57
2. Respect the sociocultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their building and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to intercultural understanding and tolerance
3. Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, and provide socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are equitably distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities, social services to host communities, and
poverty alleviation contribution (UNWTO 2005). These elements of sustainable
tourism correspond to the concept of sustainable citizenship
The Global Code for Ethics in Tourism explicitly promotes sustainable tourism and
Environmental Citizenship, particularly in the recommendations that treat tourism
as a factor for sustainable development, a user of cultural heritage, and a contributor
to its enhancement (Articles 3. and 4.):
1. All stakeholders in tourism should safeguard the natural environment and achieve
sound, continuous, and sustainable economic growth to equitably satisfy the
needs and aspirations of present and future generations.
2. Tourism resources belong to the common heritage of mankind; the communities
in whose territories they are situated have particular rights and obligations to
them.
3. Priority should be given to the forms of tourism development that are conducive
to saving rare and precious resources, in particular water and energy, as well as
avoiding possible waste production
4. Tourism infrastructure and activities should be programmed to protect the natural heritage and preserve endangered species of wildlife (and impose limitations
and constraints on activities exercised in particularly sensitive areas, e.g. desert
and coastal, polar, or high mountain areas).
5. Tourism policies and activities should treat artistic, archaeological, and cultural
heritage; particular care should be devoted to preserving and upgrading monuments, shrines and museums, as well as archaeological sites, which must be
widely opened to tourists (UNWTO 2001).
Therefore, classical mass tourism in coastal destinations has been partially transformed in order to meet the requirements of sustainability. The methods of applying
sustainability range from very strong sustainability (where natural resources have
an intrinsic value and are worth saving in their original condition, no matter their
potentially positive impacts on the society) to very weak (that allows the use of
natural resources according to the market demand and it is focused on economic
growth) (Turner 1993).
New tourism is characterised by flexibility, by the segmentation of tourism
demand and supply, and by the development of new forms of customised experience, offering a variety of choices to tourists (UNWCED 1987). New forms of tourism promote an approach that is more sensitive, by giving priority to natural and
cultural resources in planning and development (Triarchi and Karamanis 2017). The
term soft tourism originated in the Alpine countries and focuses on the forms of
tourism that feature attention towards environmental issues and the promotion of
4 Societal Issues and Environmental Citizenship
2. Respect the sociocultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their building and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to intercultural understanding and tolerance
3. Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, and provide socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are equitably distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities, social services to host communities, and
poverty alleviation contribution (UNWTO 2005). These elements of sustainable
tourism correspond to the concept of sustainable citizenship
The Global Code for Ethics in Tourism explicitly promotes sustainable tourism and
Environmental Citizenship, particularly in the recommendations that treat tourism
as a factor for sustainable development, a user of cultural heritage, and a contributor
to its enhancement (Articles 3. and 4.):
1. All stakeholders in tourism should safeguard the natural environment and achieve
sound, continuous, and sustainable economic growth to equitably satisfy the
needs and aspirations of present and future generations.
2. Tourism resources belong to the common heritage of mankind; the communities
in whose territories they are situated have particular rights and obligations to
them.
3. Priority should be given to the forms of tourism development that are conducive
to saving rare and precious resources, in particular water and energy, as well as
avoiding possible waste production
4. Tourism infrastructure and activities should be programmed to protect the natural heritage and preserve endangered species of wildlife (and impose limitations
and constraints on activities exercised in particularly sensitive areas, e.g. desert
and coastal, polar, or high mountain areas).
5. Tourism policies and activities should treat artistic, archaeological, and cultural
heritage; particular care should be devoted to preserving and upgrading monuments, shrines and museums, as well as archaeological sites, which must be
widely opened to tourists (UNWTO 2001).
Therefore, classical mass tourism in coastal destinations has been partially transformed in order to meet the requirements of sustainability. The methods of applying
sustainability range from very strong sustainability (where natural resources have
an intrinsic value and are worth saving in their original condition, no matter their
potentially positive impacts on the society) to very weak (that allows the use of
natural resources according to the market demand and it is focused on economic
growth) (Turner 1993).
New tourism is characterised by flexibility, by the segmentation of tourism
demand and supply, and by the development of new forms of customised experience, offering a variety of choices to tourists (UNWCED 1987). New forms of tourism promote an approach that is more sensitive, by giving priority to natural and
cultural resources in planning and development (Triarchi and Karamanis 2017). The
term soft tourism originated in the Alpine countries and focuses on the forms of
tourism that feature attention towards environmental issues and the promotion of
4 Societal Issues and Environmental Citizenship