The Relationship Between Sustainable Tourism and Technology

The economic significance of tourism is globally acknowledged. Tourism creates employment and some countries’ biggest economic revenues are tourism revenues. However, tourism also has some negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Therefore, the environment should be protected in parallel with the growth of tourism sector and a balance should be created between socio cultural impacts.

The United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, declared in 2015, includes Sustainable Development Goals. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consist of 17 key items related to the protection of the environment, climate, and reduction of inequalities and poverty.

Tourism represents 10% of the global GDP, 30% of services export and 1 out of every 10 jobs in the world. Tourism has the potential to directly or indirectly contribute to all goals. According to the UN, “tourism may and should play a critical role in offering sustainable solutions for people, planet, welfare and peace.”

The importance of tourism sector has been clearly stated in these goals such as “decent work and economic growth” (Article 8), “Responsible consumption and production” (Article 12) and “Life under water” (Article 14). And the most important players in the implementation of these goals in the tourism sector are information and communication technologies (ICTs).

The development of information and communication technologies has made possible elements such as computerized reservation systems, global distribution systems, tourism company websites, speed and ease of reservations and price competition in the tourism sector.

Information and communication technologies have become a part of the daily lives of many consumers. For example, choosing a destination on social media or using accommodation innovations such as Airbnb are now an indispensable part of our lives. In short, information and communication technologies and systems provide benefits to both suppliers and tourists in terms of accommodation, transportation and communication in tourism. These developments have also radically changed the understanding of competition in the tourism sector.

In recent years, digital technologies have offered new opportunities to improve destination management, enhance visitor experiences and encourage sustainable behaviors among tourists, and support sustainable tourism development. Digital technologies such as social media, mobile applications and big data analytics are gaining importance in terms of promoting tourism destinations and establishing interactions with tourists and stakeholders. Information and communication technologies and digital technologies have the potential to support sustainable tourism practices by increasing operational efficiency, reducing waste and emissions and improving the tourist experience.

In terms of the Sustainable Development Goals, information and communication technologies facilitate, enrich and support innovation. So how? Read on!

Another factor that has the potential of contributing to a sustainable future while creating promising results in terms of SDGs is “sharing economy.” Thanks to platforms such as Airbnb and Couchsurfing, sharing economy is being popularized in tourism. These platforms also improve cultural learning and friendship between cultures.

These sharing platforms provide access to unused resources, create employment, and reduce the consumption of natural resources. For example, they enable access to the market for women entrepreneurs in developing countries while strengthening rural businesses and increasing economic sustainability.

Therefore, sharing economy platforms may contribute to more than one SDG: End Poverty (Item 1), Gender Equality (Item 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (Item 8), Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (Item 9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (Item 11) and Responsible Consumption and Production (Item 12).

Implementation of information and communication technologies, i.e., ICTs, contributes greatly to sustainable tourism. Information and communication technologies help with “destination management” in sustainable tourism when used in the areas of tourism management, tourist satisfaction, increasing social engagement, efficient use of energy, etc.

For example, various works may be conducted such as environmental management information systems, location-based services, virtual tourism, and carbon calculators.

Technology also increases communication and interaction levels between tourism stakeholders. Data compilation can be conducted which has a critical role in tourism, such as data collection, analysis, management, and distribution, and measuring, monitoring, and reporting of tourism economy impacts become possible.

One of the most important tools that can be used by destination managers in order to support their works to develop sustainable tourism is DMS (destination management system). These systems are used in activities such as information management, marketing, resource management and educating tourists. Along with this, Environmental Management Information Systems provide data about the positive or negative impacts of tourism at that destination while also enabling monitoring of emissions and waste management and helping with the processes of tourism planning.

Location-based Services (LBSs) provide information about the location of tourists while informing tourists about the places they visit and attraction centers. ICT systems are critical also for sustainability training at the destinations. Community Informatics (CI) are used to enable social engagement, protection of the cultural heritage and traditions in the region and to help with the social harmony and education of tourists. Virtual Tourism (VT), on the other hand, offers options for tourists to experience tourism products or services in a virtual environment. In addition, carbon calculator is an innovative product that informs tourists about their carbon footprints before and during their travels.

Tourism literature emphasizes local communities as a key source for the development of sustainable tourism. Engagement of local communities is particularly important for tourism practices. Tourism, which markets natural and cultural heritage at the destination, helps with the development of communities and reduction of poverty in the region by creating employment for the women at that region. At this point, promotion of and support for small businesses are facilitated with the help of information and communication technologies. In addition to the economic advantages for the local communities, skill development, access to education, understanding the world outside the region and creating trust are also enabled in this manner. For example, information and communication technologies have played a positive role in social development in the tourism sector in Malaysia. Local people have learned to use various reservation platforms for accommodation, and they have developed their skills in the accommodation field. In addition, the awareness and knowledge levels of the local people have increased in terms of protecting the environment thanks to access to the Internet.

The connection of technology with sustainable development is increasingly important in today’s world. Sustainable development is a concept that includes economic growth, social inclusion and protection of the environment, and technology is one of the keys to advance these three factors in a balanced manner.

Innovative technological solutions can increase energy efficiency, improve waste management, and help with decreasing our environmental footprint by enabling more efficient usage of natural resources. At the same time, access to education and health care services can be increased thanks to digitalization and smart technologies, thus promoting social justice and increasing economic opportunities. Thus, technology has become one of the keystones of sustainable development, and its role in shaping our future is increasingly prominent.

Information processing sources, the Internet, mobile phones, e-commerce, GPS, etc. make work activities possible. Thus, they contribute to the socio-economic development of individuals and countries. At an individual level, we can list subjects such as vocational training, increasing income and raising the quality of life. At a corporate and country-based level, on the other hand, ICTs enable increasing global competitive power and national income of the country.

Although the use of information and communication technologies in the tourism sector is not new, many new products are being developed to use these technologies for sustainable tourism. Recent technologies developed for tourism make it possible to share economy platforms, strengthen destination management tools and local communities. Thus, the goal is to have a more sustainable future via reducing poverty, creating employment, achieving economic growth, and tackling inequality.

Technology-based tools help with overcoming environmental problems at the destinations. The use of information and communication technologies in the tourism sector helps to support the local communities at the destinations as well as their engagement in the decision-making processes and educating local people and tourists.