Sustaniable operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Sustaniable operations management - Essay Example The definition that is adopted by the World Tourism Organization, however, describes sustainable tourism as â€Å"tourism which leads to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems.† By this token, the industry is referred to in a host of other ways: e.g., eco-tourism, green travel, environmentally and culturally responsible tourism, fair trade and ethical travel (Shay, McHarry, & Gardiner, 2002, p. 1). There are some who disagree with such sweeping definitions, however, because they convey a simplified meaning to what is actually a complex and challenging area of endeavour, while conversely, highly detailed definitions tends to reduce the impression of sustainable tourism to a few limited elements. One comment is that the definition arrived at in the academe comes across as too scientific and technocratic, so as to alienate practitioners (Swarbrooke, 1999). The diagram depicts the interrelatedness of the different terms, none of which fully comprehends the complete meaning of sustainable tourism. Therefore, while ecotourism is often used synonymously with the term, it focuses on the ecology and neglects the cultural, economic, and aesthetic aspects. Ecotourism per se, taken in its strictest sense, accounts only for a small portion of the tourism market – estimated at roughly 3-7%, according to the World Trade and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) (Shay, et al., 2002). Tourism has grown to be a major industry that accounts for a significant portion of the revenues generated by the economy of many countries. That it has other, less tangible but equally beneficial impacts is apparent for both the destination community and the visiting tourists, in the form of heightened mutual understanding and appreciation of each