry, the industry should take major steps in conserving the natural habitat of animals by limiting the visit of travellers.
Certain practices should be promoted in order to let travellers and visitors know about the different practices that they can easily incorporate to maintain sustainability. This will help in bringing everyone together and implement practices towards sustainable tourism.
Reference list
Gstcouncil.org (2022), What is Sustainable Tourism?, Available at: https://www.gstcouncil.org/what-is-sustainable-tourism/ [Accessed on 26.11.2022]
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