Ethical tourism consumption: should businesses be concerned?

Negative socio-cultural, economic and environmental impacts of tourism continue to be a major concern. This concern has led to the number of initiatives aimed at creating awareness about tourist activities and the overall impact of tourism on the environment and society in general. This awareness ha...

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Main Author: Lehlohonolo Gibson Mokoena
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AfricaJournals 2019-01-01
Series:African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_3_vol_8_1__2019.pdf
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author Lehlohonolo Gibson Mokoena
author_facet Lehlohonolo Gibson Mokoena
author_sort Lehlohonolo Gibson Mokoena
collection DOAJ
description Negative socio-cultural, economic and environmental impacts of tourism continue to be a major concern. This concern has led to the number of initiatives aimed at creating awareness about tourist activities and the overall impact of tourism on the environment and society in general. This awareness has already started to have an effect on the way in which some tourists behave, how they select tourism products and destinations. This wave of awareness may in the future also compel tourism businesses to operate businesses differently, in a profitable way whilst ensuring the minimisation of the negative impacts of tourism. This paper focuses on addressing the possible impact of alarming tourism markets on the negative socio-cultural, economic and environmental issues caused by the tourism industry and it addresses the impact this awareness may have on tourism businesses currently lacking corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. This paper thus draws the attention of ethical tourism to businesses and reinforces the importance and implications thereof. Ethical tourism strives to maximise the positive impacts of tourism, and simultaneously tries to minimise the destructive impacts. The concept of ethical tourism also means that purchasing decisions of tourism consumers will include an element of responsible consumption. This in turn will mean that businesses without ethical credentials will be less competitive, should this “new tourist” phenomenon gain traction. The paper encourages that the tourism industry should lead the way in terms of responsible tourism, not solely for the purpose preparing for the ethical tourism market in the future and being competitive, but because it is about protecting and improving the future of the tourism industry sustainably.
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spelling doaj.art-da98372ef8a64df9b5aee754371a308c2022-12-21T19:39:54ZengAfricaJournalsAfrican Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure2223-814X2019-01-0181Ethical tourism consumption: should businesses be concerned?Lehlohonolo Gibson Mokoena 0Department of Tourism and Event Management; Faculty of Management Sciences Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa Negative socio-cultural, economic and environmental impacts of tourism continue to be a major concern. This concern has led to the number of initiatives aimed at creating awareness about tourist activities and the overall impact of tourism on the environment and society in general. This awareness has already started to have an effect on the way in which some tourists behave, how they select tourism products and destinations. This wave of awareness may in the future also compel tourism businesses to operate businesses differently, in a profitable way whilst ensuring the minimisation of the negative impacts of tourism. This paper focuses on addressing the possible impact of alarming tourism markets on the negative socio-cultural, economic and environmental issues caused by the tourism industry and it addresses the impact this awareness may have on tourism businesses currently lacking corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. This paper thus draws the attention of ethical tourism to businesses and reinforces the importance and implications thereof. Ethical tourism strives to maximise the positive impacts of tourism, and simultaneously tries to minimise the destructive impacts. The concept of ethical tourism also means that purchasing decisions of tourism consumers will include an element of responsible consumption. This in turn will mean that businesses without ethical credentials will be less competitive, should this “new tourist” phenomenon gain traction. The paper encourages that the tourism industry should lead the way in terms of responsible tourism, not solely for the purpose preparing for the ethical tourism market in the future and being competitive, but because it is about protecting and improving the future of the tourism industry sustainably.https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_3_vol_8_1__2019.pdfenvironmenttourismnegative impactsethical consumptiontourist
spellingShingle Lehlohonolo Gibson Mokoena
Ethical tourism consumption: should businesses be concerned?
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
environment
tourism
negative impacts
ethical consumption
tourist
title Ethical tourism consumption: should businesses be concerned?
title_full Ethical tourism consumption: should businesses be concerned?
title_fullStr Ethical tourism consumption: should businesses be concerned?
title_full_unstemmed Ethical tourism consumption: should businesses be concerned?
title_short Ethical tourism consumption: should businesses be concerned?
title_sort ethical tourism consumption should businesses be concerned
topic environment
tourism
negative impacts
ethical consumption
tourist
url https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_3_vol_8_1__2019.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT lehlohonologibsonmokoena ethicaltourismconsumptionshouldbusinessesbeconcerned