Linking Tourism, the Environment, and Sustainability

The tourism and recreation industry is at a crossroads in its development. Now one of the world's largest industries, it is confronted with arguments about its sustainability and compatibility with environmental protection and community development. There are 4 key challenges: a better understanding of how tourists value and use natural environments; enhancement of the communities dependent on tourism as an industry; identification of the social and environmental impact of tourism; and implementation of systems to manage these impacts.