One of the primary principles behind the implementation of the sustainable tourism model was to spread the economic benefits of tourism into the host populations of the generally poorer, tourist receiving nations. Some 46 of the 49 poorest countries of the world rely on tourism as their primary source of foreign exchange earnings; tourism can bring in capital investment and exports; furthermore, tourism can be an efficient creative source for job opportunities and training in management skills, education and technology.

There is another pressing reason why tourism should take up the sustainability challenge, however, borne out of the twinned facts that holidays are a luxury and therefore not really necessary, and that the tourism industry emits about 5% of the world’s carbon dioxide total. Tourism, therefore, has responsibility over a significant slice of the factors that are driving climate change – the defining human challenge of the 21st century.

Travel & Tourism Analyst is a bimonthly newsletter providing an examination of the travel industry, sector by sector. Each issue includes five objective and detailed studies on sectors and issues of interest and importance, across the international tourism industry.