In the previous article, I briefly discussed the concept of sustainable tourism. Today, I'll be expanding and further explaining what it means to travel sustainably in reference to Islam. More specifically, this will be in the context of both the 8th, 12th, and the 14th sustainable development goal which is to "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all", "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns", and "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development".
"And do good as Allah has been good to you. And do not seek to cause corruption in the earth. Allah does not love the corrupters", (Surat Al Qasas 28:77)
According to the UN, sustainable tourism is defined as "Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities." Sustainable tourism revolves around the idea of minimizing the negative social/environmental impacts of tourism while maximizing the positive impacts so that the economy of a particular region may benefit.
Negative impacts arise from many vacation/tourism activities that rely on the natural environment for entertainment. For example, you can negatively impact the marine life of a nearby coastal region by engaging in activities that increase pollution levels. As sustainable development consists of economic, social, and environmental aspects, it must account for the interest of all possible stakeholders in the area.
For example, local communities can act as secondary stakeholders, as the impacts of environmental harm by tourism can affect their livelihood. In this case, tourists can act as key stakeholders, as they are the ones choosing to engage in sustainable tourism or not. However, all stakeholders involved have a degree of responsibility. Before going on a trip, you must plan your actions ahead and take into consideration tourism policy as well. This is applicable to all forms of tourism such as vacation trips and business trips.
Over the past few decades, tourism has grown to a point in which it is now one of the major sectors in international trade. According to UNWTO, there are over 235 million jobs worldwide that are tourism-based.
During the 1960s and 70s, tourism was not connected to any environmental debate and was still considered a green industry. It was only until the end of the 90s that tourism began to be included in debates on biodiversity and the environment.
Tourism development can contribute to land erosion and displacement of wildlife habitats as well. The clearing of forested land is very common when constructing new accommodations and facilities. Lands are used to obtain resources to build these facilities and wetlands are drained to provide a venue for tourist activities.
Air pollution and noise pollution are very common types of pollution that you can find in the tourism industry. It was found that 60% of air travel is derived from tourism. Air pollution from air travel impacts the world globally as well as contributing to the continuous degradation of the local air quality. Noise pollution can distress the local wildlife so much that their natural activity patterns are altered. Many different environments experience improper waste disposal by tourists. From mountain areas to cruise ships, there seems to be no exception to where you can find litter.
The few positive environmental impacts of tourism can contribute to the preservation of the environment. The most obvious positive impact revolves around raising awareness of the negative impacts. Increasingly, many tourist destinations are turning to promote sustainable tourism which in turn can help to educate people about the negative impacts that can occur.
When travel destinations don't regulate the use of their properties that are based out in the environment, a situation known as the Tragedy of the Commons can occur. In this type of situation, individuals (specifically tourists in this case) who have open access to a resource can contribute to the eventual collapse of that resource/environment. This is because the actions of that individual are unregulated, and unbound by any formal rules that govern access and use. The individual usually acts according to their own interests instead of the common good of all users.
Though developed countries have previously remained major destinations for tourists, developing countries are slowly becoming more and more popular. In 2015, emerging states were found to have received more tourists than other more advanced economies. By 2030, it's predicted that 58% of tourists will be traveling to destinations of "Asia, Latin America, Central, and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa."