Abstract
This chapter exposes a theoretical methodology focused on the importance of sustainable development in the tourism sector. It remarks on the paramount importance of environmental care to protect the ecosystems in which the touristic centers are situated to promote the environmental care in the people who live there, the employees of the tourist centers, and the tourists.
TopBackground
The tourism sector has been a source of jobs and a generator of wealth since the industry began. The different nations offer everything from beach tourism, religious tourism, cultural activities tourism and adventure tourism, where people camp outdoors, climb mountains, visit exotic animals to name a few. There are different options for leisure such as travel packages with everything paid or you can hire a tour guide. Tourism activity is as old as human society.
Tourism has been motivated by migratory movements, war, trade, religion, and fashion to name a few. World tourism can be divided into stages: 1-Ancient Age (from 3000 BC to 476 AD); 2-Middle Ages (from 477 AD to 1453); 3-Modern Age (from 1454 to 1789) being this stage where the first lodgings appear and are named hotel; and 4-Contemporary Age (from 1790 to 3000) in the 16th century establishes the bases for modern tourism performance. In addition, the Contemporary Age is divided into a. Industrial Revolution (from 1790 to 1949) where industrialization increased the free time of workers causing a demand for holidays tourism activities, b. Second half of the 20th Century (from 1950 to 1999); and c. 21st Century (from 2000 to 3000). As can be seen we are in the last stage of the Contemporary Age. (Warrior, 2014).
Based on the activities conducted and tourist needs, tourism is classified as: exploratory travel, mandatory travel, pilgrimage travel, elite travel, and mass tourism. Exploratory tourism is the most archaic, with its first exponent being study trips, investigative exploration, and territorial trips conducted during the period from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century. Mandatory tourism arose from the need for merchants to sell their products in places other than their origin. Similarly, people who have been forced to migrate due to war are also considered mandatory tourists, and lastly, people who travel to obtain knowledge for their jobs are considered mandatory travelers.
Pilgrimage trips are made for religious issues of being in sacred places. Participating in important religious ceremonies or visiting places, where notable events or graves of transcendental figures in history were held. Elite tourism is the pleasure travel made by wealthy people. Who, at the time, were the pioneers of mass tourism in today’s pleasure journeys. Mass tourism refers to pleasure trips made by people who have enough time to do it. They rise after the end of World War II and, showed a high diversification during the 1980s (Faraldo, 2014).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Ecosystems: Communities of living and nonliving things that interact with each other in a particular environment.
Triple Sustainability: A framework that integrates economic, social, and environmental sustainability in tourism development.
Tourism Satellite Account: A system for measuring the economic impact of tourism in a particular country or region, including the consumption of goods and services by tourists.
Tourism Development Plan: A formal and strategic planning process that involves the community, tourism service providers, and authorities in the development and management of tourism activities.
Rural Tourism: A form of tourism that involves visiting rural areas for their natural, cultural, and/or historical attractions.
Responsible Tourism: A form of sustainable tourism that involves responsible behavior and practices by tourists and tourism service providers, with a focus on reducing negative impacts on the environment, society, and culture.
Confidence Index: A measure of the level of confidence or optimism among professionals in a particular industry or market.
Sustainable Tourism: A form of tourism that takes into account the economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism on the host community, and seeks to minimize negative impacts while maximizing positive impacts.
Lower Middle Class and Middle-Class Tourism: The segment of tourism that involves individuals from the lower middle class and middle class who take vacations away from their place of residence.
Influx of People: The number of people entering a country or region during a particular period of time.