ABSTRACT
Sustainability has become a very important issue in our society and in the tourist sector with links to economic, environmental and social facets. This chapter focuses on eight topics. The first one gives an answer to the question: what do we understand by sustainable tourism and related notions? For the UNWTO, sustainable tourism is of utmost importance and considers sustainable tourism a development tool. To manage destinations in a sustainable way, one should always keep in mind the key issues or pillars of sustainable tourism. The growing number of international tourists and global warming leads to the question on the growth model to which we adhere: an economic approach, a steady-state sustainability approach or a balanced green approach?
The impact of tourism on the environment and the impact climate change has on tourism are very related. How does one measure and which policy instruments are applicable? Several cases illustrate the impact of climate change on tourism. But tourism also has environmental and socio-cultural impacts (see UNWTO pillar 5).
