Tourism Research Forum7th May 2008

Paddy Mathews

Manager, Environment and Planning

Sustainability Issues in Tourism and Hospitality:

Insights from Failte Ireland research reports

Environment Unit

• Established in 2006

• 3 staff

• Advisory Group on the

Environment

• National Tourism

Conference 2007:

Tourism and the

Environment – Current

Climate, Future Trends

Environmental Action Plan 2007-09

5 key objectives:

1. Policy

2. Protect

3. Research

4. Promote

5. Partnerships

Recently completed research

• Action 1.4 Review of Sustainability Content of Tourism Education and Training Programmes

(Education Policy & Environment Unit)

• Action 4.1 Review of Environmental Good Practice within the Tourism Sector

Sustainable tourism

‘Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of present tourists and host regions, while

protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to the

management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled, while maintaining cultural integrity,

essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems’

(UNWTO,1998)

Sustainable tourism

Happy tourists

+

Happy locals

+

Profitable tourism businesses

+

A clean, high quality environment

=

Sustainable tourism

Sustainability issues need a continual cycle of information and improvement

Business Practice

Education & Training

Project 1

Review of Good

Environmental

Policy and

Practice in the

Tourism Sector

Rationale and context

• Legislative requirement

– EU 6th Environment Programme (2002-2012)

– EU Sustainable Development Strategy 2006

– EU Water Framework Directive 2000

– Kyoto Protocol on Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1997

• Overarching need to ensure the ‘sustainability’ (‘durability’) of the tourism industry in Ireland

• Increasing consumer expectation / demand

Objectives

• To establish a baseline of good environmental practice in the tourism industry

• To identify representative case studies

• To recommend standards of good environmental policy and practice within the sector

• To identify effective means of promoting good environmental practice within Ireland

Methodology

• 250 businesses surveyed

– Transport

– Accommodation

– Attractions

– Activities

– Destinations

• Survey was supplemented by Tourism Business and Employment Survey

Key findings

• The sector is undecided on whether its impact on the environment is positive or negative

• The industry considers itself well informed on environmental legislation

• It believes that the main drivers for improved environmental management in tourism are (a) costs and (b) customer needs

• The majority of the industry doesn’t see good environmental performance as a potential point-of-differentiation from its competition

• Accommodation appears to be best developed

Case studies

• 14 case studies

• Practical examples of good practice designed to stimulate wider interest within all sectors of Irish tourism

• They focus on a variety of areas including energy efficiency, waste management, purchasing policy and accreditation

Project 2

Weaving

Sustainability

Issues into

Tourism Education

and Training

Rationale and context

• Sustainability needs to be an integral part of the education process

• Review coincides with

– National Strategy for Education for Sustainable

Development (Ireland)

– UN Decade for Education for Sustainable

Development 2005-2014

Objectives

• Identify and assess Irish validated tourism and hospitality related programmes in order to identify the shortfalls and strengths in relation to sustainability issues within these programmes

• Identify international best practice in relation to sustainability content and issues in tourism education and training programmes

• Identify and develop suitable content in the area of sustainability, for inclusion in education and training programmes.

Research Elements

Research approach

Research undertaken by DIT

• School of Hospitality Management and Tourism

• Tourism Research Centre

• Expert Advisory Panel:

– Professor Richard Butler, University of Strathclyde

– John Swarbrooke, Sheffield Hallam University

– Professor John Tribe, University of Surrey

– Dr Rebecca Hawkins, Oxford Brookes University

– Professor Frederic Dimanche, CERAM Sophia Antipolis

– Leo McMorrow, Fáilte Ireland

Database Summary

Programmatic Content Analysis – Key Findings

• Limited explicit identification of sustainability issues

• Little or no systematic treatment of sustainability

• Dealt with in higher level, elective modules

• Can gain qualification with little / no exposure to sustainability issues / concepts

• Relevant issues not explicitly addressed from sustainability perspective e.g. waste management

• Sustainability most prominent in ‘tourism’

• Sustainability - minor element in Hospitality & Culinary Arts e.g.– from statutory perspective

• Overall: discretionary incorporation

Stakeholder Consultations – Key Findings

• Discretion of individual lecturer to incorporate• Prevalence of environmental issues• Specific modules on ‘sustainability’ in 4 ITs, planned

in 2 ITs – at higher levels• Most likely to be addressed in tourism programmes,

followed by hospitality• Very limited in Culinary, Bar & other skills

programmes• Overall: greater appreciation of ‘sustainability’

within the tourism framework

Stakeholder Consultations – Key Findings

• Sustainability – a poorly understood higher level concept, rather than guiding framework

• Delivery methods: case study, guest lecturer, field work, site visit - grounded in reality

• Scarcity of Irish resource materials

• Heavy reliance on newspaper articles etc.

• Need for some theoretical treatment at all levels

• Practical application of theoretical concept

• Need progressive / tiered approach to delivering the concept

Phase II

International Best Practice Review – Key Findings

• Greatest depth on tourism specific programmes

• Explicit systematic treatment of sustainability issues incorporated into dedicated modules, which are more prevalent at higher levels

• Gradual introduction of principles into tourism

• Triple Bottom Line – but environmental usually more attention, especially at skills level

• Culinary Arts: integration where appropriate, rather than explicitly address - Food, Culture and Society

• Cultural diversity main socio-cultural issue addressed

Phase III

Issues & Considerations

• Diverse audience: aims must be flexible & adaptable according to:

– Student need

– Programme / module type & level

– Individual institutional requirements

• Future proofing: sustainability debate & agenda constantly evolving

Overarching Principles

• All students, regardless of level & discipline, should receive grounding in general sustainability issues, in addition to subject specific consideration of sustainability issues relevant to their specialism

• Progressive approach to teaching & learning, incorporating both theoretical & practical elements at all levels as appropriate

• Dedicated modules addressing sustainability issues, where available, should form part of the core programmatic requirements

• Linkages across modules and throughout the programme should inform the teaching of sustainability and ensure its holistic nature is effectively communicated to students

• Institutions own practices e.g. kitchen practices, inform teaching and learning.

Programme Learning Outcomes: Level 5

Indicative Programme Content: Level 5

Key Issues

• Tradition teaching & learning strategies assume true & valid answer

• Sustainability: no universal, unchallenged truths

• Challenge students to take ownership of learning experiences

• Broad brush at lower levels; more depth & breath at higher levels

• Integrate & continuously re-evaluate development of content, delivery style & assessment methods

• Different delivery styles appropriate to different programmes/levels etc.

Final Thoughts

• Definition of Sustainability

• Don’t get hung up on terminology

• ‘Sustainability’, not just ‘Sustainable Tourism’

• Holistic, strategic approach

• Talk with others

• Share resources

Further Environmental Research

• Implications of climate change for tourism (July 08)

• Measurement of the carbon footprint of the tourism industry (08-09)

• Environmental and social impacts of holiday homes (08)

• Identification of quality waters for tourism (08)

• Publication of visitor attitudes on

– Litter (May 08)

– Water quality (June 08)

– Wind farms (June 08)

Contacts:paddy.mathews@failteireland.ie

marion.oconnor@failteireland.ie