Sustainability and sustainable travel are getting more and more attention. I love that! But what defines sustainability and what are the dimensions of sustainable travel? The three pillars of sustainability give some insights that can be easily applied to tourism and traveling. So let’s have a look at it and how we can implement it to become more sustainable travelers.
Table of contents
The three pillars of sustainability for travel
Why are the three pillars of sustainability important in tourism?
The definition of sustainable tourism: What is sustainable travel?
First things first.
Simply put, sustainability means that our actions in order to meet our present needs should not compromise the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
Hence, sustainable tourism strives to use resources in such a way that the needs of future generations can still be fulfilled. The goal is to still have the advantages that traveling has on society and the economy while also limiting all harmful impacts on the environment. On the one hand, tourism brings money to developing areas as well as cultural exchange and personal growth for both travelers and locals. Yet, it has to be ensured that travelers’ needs are in balance with the needs of the destination’s local population, nature as well as the cultural and historic environment.
Thinking about sustainability, many people think about preserving the environment. But that’s just one part of the story. The social and the economic aspects are just as important.
If you delve into a sustainable lifestyle, sooner or later you’ll come across the triangle of sustainability, or also called the three pillars of sustainability. This model includes all three aspects – the environment, society, and economy. Some even talk about four pillars, as you can also include other dimensions, such as politics or technical development.
The environmental pillar of sustainability
The first of the pillars of sustainability comes down to what pops into most minds – the protection of nature and the climate. If we live within the means of natural resources, the environment and nature will still nourish future generations. Clean air, water, and land are key. Some resources are more limited than others. That’s why we need to consider scarcity and the damage to the environment from extracting these resources.
In present times, we’re not doing so. If we keep going at this rate, we’ll run out of oil in about 50 years and almost half of the world’s population will struggle with getting fresh water by 2030. And these are just two examples of how resources we consider to take for granted can become scarce.
Besides natural resources, we need to protect natural landscapes, wildlife as well as agriculture.
For ecological sustainability, we need to change our habits in order to reduce our ecological footprint. This means saving water and energy, as well as reducing waste and our emissions polluting the air, soil, and water. The goal is to avoid harming the ecosystem and to preserve biodiversity.
The environmental pillar of sustainability in tourism
Tourism can be extremely harmful to the natural environment, as infrastructure, pollution, and crowds of people destroy natural landscapes. This also affects wildlife. Destroyed habitats, disrupted breeding, or differing feeding habits are just some of the results that tourism can have on wildlife.
In the case of environmentally sustainable tourism, the tourism industry only uses nature and resources in such a way that they can renew themselves.
The natural surroundings are the core of many tourist attractions. What would be a trip to the south of Italy without its incredible beaches? Or Plitvice in Croatia without its lakes and the National Park? And could you imagine Borneo without its rainforest? To make sure that future generations can also experience these beauties, we have to preserve nature. Factors such as clean water and air are not just important for visitors so they can enjoy their stay. They are vital for the destination itself.
Touristic offers have to respect natural reserves and wildlife. They have to minimize any kind of waste and pollution. These are vital aspects of the environmental pillar of sustainable tourism.
For your travels the environmental pillar means:
During your trip, there are many aspects in which you can practice environmental sustainability. Here are some examples:
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Avoid places suffering from overtourism
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Reduce waste and single-use plastics (e.g. bring your own reusable water bottle, preferably a filter bottle, or use digital tickets instead of paper)
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Minimize your carbon footprint (e.g. use public transport, and travel closer to your home)
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Stay on paths when you go hiking and leave nothing but footprints
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Choose an accommodation that pays attention to environmental sustainability, e.g. one that uses recycled or organic materials, reduces waste, saves water, or generates green energy
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Avoid animal interactions
The social pillar of sustainability
As you’ve realized, there’s more to it than protecting the environment. When it comes to the social pillar of sustainability, humans take center stage. The needs of the individual should be in balance with the needs of a group. And all individuals of a group or society should have a chance for social well-being in the long run.
We’re talking about human resources – meaning, the way people are treated. Social equity, public welfare, and dignity are some of the buzzwords. This also means fair and ethical working conditions for people.
The social pillar of sustainability in tourism
Preserving and supporting the interests of the local inhabitants are key to social sustainability in tourism. The living conditions of locals need to be treated with the same priority as the development of tourism. Hence, only when locals are involved, tourism can develop sustainably.
Hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in the tourism sector need to focus on fair working conditions for their employees, such as a safe working environment, fair wages, and working hours. Ideally, businesses give back to the local economy, e.g. by investing in local projects, fundraising, sponsoring, or scholarships for education.
Tourism should never only line the pockets of businesses but equally, help the local community. The community should benefit from new jobs provided, gaining better education, and rising living standards. Local inhabitants must never suffer from tourism, for example by having less freshwater or less space for living.
For your travels the social pillar means:
Considering the social pillar of sustainability, during your trip you can pay attention to lots of factors, e.g.
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Support locals, e.g. buy products from local farmers, eat at local restaurants or stay with locals
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Choose an accommodation led by locals or where the majority of staff are locals instead of ex-pats
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Buy fair trade products and support sustainable brands and shops (for travel equipment and clothes as well as products you buy on your trip)
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Pay respect to local customs and traditions and adjust accordingly (e.g. wear proper clothes in religious sites)
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Travel to lesser-known places instead of over-visited destinations so inhabitants can enjoy living where visitors spend their vacation
Ask yourself: Are the locals at your destination grateful for the number of tourists visiting their region? Is the local culture treated with respect?
The economic pillar of sustainability
Economy and sustainability? How can they go hand in hand? The economic pillar of sustainability is all about using resources responsibly and efficiently. Without doing so, a business won’t be able to sustain its activities in the long run.
Instead of maximizing profits, companies develop strategies that benefit (or at least don’t harm) humans as well as the planet. They aim at fair and social financing strategies, bearing in mind the environment, social and local value.
Luckily, as people become more educated on how important sustainability is, more and more efforts are made to develop solutions that benefit businesses as well as the environment. Companies use more recycled materials, reduce waste, and some governments offer incentives and tax relief for sustainable business practices.
The economic pillar of sustainability in tourism
Tourism is a major industry and a driver of growth for many international companies.
Ideally, tourism integrates local businesses and benefits them. Hence, sustainable tourism strives to keep most of the profits in the area, meaning it drives profits to local businesses.
Considering economic sustainability, touristic offers are made to benefit the region in the long term, create plenty of jobs, better infrastructure, and are important for the local economy. It’s also significant in economical sustainability to keep jobs under fair conditions and wages.
For your travels the economic pillar means:
When traveling, keep in mind that every dollar spent can bring change – positive or negative. It’s our responsibility and choice to make. So follow some thumb rules:
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Invest in the local community and support local businesses (accommodation, restaurants, tour guides)
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Stay in local guest houses or small local hotels instead of international hotel chains
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Choose restaurants that use regional and seasonal produce
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If you plan on doing a tour, book a local tour operator or local guide
Ask yourself: Does tourism bring economic benefit to the locals? And is the touristic development still positive for the local inhabitants and environment?
The bottom line – Why are the three pillars of sustainability important in tourism?
One thing is for sure: A pillar can never stand alone.
Many efforts to solve problems in sustainability focus on only one pillar. Yet, sustainable tourism needs three-dimensional thinking. The different dimensions or pillars of sustainability – environmental, social, and economic – support and influence each other.
The UNWTO ‘s definition of sustainable tourism includes all three pillars:
This shows us how intertwined they are.
Why one pillar isn’t enough
As soon as one of the three pillars of sustainability is not met, tourism isn’t sustainable anymore, e.g.
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In Bali, you can find numerous eco-lodges made out of bamboo, cafés offering vegan food, and nature lovers practicing yoga and mindfulness. Sustainability seems to be important over there. At the same time, religious temples are full of half-naked tourists paying no respect to Balinese and Buddhist traditions. Without respecting local and religious traditions, social sustainability isn’t met.
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The center of Porto was getting more and more laced with B&Bs and hotels, while many houses got deserted because of rising rental costs. Local inhabitants had less space for living, so the social pillar of sustainability wasn’t met until the city council stepped in. Now, it’s only allowed to open any accommodation for short-term stays in Porto when you buy a deserted building and renovate it.
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An eco-lodge that practices lots of green strategies, such as being built from recycled materials, minimizing waste, and only using organic produce, but belongs to an international company or a foreigner keeping all profit, isn’t sustainable. As long as no profit goes to the local community, the economic sustainability isn’t met.
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When you visit Macchu Picchu, there are only local Peruvian guides showing you around. Yet, it’s not a sustainable activity, as too many tourists visit everyday who leave waste and try petting the Lamas. At places suffering from overtourism, the environmental pillar of sustainability can never be met.
Weaknesses of the environmental pillar as a stand-alone
If protecting the environment is pursued without any consideration of the economic or social pillar, it can lead to a reversal. This is exactly what happened in the 80s in Africa when environmental laws prohibited land use to an extent that it led to starving African communities. In order to meet their basic needs, people started poaching, which caused a backlash of the law’s original intent.
Weakness of the social pillar as a stand-alone
A similar backlash can result from exclusively pursuing the social pillar of sustainability. When tourism leads to a higher standard of living for the locals, thriving local businesses and growing education, this will attract people from other regions. In some cases, this is can lead to extreme migration and rural depopulation. Some secluded Alpine villages in northern Italy you will find completely abandoned, as their inhabitants moved to thriving areas such as South Tyrol where tourism is booming.
How can we make a difference?
Just as hotels, guides, and tour operators should check on a regular basis if their practices meet the three pillars of sustainability in tourism, so do we as responsible travelers. We should try to keep our footprint as low as possible in all three dimensions. Eventually, our travels should reinforce a positive connection between tourism, the environment, and poverty reduction.
The importance is: Each and every traveler can make a difference.
The model of the three pillars of sustainability can give you an overview to assess how sustainable any of your travels actually are. It may also give you a frame to consider the impacts of your actions and daily decisions during your trip.
It’s simpler than it sounds. To become a more sustainable traveler in all three dimensions follows these three basic rules:
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Your actions on your trip should benefit local businesses and have as little effect on nature as possible (economic pillar).
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Experience the environment raw and original, leaving it untouched (environmental pillar).
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Adapt to the local culture and respect their traditions (social pillar).
Here are some recommendations:
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Use all resources responsibly to help to prevent it from becoming scarce (e.g. water in dry regions) which can harm the environment as well as the local society.
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Support local businesses and book with local guides or tour operators to both protect the social stability and the local economy.
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Stay in a guesthouse with locals, so you won’t spend more energy and water than an inhabitant, plus the money goes to the locals.
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Reduce waste and leave nothing behind, to preserve a destination and make it enjoyable also for future travelers. This will benefit the destination environmentally and economically.
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Eat typical food at a local restaurant, street food stall, or at your guesthouse in order to avoid long transport distances and to financially support local agriculture.
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Use public and local transport and avoid flights and international rental car companies for less CO2 pollution, and again for the support of local businesses.
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Turn off electronic devices at night or use standby mode in order to save energy, costs and preserve the environment.
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Buying fair-trade, organic and local produce benefits your health and the environment and counteracts mass factory farming and bad working conditions.
You’ll notice that in some aspects you can easily adopt new habits and automatically make more sustainable decisions. In other aspects, you may find it harder or may get the feeling that you have to waive comfort. But you’ll realize that sustainable travel doesn’t mean abstinence but a huge gain for you personally, the travel industry, the environment, and the locals at your destination.
Do you have some more recommendations to implement the three pillars of sustainability in tourism? I’m happy about additional tips. So leave a comment below.
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