Abstract
Mainstream sustainability discussions draw focus to the balance between commercial and environmental interests. Responsible tourism (RT) practices are an outcome of these discussions and RT is a significant contributor to the “greenification” of economies in many countries. Green tourism promotes travel that supports natural and cultural aspirations, while also supporting protection of the destination community’s limited resources. Kerala, India, is a pioneer in implementing RT. The present study exploratively analyzes the RT initiatives at different phases, especially within the lens of sustainable responsible tourism initiatives for green tourism development. The research is descriptive in nature and is guided by the bottom line approach (TBL) for green economic development. The findings highlight the dynamics of challenges experienced in the different phases of RT implementation. Based on our analysis of the secondary data, the first phase implementation of RT was not very successful; the second and the third phases seemed to be more promising. The study also throws light on the need for future studies in other culturally distant destinations; this will result in promising practices being adopted as alternative strategies for sustainable tourism development globally.
Highlights
Mass- and over-tourism are some of the most negative impact-inducing forms of tourism, and these necessitate concerted efforts in the direction of inducing sustainable development (Korstanje and George 2020)
The first section of this study describes the interrelationships between responsible tourism, green tourism development, community social responsibility (CSR), and sustainable tourism development of the destination
Responsible tourism was initiated in four destinations in Kerala and Wayanad was one of the chosen destinations
Summary
Mass- and over-tourism are some of the most negative impact-inducing forms of tourism, and these necessitate concerted efforts in the direction of inducing sustainable development (Korstanje and George 2020). Over-tourism occurs when the number of visitors increases dramatically, resulting in overpopulation in locations where locals are affected by temporary and seasonal tourism peaks. It has a long-term impact on locals’ lifestyles, access to amenities, and overall well-being (Milano et al 2018). The negative economic, social, and environmental impacts caused by tourism development necessitate the need to adopt various sustainable tourism development strategies. Green tourism tries to protect the green environment by adopting various green consumptive activities This is mainly to achieve social, economic, and environmental sustainability
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