Sustainable tourism: redefining luxury and responsibility
As travel rebounds post-pandemic, sustainable tourism is reshaping the industry worldwide. Booking.com's Sustainable Travel Report 2024 reveals that 75 per cent of global travellers aim to travel more sustainably in the next year, challenging destinations, industries, and policymakers to redefine tourism for both enrichment and sustainability.
Having dedicated over ten years to sustainable tourism research, Professor Lisa Wan, Associate Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, is leading this transformative shift in the region.
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Understanding the heart of sustainable tourism
At its core, sustainable tourism seeks to minimise negative environmental impacts while fostering economic growth and cultural exchange. This balance becomes crucial as the consequences of unsustainable tourism grow more evident with the post-COVID tourism surge worldwide. Professor Wan highlights how overtourism has strained local resources and infrastructure, exacerbating issues like waste and environmental degradation. Solutions, she says, lie in encouraging more responsible tourist behaviour and redefining destinations not as transient playgrounds but as interconnected, shared spaces.
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Sustainable tourism: redefining luxury and responsibility
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] As travel rebounds post-pandemic, sustainable tourism is reshaping the industry worldwide. Sustainable Travel Report 2024 reveals that 75 per cent of global travellers aim to travel more sustainably in the next year, challenging destinations, industries, and policymakers to redefine tourism for both enrichment and sustainability. Having dedicated over ten years to sustainable tourism research, Professor Lisa Wan, Associate Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, is leading this transformative shift in the region. Play Understanding the heart of sustainable tourism At its core, sustainable tourism seeks to minimise negative environmental impacts while fostering economic growth and cultural exchange. This balance becomes crucial as the consequences of unsustainable tourism grow more evident with the post-COVID tourism surge worldwide. Professor Wan highlights how overtourism has strained local resources and infrastructure, exacerbating issues like waste and environmental degradation. Solutions, she says, lie in encouraging more responsible tourist behaviour and redefining destinations not as transient playgrounds but as interconnected, shared spaces.
