A methodology to transform sustainable tourism policies into action

Andrew Jones

University of Malta

I am currently a senior academic at The University of Malta but have held positions at The University of Wales, International Faculty Cardiff, Swansea Business School and the University of Brunei. I have professional experience in urban and regional planning, business management and tourism at both international, regional and local levels and have been an enthusiastic contributor in teaching environmental, tourism and business management within the UK and internationally. In this respect I have been an active practitioner, researcher and teacher within higher education since 1981 when I first graduated with a BA in Urban and Regional Planning. In my most recent work I have specialized in transnational education – developing and managing collaborative programme provision overseas. In this international capacity I have a range of transnational education experiences with partnership development across Europe, Central, South and South East Asia. In my current positions with both the University of Wales and University of Malta I am involved in the University’s collaborative programmes and partnerships in Greece, China, and India but have also previously been involved with assignments in Hong Kong, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Japan, Germany and the UK. I completed my Ph.D. on research investigating the relationship and tensions between cultural regeneration, the environment and the development of niche markets. As such I have carried out numerous consultancy and research assignments relating to planning, the environment, climate change, coastal tourism, waterfront and economic regeneration and have published a number of industry and academic articles, reports and conference papers. To this end I have travelled widely and have contributed to international conferences in Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia and spent two years as a visiting research fellow at the University of Brunei. I have over twentyfive years of UK higher education experience.

Giusy Cardia

University of Malta

This presenter did not provide a biography.

Abstract

This study analyses the importance of sustainability in tourism and how it can be implemented in the management of tourism projects and destinations through a structured methodology such as PM4SD (Project Management for Sustainable Development).
The study starts with a review of key sustainable tourism policies at global level over the last twenty years. From a first analysis, it transpires that sustainable tourism can be interpreted in different ways depending on the stakeholder perspective. This implies that there are several definitions of sustainable tourism (Garrod and Fyall, 1998). For this reason sustainable tourism is considered as an “overloaded concept“ (Sharpley, 2012) and “essentially contested concept” (Hall, 1998) which means, on one side, that it is flexible enough to be interpreted in a number of different ways, according to the use to which the interpreter requires it to be put (Hughes, 1995); on the other side, this flexibility has provoked conflicting interpretations of the term, which, sometimes are diametrically opposed.
Although the recent policy developments have increased the awareness of the importance of sustainability of tourism, concrete progress has been weak due to the inability to transform policies into action. In order to maximize the benefits of applying sustainable principles in tourism, the study looks at the need for key actors of the tourism value chain to apply a solid framework such as PM4SD in the daily management of projects related to cultural sites, destinations, enterprises and locally centred initiatives.
The study concludes reiterating the role of projects, as an important opportunity for boosting sustainable tourism development. Despite their temporary nature, if the projects are designed, planned, and managed sustainabily, they can facilitate the acquisition of the necessary resources for the stimulation of the local employment (economic sustainability). In turn this may inhibit emigration and encourage immigration (cultural sustainability), and prevent the emergence of a local old-age demographic structure (social sustainability). Moreover, projects may allow to afford easily the infrastructure costs which are necessary to reduce the intensification of agriculture (environmental sustainability), and the subsequent erosion of the economic base of rural communities which also poses problems for sustainable tourism development.

Authors

Andrew Jones (University of Malta)
Giusy Cardia (University of Malta)

Topic Areas

Topics: Policy and Governance , Topics: Tourism Systems , Topics: Social and Environmental Dimensions of Tourism

Session

OS-B4 » Policy and Governance (11:30 - Monday, 3rd October, Palmavera Room, Santa Chiara Complex)

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