Balancing Preservation and Progress: Navigating the Future of Sustainable Tourism

Tourism as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development

“Tourism is evolving into a platform, a catalyst, and an agent for helping to realize and accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to advance a positive re-globalization agenda. The tourism sector must actively embrace this role in a participatory and transnational manner,” said Roland Benedikter, UNESCO Chair in Interdisciplinary Anticipation and Global-Local Transformation, during his keynote address. Following his speech, prominent advocates of Futures Literacy took the stage, including Christin Pfeiffer, Senior Consultant in UNESCO's Social and Human Sciences Sector, Markku Wilenius, UNESCO Chair of Learning for Transformation and Planetary Futures, Michael Shamiyeh, UNESCO Chair for Anticipatory Techniques and Future Design. Moderated by Harald Pechlaner, they stressed that the focus should not be solely on problems. Instead, it is essential to harness available collective intelligence — the more diverse, the better. It’s not just about forward thinking; it's about forward doing.

With the keynote by Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the workshop dived straight into the topic of transformation, hospitality, and tourism. He focused particularly on the people working in these sectors, stating, that the term “human resources” may be often used, but it's incorrect. “People are not resources. Resources are things you consume; you use them up. Humans are capital; they are most valuable assets.” Educators should see themselves not only as transmitters of knowledge but also as dream-makers. Chon emphasized that dreaming is a tool that must be utilized to transform the industry and ensure its future viability. He also identified shortcomings in how the younger generation working in tourism is managed. To retain motivated employees, management must significantly adapt its approach to better meet their needs and expectations.

Tourism is a unique product characterized by the distance between where it is purchased and where it is consumed, Dirk Glaesser, Director of the Sustainable Development of Tourism at the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) emphazised. As a human-to-human activity, we travel to destinations that "export" their experiences to us, making it essential to build trust and belief in the product. Given its complexity and the critical role it plays in sustainability, effective communication with consumers is vital. Tourism not only supports but drives transformation, serving as an agent for positive change.
While there is consensus on the challenges faced by the tourism industry and policies are defined to address these issues, there remains a significant gap in implementation. This gap must be bridged to effectively tackle the problems at hand. A participatory approach, despite its difficulties, is crucial. This is not just a tourism issue but a broader discussion on advancing fundamental changes.

"Merely envisioning a sustainable future is not enough; we must actively work to make it a reality. This requires our full commitment and immediate action," emphasized Rebecca Armstrong, a sustainable tourism expert at the Travel Foundation, who traveled by train from Bristol to the workshop in Bolzano. There is only one path to the future of tourism, and it leads to decarbonization. Even in a net-zero scenario by 2050, tourism can still thrive. However, it will be crucial to focus on promoting only those areas of tourism that are committed to moving toward decarbonization today. It is important to look at tourism through the lens of who benefits and also who should be attracted to destinations. High spend tourism doesn’t automatically equal high value tourism. Unfortunately, the elephant - the aviation industry - is outside the room rather than in it. Not at Global Tourism Futures, where the aviation industry was represented by David Feldman. The Managing Partner at Exambela Consulting, a specialist consultancy based in Switzerland that collaborates with airport CEOs, their boards, and investors, provided insight into the economic system underpinning airports.

Climate, Technology, Culture and Creativity

The following discussion on how to incorporate future issues into tourism development featured insights from Rodolfo Baggio, Professor at Bocconi University in Milan, Christian Ubbiali, Lecturer in the International Program in Sports Management (CIES FIFA) at Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi, Alessandro Dassi, Travel and Hospitality Advisor and former executive at Thomas Cook and Fosun Group and Rebecca Armstrong.

“The Middle East will continue to invest into projects and infrastructure and use sport as a pillar to advertise themselves. We want tourists but also potential residents for the future”, Ubbiali emphazised. While there is a growing focus on the negative aspects of tourism, such as overtourism, it is important to remember the positive impacts as well. Governments, destination marketing agencies, and tourism boards have a crucial role in regulating and setting minimum standards, Dassi added. For developing nations, starting from scratch offers a unique advantage, allowing sustainability to be a foundational pillar in new developments. The two most crucial factors for future-fit tourism, according to Rodolfo Baggio, are climate and technology. While tourism has traditionally led in technological advancements, it now trails behind. Technology is often marketed as a panacea, but we need to focus on rethinking and revising our processes and procedures. Creativity too is notably lacking in the tourism sector, likely due to a fear of making mistakes, according to Baggio.

According to Elena Borin’s presentation, living in a place rich in cultural heritage can significantly foster creativity. Her focus was on a project in Florence – Uffizi Diffusi – which leverages the prestige of the renowned Uffizi Galleries to promote smaller cultural sites and address visitor management. “It was an empowerment process where small centers are given the tools to better manage tourism flows and cultural heritage,” the Professor in Business Administration at Pegaso Digital University added. They develop skills, build connections, and share resources, leading to long-term sustainability.

Following the keynote, presentations from various world regions were delivered. Chaozhi (Taylor) Zhang highlighted the importance of considering the aging population when developing new tourism products. He also pointed out a significant challenge in the tourism industry: the lack of patent protection, which discourages innovators from developing new models and products. Supporting and nurturing innovators, along with enacting patent protection, is crucial. Local knowledge can be transformed into livelihood capital, ensuring that traditional culture is preserved.

Ali Said Akaak emphasized that balancing authenticity with modernity in Oman's tourism is challenging but achievable, and it can serve as a model for others. "We must ensure the next generation understands our legacy. We see in other countries that they are losing their unique identity. In Oman, we strive to preserve our culture, for example, by prioritizing local craftsmanship and architecture in new buildings," the lecturer at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Oman said.

Michael Volgger, on the other hand, discussed future paths for cultural heritage, using Australia as an example. He described the prevailing European settler mentality, characterized by a mindset of conquering and pioneering, which often involves making foreign lands useful through intervention, with little regard for risks or local communities. This mindset has led to a conflict between economic development and heritage preservation, especially concerning indigenous heritage, where financial interests frequently take precedence. Despite this, Australia has a clear pro-development bias, with tourism emerging as a potential middle ground between development and conservation. Notably, tourism has become a key ally in protecting Australia's heritage, culture, and nature. There is also a growing recognition that Australia's 'beach life' and leisure culture are evolving into a form of intangible cultural heritage.

Fireside Talk: UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Visitor Management

A highlight of the event was undoubtedly the trip to Selva di Val Gardena, where a fireside talk in the Dantercepies Mountain Lodge addressed the topic of UNESCO World Heritage sites and visitor management. The keynote speech was delivered by Kurt Luger, UNESCO Chair of Cultural Heritage and Tourism at the University of Salzburg, who made a strong case for stricter regulations: "We need to regulate private traffic, control visitor flows, reduce tourism intensity, and limit the rental of private accommodations to tourists." Luger emphasized that tourism cannot achieve sustainable development if it is viewed solely as an economic activity. The cultural, social, and ecological dimensions must be considered.
Luger also challenged the prevailing narrative that tourism is indispensable, pointing out the lack of data to support this claim. "We invest, we rush, we act, but to what end? How do we manage our heritage? This must not be about profit, but about preserving ways of life," he asserted, noting that this crucial perspective is often overlooked by tourism consultants. He further criticized the industry’s focus on excessive investments, such as spending 30 million euros on wellness facilities that are unlikely to pay off over 50 years. Luger described tourism as a fragile industry that urgently needs transparency and truth.

Following his talk, a discussion took place with Mara Nemela, Director of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation, Greti Ladurner, President of FieraMesse Bolzano-Bozen, and Gerhard Vanzi, Founder and CEO of HERO Dolomites. All panel participants highlighted the need to adjust how the UNESCO World Heritage is communicated. It's not just about showcasing the beauty of the Dolomites, but also about conveying the enduring values that mountain regions embody.

The fireside talk was supported by DOLOMITES Val Gardena / Gröden. Günther Pitscheider delivered the official greetings on behalf of the tourism association.

The workshop concluded with a German-language panel discussion that summarized the insights gained over the two-day event. The panel featured Harald Pechlaner, Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Anna Scuttari, Associate Professor at IULM University in Milan, Kurt Luger, Christin Pfeiffer, and Michael Volgger. In addition to many other topics, the political governance of sustainable tourism was addressed. The question of which types of political systems will enable effective governance is crucial for promoting sustainable tourism. It is important to recognize that when we talk about Asia, the Middle East, the Gulf States, or Europe, we are discussing completely different concepts of political governance, ranging from monarchies to autocratic systems to democracies. These differences must be taken into account when developing sustainable solutions.
To ensure the sustainable development of tourism and to reshape it for the future, it is fundamental that all six key stakeholders – guests, local communities, employees, businesses, governments, and the environment – benefit. Unfortunately, there seems to be currently little genuine interest from governments or corporations to hit the brakes. Sustainability transformation doesn’t always result in a win-win for everyone. In the Dolomites, although studies have been conducted since the 1990s and various measures proposed, significant traffic-calming initiatives were only implemented around 2018. Unlike in the past, when hoteliers primarily resisted restrictions, they now hold a different view and support taking action.

The workshop "Global Tourism Futures: Destination Heritage or Destination Future?" was organized by the Center for Advanced Studies of Eurac Research in collaboration with the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute and HERO Südtirol Dolomites, with the fireside talk organized in partnership with DOLOMITES Val Gardena.