What ‘good tourism’ needs: Listening, learning, leading
K Michael Haywood wonders what the subjective notion of ‘good tourism’ is, or could be, and how it might be achieved.
It’s a “Good Tourism” Insight. [You too can write a “GT” Insight.]
The ‘good’ in ‘good tourism’ represents the search for that which is desirable and deserving of esteem and respect.
It suggests that tourism activities be appropriate within future-ready societal, locational, cultural, and operational contexts.
In this sense, tourism should contribute to peoples’ well-being, including that of visitor-serving organisations and communities-as-destinations; everyone desirous of creating and capturing net-positive shared value that thwarts untoward environmental, social, cultural, and economic impacts, and eliminates unnecessary waste.
As a signifier of being morally admirable, however, the notion of what constitutes ‘good’ can perplex.
As a tool of social conformance that encourages thoughtful judgments, decisions, behaviours, and evaluations, one has to ask:
Who gets to determine what constitutes social norms (‘good’), and deviation from them (‘bad’), especially when universality, even within a ‘community’, is questionable?
As an indicator of performance, ‘good’ can be paradoxical.
Don’t miss other “Good Tourism” content tagged with
’Travel & tourism industry policy and governance’
‘Good enough’ never is
From a quantitative point of view, ‘good tourism’ references the rewards that come from boosting volume, value, and profits; the higher, the better.
From qualitative perspectives also, ‘good enough’ never is. In that context, ‘good tourism’ may identify the benefits of a reduction in consumption (even degrowth) in the context of ‘good’ social-ecological transformation.
What arises are challenging queries related to all types of growth: Advancement, prosperity, success, and the pursuit of a myriad of derived business value-creation opportunities from burgeoning demand and lifestyle choices.
As a consequence, we need to revisit the essence of ‘good growth’ and ‘enough growth’ (even degrowth) in regards to what, why, for whom, when, and how.
We’re all involved in and dedicated to the pursuit of survivability and thriveability, yet we’re quick to judge … Continue reading Prof Haywood’s “Good Tourism” Insight at The “Good Tourism” Blog.
