Entrepreneurship und Tourismus

1. The concept of sustainable tourism development

Sustainable Tourism has been a buzz word in the academic world as well as the tourism industry for many years. However, the terms “sustainability” as well as “sustainable tourism” have often been misinterpreted or used in the wrong sense. “Sustainability is now one of the most common concepts used in tourism development discussion. At the same time it is also one of the least understood concepts and both academics and practitioners are still a very long way from reaching a consensus regarding its definition” (Fletcher, 2008, p. 215). Also, Butler (1999, p. 19) emphasizes the inflationary use of this term: “The key problem, in my mind, is the current inability to define to the satisfaction of all, or at least most of the stakeholders in tourism what exactly is meant by ‘sustainable tourism’”. Therefore, this article firstly focuses on the fundamental principles of sustainable tourism development.

It has been widely discussed in academic literature as well as tourist practice that tourism is a double-edged sword. “Tourism has immense power to do good. Yet it can also be the vector for the very pressures that may destroy the assets on wh...