The Good Trip
A journey into sustainable tourism into Southern Africa
To most people, “sustainable” is pretty much the same as “eco-friendly.” They think of complicated conservation efforts and companies concerned with their carbon footprints. And it’s true that being environmentally-conscious is a big part of being sustainable. But it’s not the only thing to consider. An attraction or destination or establishment can be as “green” as possible, but still not be sustainable.
When it comes to sustainability, there are three main sections we need to look at and can be considered the pillars of sustainable
tourism.
- Environmental Sustainability
- Socio-Cultural Sustainability
- Economic Sustainability
So why does all of this matter? Clearly tourism has survived up until now without such a huge discussion about sustainable, responsible travel. But here’s the thing we have to remember: it’s only in the last couple of decades that tourism has truly exploded. More people around the world have disposable income and an interest in travel today than ever before. This is putting a strain on the tourism industry as a whole – and especially on the most popular destinations, like South Africa.