Page 23 - Social_Sustainability of Culture

23

Responsible tourism incorporates not only responsibility with the physical environment, but also an
incorporation of awareness for the economic and social interactions whereas, sustainable tourism focuses
more on the environmental impacts. RespHumane tourism is part of the movement of responsible
tourism. The idea is to empower local communities through travel related businesses around the world,
first and foremost in developing countries.

The idea of humane travel or humane tourism is to connect travelers from Europe, North America,
Australia and New Zealand seeking new adventures and authentic experiences directly, to local
businesses in the specific locations they wish to visit – thus, giving economic advantages to local
businesses and giving travelers authentic and truly unique travel experiences. The Internet is changing
tourism. More and more travelers are planning their travels and vacations via the net. The Internet enables
people to cut off commissions. The traveler can search for new destinations to visit, talk or read about
other people’s experience, and buy the services directly. The Internet platform can encourage local
people to start new businesses and that already existing small businesses will begin to promote
themselves through the net and receive the economic advantages of this directly in their communities. The
world is now in a new tourism age, with globalization and the Internet playing a key role.

The impacts of Tourism Tourism impacts can be grouped into three main categories: economic, social, and
environmental. These impacts are analyzed using data gathered by businesses, governments, and industry
organizations.

Environmental Impact
regards the natural resources (water, forests, etc.), pollution (air pollution, noise, sewage, waste and litter-
ing), physical impacts (construction activities, marina development, trampling, loss of biodiversity). The en-
vironmental impacts of tourism can reach outside local areas and have an effect on the global ecosystem.
One example is increased air travel, which is a major contributor to climate change.

Economic Impact:
Tourism has direct, indirect and induced impacts on local economies, these can often be largely divergent
between countries, based on the structure of the sector but most importantly on how well linked tourism
activities are with the local economy. Tourism increases employment opportunities. Additional jobs, rang-
ing from low-wage entry-level to high-paying professional positions in management and technical fields,
generate income and raise standards of living.

Social and cultural impact:
The social and cultural ramifications of tourism warrant careful consideration, as impacts can either be-
come assets or detriments to communities. Influxes of tourists bring diverse values to the community and
influence behaviors and family life. The development of the Smart Tourism is based on 4 categories: Ac-
cessibility, Digitalisation, Sustainability, Creativity & Cultural heritage) which helped them to improve their
profile as a tourism destination.