The quest for a practical approach to morality and the tourism industry

Abstract

Abstract ‘Ēthos’ is a Greek word which refers to a person of high moral standards. Morality has been described as a complex and controversial concept. It refers to the kind of practices that deal with what is right and wrong, the policies and guidelines that support those practices, as well as the principles and values they include ( DeGeorge, 1982 ). Morality gets more complicated when put in the context of the vast, diverse, and constantly growing tourism industry. Few research studies have been devoted to morality in the various segments of the tourism industry and are mainly theoretical. A practical approach is still needed as tourist organizations keep facing all sorts of moral issues without any guidance or support on how to deal with them. Their only source has been the United Nations World Tourism Organization's (UNWTO) Global Code of Ethics for Tourism or other codes of ethics that were created by various tourism segments, organizations, and government entities to address such issues. However, a perennial problem has been putting the principles included in these codes of ethics into practice when faced with moral issues and dilemmas. How can a broad industry, such as tourism, support moral standards within its ranks? What is the value of deliberation about moral dilemmas regarding tourism? How can deliberation about moral issues be encouraged? The purpose of this paper is to offer practical and applicable strategies to contribute to the advancement of knowledge on how to apply moral standards in the tourism industry.