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The cost of retrofitting establishments to make them more environmentally friendly is one of the primary challenges businesses face when implementing responsible tourism practices, according to a recent study.
Presenting the research at a seminar hosted by the Department of Tourism in Pretoria last week, Dr Ndivhuwo Tshipala of the University of Venda, said businesses surveyed had said they needed more support to implement responsible tourism management practices, while the primary support needed was funding.
Other challenges relate to knowledge and training. Businesses said they needed access to reliable information about how to implement responsible tourism practices. A need was also identified to share examples of businesses that had financially benefited from responsible tourism practices.
Tshipala said it was worrying that the majority of businesses surveyed said that their staff had not been trained to provide services to people with disabilities.
The study also surveyed tourists and found that almost half those surveyed were aware of sustainability and understood it as resource protection. Tourists surveyed believed responsible tourism products cost the same as other tourism products. Moreover, the majority, or 72%, said they were prepared to make small changes in their behaviour when on holiday if it benefited local communities.
The impact of a holiday on local communities and the environment was viewed as very important when choosing a holiday by 49% of respondents. Other factors that were regarded as very important included the impact on the environment, whether a brand was well known and the activities on offer.
However, the perception among tourism businesses surveyed was that there was not sufficient evidence of demand for responsible tourism products from tourists.
The study suggested that preferential marketing to responsible tourism businesses would encourage other businesses to embrace responsible practices.
Responding to questions, Tshipala said it would be a good idea to include responsible tourism practices in the grading criteria, while Tourism Grading Council of South Africa Chief Quality Assurance Officer, Darryl Erasmus, said it was something the council was looking into.
Sоurсе: tourismupdate.co.za
