Sustainable Tourism –
Specific examples
1
I.
Purpose of using these specific examples in this module
1.
A number of specific examples are suggested for teachers to strengthen students’ global
perspective.
2.
Through the study of these specific examples, students should be able to understand how
sustainable tourism is put into practice in different parts of the world.
II. Curriculum tailoring for students of different abilities
1.
Students should be given a brief introduction of how sustainable tourism is practised in
different parts of the world. Teacher should ensure that every student could acquire a brief but
complete understanding of the impact of tourism development on different localities and
different people in the world.
2.
For the students who are more able and who have shown strong interest in this topic, teachers
can consider introducing an in-depth study of one or more of the specific examples on
sustainable tourism development. Teachers can guide students to study the measures adopted in
developing sustainable tourism at a particular type of tourist destination in greater details, and
if students’ ability allows, to evaluate the effectiveness of these measures.
III. How to make use of the information provided in this folder?
1.
The specific examples quoted in this information folder are famous for certain kind of tourist
attractions:

Macau - the Historic Centre of Macau

Thailand – islands and beaches

Brazil – tropical rain forest in the Amazon Basin
In the first part of each specific example, a general introduction of these attractions will be
given so that students can have the background knowledge of the types of attractions that can
be found in these places.
2.
Governments in these specific examples have paid efforts to develop sustainable tourism.
Details will be given so that students can understand the measures adopted to develop
sustainable tourism in different countries.
2
3.
Teachers can make use of these materials to:


4.
Give students a brief introduction of how sustainable tourism is practised in different
parts of the world.
Help students to study in-depth on one or more specific examples about the kinds of
measures adopted in developing sustainable tourism at a particular type of tourist
destination.
Teachers need not cover all the information provided in this folder. Instead it is advisable for
them to refine the materials based on the ability and interest of their students.
3
I. Definitions of sustainable tourism
“Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while
protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future.”
World Tourism Organization, United Nations
“Sustainable tourism establishes a suitable balance between the environmental, economical
and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, plays an important role in conserving
biodiversity. It attempts to minimize its impact on the environment and local culture so that it
will be available for future generations, while contributing to generate income, employment,
and the conservation of local ecosystems.”
World Tourism Organization, United Nations
In order to achieve this, concerns must be given to the following three aspects:

Make optimal use of environmental resources which helps to conserve natural heritage
and biodiversity.

Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve local culture and
tradition and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.

Ensure the economic benefits are fairly distributed to all stakeholders, including stable
employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities.
II. Principles of sustainable tourism
The following are basic principles for sustainable tourism development:


Community input is important to maintain control of tourism development;
Tourism should provide quality employment to its community residents and a linkage
between the local businesses and tourism should be established.

A code of practice should be established for tourism at all levels based on internationally
accepted standards.

Education and training programmes to improve and manage heritage and natural
resources should be provided.
4
References:
1.
Making Tourism more sustainable: A guide to policy makers
http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/pdf/DTIx0592xPA-TourismPolicyEN.pdf
2.
Sustainable Tourism.net
http://www.sustainabletourism.net/index.html
3.
The Sustainable Tourism Gateway
http://www.gdrc.org/uem/ecotour/st-whatis.html
4.
World Tourism Organization UNWTO
http://www2.unwto.org
5
I.
Background
Tourism has long been one of the most important contributors to Macau’s economic
development. In the past, Macau’s main tourist attraction is the gaming industry. The
development of gaming industry has successfully attracted many tourists and provided many
job opportunities for the local residents. In 2008, more than half of the residence in Macau was
employed in gaming related industries and the tax from gaming industry accounted for 82% of
the government revenue. However, if considering from the perspective of sustainable
development, the social and environmental aspects have been neglected. In order to
substantiate the growth of tourism without doing harm to the environment and the social life of
the people, the government has put more effort in developing the other tourism resources in
Macau. Sustainable tourism is also considered as one of the target for the future tourism
development in Macau.
II.
Historic Centre of Macau
In July 2005, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) inscribed the Historic Centre of Macau as a World Heritage Site. The Historic
Centre of Macau is an urban area within the old city of Macau including eight squares and 22
historic buildings. There is also the oldest fortress and lighthouse in South China. It is the
product of cultural exchange between East and West over the past 400 years, and is currently
the oldest, the most complete and consolidated group of European architecture established on
Chinese territory. The inscription of Macau in the World Heritage List together with the
implementation of the Individual Visit Scheme has led to an increase in the number of visitors
to Macau.
6
Figure 1: The rising trend in the number of visitors visiting Macau from 2000 to 2011
1.
Characteristics of “Historic Centre of Macau”

There is a mixture between the oldest western and traditional Chinese architecture
which can reflect the architectural traditions of the East and West.

It shows the influence of the missionary in the Far East and reflects how Chinese folk
beliefs have been disseminated to the Western world.

It is a product of East-West cultural exchange which can be reflected in this unique
set of cultural heritage.

It presents the living traditions of different cultures.
7
Justification for inscription
The followings are the criteria for inscribing the Historic Centre of Macau as a World
Heritage Site by the UNESCO:




The strategic location of Macau on the Chinese territory, and the special relationship
established between the Chinese and Portuguese authorities favoured an important
interchange of human values in the various fields of culture, sciences, technology, art
and architecture over several centuries.
Macau bears a unique testimony to the first and longest-lasting encounter between the
West and China. From the 16th to the 20th centuries, it was the focal point for traders
and missionaries, and the different fields of learning. The impact of this encounter can
be traced in the fusion of different cultures that characterize the historic core zone of
Macau.
Macau represents an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble that illustrates
the development of the encounter between the Western and Chinese civilizations over
some four and half centuries, represented in the historical route, with a series of urban
spaces and architectural ensembles, that links the ancient Chinese port with the
Portuguese city.
Macau has been associated with the exchange of a variety of cultural, spiritual, scientific
and technical influences between the Western and Chinese civilizations. These ideas
directly motivated the introduction of crucial changes in China, ultimately ending the
era of imperial feudal system and establishing the modern republic.
Photos of Historic Centre of Macau
Mandarin’s House
Senado Square
8
Ruins of St. Paul’s
“Leal Senado” Building
Holy House of Mercy
St. Lawrence Church
Some more photos of the “Historic Centre of Macau” can be seen from the following websites:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1110/gallery/
http://www.wh.mo/wh/map/mhmapE.asp
http://www.macauheritage.net/en/HeritageInfo/HeritageInfo.aspx
9
2.
Government policy in promoting sustainable tourism
As tourism is an important industry in Macau, the government has a long-term plan
of developing Macau as a “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure”. Sustainable
tourism development is one of the major strategies adopted by the Macau
government. A number of projects, with a particular focus on environmental aspect,
have been carried out to attain sustainable tourism. They include:
1. Besides the promotion of the World Heritage as a tourist spot, the Macau
government also promotes eco-tourism through the building of the following
facilities:
 The Macao Giant Panda Pavilion（澳門大熊貓資訊中心） was opened in

January 2011. Tourists can learn more about giant pandas through interactive
games set up in the pavilion and feel more strongly for the importance of
conservation and environmental protection.
The Museum of Nature and Agriculture （土地暨自然博物館） was opened
in 1997. Its theme is conservation of natural resources and ecology and it also
provides an introduction of the geography, climate, natural resources and
ecology of Macau.

Macau also has wetland conservation areas, country parks and natural trails
where eco-tourism can be carried out.
Further details of the above can be found in the website “A Naturera de Macau” （澳
門自然網） http://nature.iacm.gov.mo/info/default.aspx#
2. Macau Green Hotel Award

The purpose of the award is to raise the awareness of Macau’s hotel industry
on the importance of environmental management and to commend those
hotels which have adopted environmental measures successfully.
10

Hotels are assessed on the following aspects:
 Energy saving
 Conservation of water
 Waste reduction
 Implementation of environmental conservation policy
 Promotion of environmental awareness among the management team,
staff and even the family members of the staff

In 2011, there were three hotels which have been awarded the Gold Award.
They are: the Crown Towers（皇冠度假酒店）, the Venetian Macao Resort
Hotel （澳門威尼斯人度假村）and Hard Rock Hotel.
3. The Macau government has also invited Pacific Asia Travel Association
(PATA), the leading travel and tourism authority in Asia Pacific region, to
make recommendations on how sustainable tourism can be developed in
Macau. Although these recommendations have not been carried out yet, they
demonstrate the determination of the Macau government in promoting
sustainable tourism.
11
References:
1.
A Naturera de Macau
http://nature.iacm.gov.mo/c/info/default.aspx#
2.
Historic Centre of Macao – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1110
3.
Macao Heritage Net
http://www.macauheritage.net/en/default.aspx
4.
Macau Tourism Industry Net
http://industry.macautourism.gov.mo/en/index.php
5.
The 6th UNWTO Asia/Pacific Executive Training Program on Strategic Tourism Planning
http://asiapacific.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/macau_1.pdf
6.
The Way to the Diversification of Macau’s Social Economy: a Study on Macau’s Cultural
Tourism Development
http://www.ijtef.org/papers/23-c010.pdf
12
I.
Islands and beaches in Thailand
Thailand is a country with plenty of tourist resources, both cultural and physical.
Concerning the physical tourist attractions, there are many beautiful islands and beaches
mainly found in the southern part of the country. Many islands, such as Koh Samui, Phi Phi
and Phuket, are famous tourist spots where tourists can enjoy the beautiful beaches, the flora
and fauna as well as different kinds of water and land activities. There are more than 20 marine
parks in Thailand. Therefore many tourists are attracted to visit these islands and beaches. The
number of visitors has been increasing in recent years. In order to prevent the adverse effects
brought by this increasing number of tourists, the government has adopted measures to achieve
sustainability.
25
No. of tourist (million)
20
15
10
5
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Year
Figure 2: Number of tourists visiting Thailand from 1998 to 2011
13
Photos of Island Samui
Beautiful beaches
Beautiful scenery
Holiday resort
Holiday resort
Photos of Island Phuket
Beautiful beaches
Beautiful scenery
14
Beautiful scenery
II.
Holiday resort
Development of sustainable tourism in Thailand
In order to develop Thailand into a world-class tourist destination, the government
has developed the National Tourism Development Master Plan 2012-2016. One of its
targets is to develop and rehabilitate the tourist destinations in order to achieve
sustainability. The following lists the measures / policies adopted by the government to
achieve this target:
1. Development of “Green Tourism”
This involves 7 green concepts:

Green heart – to urge tourists to be socially responsible and environmentally
aware;

Green logistics – to encourage more environmentally-friendly tourism-related
modes of transport, e.g. cycling;

Green destination – to promote responsibly managed tourist sites that respect the
environment;

Green community – to support community-based tourism in both urban and rural
areas that promotes conservation of the environment, local traditions and ways of
life;
15

Green activities – to promote tourism activities that are well-suited to local
communities;

Green service – to urge all tourism-related service providers to win hearts and
minds by demonstrating respect, care and concern for the environment;

Green plus – to encourage Corporate Social Responsibility among operators, i.e.
refraining from causing environmental damage, promoting energy-saving
initiatives and using renewable energy.
2. Emphasis on local involvement in tourism development
Tourism development should not forsake local culture and tradition. These must be
preserved so that tourists can have the chance to experience these local culture and
tradition. However, sometimes tourism development may be in conflict with the local
community. Therefore, community participation is important in tourist management so
that such conflict can be reduced and the economic benefits to the local people are
ensured.
For example, in the twin islands of Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai, local villagers
act as tour guides. Tourists can really experience the simple village life, enjoy fishing
with the locals and staying in traditional homes in the evening. The local people also try
to control the number of people entering the site and petrol around the area to control
over-fishing. These measures can ensure the tourist spots to sustain for the future.
3. A case study in Koh Phra Thong – how sustainable tourism can be achieved
Koh Phra Thong is located in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of Thailand. It is
100km north of the famous island Phuket. Owing to its good natural scenery and many
beautiful beaches, there is an increasing influx of tourists into the area in recent years.
Foreseeing the impact brought by massive tourists, the tourist operators on the island
tried to develop tourism in a sustainable way:
16

Houses are built out of plantation hardwood by local Thai craftsmen;


There is strict building height restrictions;
All Thai staff – 90% local to the island – received a decent wage and holiday
pay;


Electricity from 6 pm – 11 pm;
No hot water (the temperature is high enough), no air-con (sea breeze is fine),
no swimming pool (there is a bay with warm water next to the resort);
There are also other measures to protect the nature:

Sea turtle monitoring from January to April to find and protect nesting sites;
and

Mangrove rehabilitation project to restore depleted areas.
4. A case study in Koh Samui – “Green Island Project – Koh Samui”
Koh Samui is the third largest island in Thailand and has become a popular tourist
destination in recent years. In 2007, there are about 1 million visitors. In order to avoid
the adverse effects brought by this increasing number of visitors, the government
together with the private business sector has launched the “Green Island Project – Koh
Samui” in 2007. Its target is to restore, rehabilitate, protect and preserve the natural
environment, the cultural landscape, local traditions and ways of life. All sectors are
involved in the project, including state agencies, tourism operators, local communities,
media representatives and visitors/tourists.
There are three phases for the project. The first three years are the initial planning
phase. Planning will follow the 7 green concepts stated by the Thai government. The
following two years will be the monitoring phase while the last 3 years are the control
and development phase. The objectives of the initial stage are:

To develop awareness and promote a better understanding that environmental
conservation can be undertaken with tourism development;

To build a co-operative network of various stakeholders to undertake
environmental conservation;


To draft an implementation plan for sustainable tourism;
To launch a full scale destination marketing / tourism promotion campaign.
17
In the initial stage of the “Green Island Project”, different measures have been
adopted by different sectors. These sectors included:
a. Government:

The Thailand government lays down objectives to reduce the amount of CO2
emission in transportation and building sectors through the use of cleaner
energy, such as solar energy, and renewable energy, such as bio-diesel in ferry
transportation. Energy-saving devices are used in houses and commercial
buildings. The use of private vehicles is discouraged by promoting the use of
public transport.

The Project also promotes “Clean and Green Development” which calls for
sorting of solid waste to avoid sending it to landfill, and reusing treated waste
water for non-sanitary purpose.

The government also funded a number of environmental conservation
projects, such as the regeneration of the coral reefs in Samui.
b. Private sector:

The Thai Hotel Association on Samui has adopted the following measures to
help promote sustainable tourism:
 Hotels are encouraged to run their business based on the 7 green
concepts.
 Effective Microorganism (EM) technology is utilized. This involves
recycling all hotel kitchen and garden waste into fertilizer and liquid EM
can be safely used to clean septic tanks, toilets and floors.
 Some hotels and resorts allow local schools to use their gardens and
vegetable plots for environmental activities.
 Hotels organized and sponsored educational activities, such as “beach
clean-up” to promote environmental awareness of all sectors, including
the tourists.
18
c. Community:

Environmental education is greatly emphasized in the school curriculum.
Students can participate in many activities which aim at promoting
environmental awareness.

There are many environmental events, such as the Green Festival, so that the
local community can have a better understanding on how to conserve their
environment and develop the island in a more sustainable way.
References:
1. Green Island – Topic Asia Magazine
http://topicasia.com/green-island
2. Green Island Project – Koh Samui
http://masterorg.wu.ac.th/source/details.php?newss_id=5&paths=iice
3. Putting green first in the Gulf – Thai Hotels Association
http://www.tha-scec.org/en/tha-activities/green
4. Samui Island low-carbon model town project
http://esci-ksp.org/?project=samui-island-low-carbon-model-town-project
5. Sustainable Tourism Management in Thailand: A Good Practices Guide for SMEs
http://mekopngtourism.org/website/wp-copntent/uploads/2011/02/Sustainable-Tourism-Ma
nagement-in-Thailand-A-Good-Practices-Guide-for-SMEs-by-Eric.pdf
6. Sustainable tourism on Thai tropical island of Koh Phra Thong
http://www.kohphrathong.com/andaman_sustainable_tourism.html
7. Thailand Tourism Review 2007 – Sustainability
http://www.bangkokpost.com/tourismreview2007/31.html
19
8. Thailand: Tourist arrivals from 1998 till 2011
http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism.asp
9. Thaiways: Sustainable Tourism
http://www.thaiwaysmagzine.com/thai_article/1916_sustainable_tourism/sustainable_touri
sm.html
10. Tourism best practices in Thailand
http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/thailand_1-1.pdf
11. United Nations – Managing sustainable tourism development
http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/Publications/TPTS_pubs/Toreview_No22_2141.pdf
20
I.
Amazon rainforest of Brazil
The tropical rainforest in the Amazon Basin of Brazil is the largest and most intact
rainforest region in the world. It covers an area of 5 million km2 of which 80% is within the
Brazilian territory. As the forest is rich in both flora and fauna species, it conserves the largest
portion of the world’s bio-diversity. The tropical rain forest is also an important carbon tank
that should be well preserved to avoid further intensifying global warming. However, many
No. of international visitors ('000)
human activities are damaging these important natural resources. Among them, tourism is one
of the great treat to the ecosystem of the area. The number of tourists visiting Brazil has been
increasing since 2009 and they may also visit the rainforest which may be a nuisance to the
forest. In order to conserve the area, sustainable tourism has been emphasized. The following
paragraphs list out the measures taken by different sectors, mainly the government, to achieve
sustainable tourism in the rainforest.
5500
5400
5300
5200
5100
5000
4900
4800
4700
4600
4500
4400
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Year
Figure 3: No. of international visitors to Brazil from 2005 to 2011
Photos of Amazon Rainforest can be seen in the following website:
http://www.lovethesepics.com/2011/10/amazing-amazonia-amazon-rainforest-46-pics/
http://www.picsearch.com/pictures/Travel/Nature/Forests/Amazon%20rainforest.html
21
II.
Government’s effort in promoting sustainable tourism
a. Laws for conserving the natural environment

The Environmental Crimes Law is one of the legislation to protect the plant and
animal species that live within the country. The law states that no person,
without the possession of a permit issued by the government, may willingly or
knowingly remove wild animals or plants from the natural environment in the
country of Brazil.

Some parts of the National law concern the environment too. It sets out rules
and guidelines on the development of ecotourism so that rainforest resources
can be protected.
b. Launching the “Program for the Development of Ecotourism in the Brazilian Amazon
Region”:

In order to develop the economy of the country in the past, there was large
scale deforestation for the development of different kinds of economic
activities, such as farming, lumbering and mining. The effects of deforestation
are lowering biodiversity and damaging the ecosystem. Therefore, the
government tried to think of alternate mode of development that can both bring
economic benefits and preserve the environment. Well-planned ecotourism is
considered as one of such development which can bring economic benefits and
social improvement while maintaining the forests and the bio-diversity they
contain.

i.
The Program includes three main components for the development of
ecotourism:
Studies will be carried out to search for the sites with ecotourism potential.
The selection criteria are as follows:
 Potential natural / cultural resource / attraction
 Direct sea / air access
 Adequate installed hotel
capacity with basic
accommodations and
amenities
 Existing ecotourism
activity
22
ii.
Ecotourism planning
 Management plans will be prepared to foster eco-tourism in the region.
 The government will provide funding to develop the necessary
infrastructure and facilities.
iii.
Training activities that foster ecotourism are promoted.
 These training activities aim at increasing the awareness of the
conservation of natural resources and providing technical advisory
services to existing ecotourism businesses with the purpose of
developing an “eco” operation.
 Best practices in business management, bio-diversity conservation, and
the use of appropriate technologies will be disseminated.
 Training programs and courses on environmental education, ecotourism
training, ecotourism business opportunities and operation have been
organized for state and municipal public officials, private operators and
even local inhabitants of the ecotourism areas.
c.
Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Certification

The Brazilian government has put much effort to create standards to evaluate
whether the tourism-related operators are operated in a sustainable way. These
operators include hotels, resort and spas, eco-lodges & rural-lodges, restaurants,
tour operators, transportation business and community based tourism projects. If
they have met those standards, they will receive certification. This is a way for
the government to promote sustainable tourism within the industry.

In order to help tourism industry to be more sustainable, training will be
provided for tourism companies so that they can meet the standards.
23
d.
Education

The government promotes sustainable tourism through educating visitors their
proper code of conduct when visiting the country.

In view of the 2014 World Cup which is going to be held in Brazil, the
government launched the “Green Passport Campaign”. It aims at encouraging
tourists to recognize their role in contributing to the conservation of the
environment. The followings are some examples of the code of conduct:
 Tourists are encouraged to learn the culture of Brazil through
interactions with the communities;
 Tourists are encouraged to travel by low-emission vehicles in order
to lower the amount of carbon dioxide emission;
 Tourists are encouraged to use organic products and food produced
locally.
III. Effort paid by NGO in promoting sustainable tourism

Different non-profit making organizations which are very concerned with
sustainable development have also helped to promote sustainable tourism by
developing different projects within the country.

Some NGOs have promoted Community-Based Ecotourism to get the
involvement of local communities in the decision-making process and the
management of tourism development. The NGOs aim at ensuring the tourism
development are based on the following principles:
 It is complementary to the local way of life;
 It creates opportunities for cultural sharing and learning, as well as
exchange of experiences between the community and the visitors;
 It ensures equal distribution of resources among all stakeholders;
 It guarantees social and environmental conservation.

For example, tourists joining these eco-tours will experience the daily lives of
the farmers and fishermen in the rainforest by participating in their farming
activities, looking at their cave paintings
and trying their typical cuisine.

NGOs will also provide training
to the local residents so that
hey can become tour guide
and this will also arouse their
concern over the environment.
24
References:
1.
Brazil boosts sustainable tourism’
http://infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/features/saii/features/economy/2012/04/1
8/feature_02
2.
Brazil Ecotourism Tours – Sustainable Tourism & Conservation Laws
http://www.internationalwildlifelaw.org/brazil.html
3.
Community-Based Ecotourism in the Brazilian Amazon: The experience of the Institute
Peabiru
http://www.iss.nl/fileadmin/ASSETS/iss/Documents/DevIssues/FontouraGabriela_WEB.
pdf
4.
ecoDestinations – Brazil
http://www.ecotourism.org/brazil
5.
Instituto EcoBrasil - Ecotourism
http://www.ecobrasil.org.br/publique/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?UserActiveTemplate=ec
obrasil%5Feng&infoid=82&sid=32
6.
Program for the development of ecotourism in the legal Amazon Region – Brazil
http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/cdrom/WEBx0139xPA/statmnts/pdfs/sobrae.pdf
7.
Report on Brazilian Ecotourism
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/00/0012brazil.html
8.
Responsible Travel in Brazil
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0411/responsible_travel_the_br
azil_amazon.shtml
9.
Tourism Certification
http://www.ecobrasil.org.br/publique/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?UserActiveTemplate=e
cobrasil_eng&infoid=298&sid=38
10.
UNWTO – Tourism Highlights 2008 Edition
http://tourlib.net/wto/WTO_highlights_2008.pdf
25