INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE TOURISM MANAGEMENT
Outline
I. Introduction
II. Corporate Social Responsibility in sustainable tourism
A. Discusses the area of applicability of corporate social responsibility in the tourism sector
B. Both CSR and sustainable tourism aim at meeting the needs of stakeholders
III. Components that make up sustainable tourism
A. Discusses the criteria for attainment of sustainability in tourism, which are similar to the goals of corporate social responsibility
IV. Effectiveness of corporate social responsibility in monitoring and evaluating sustainability in tourism
V. Conclusion

Introduction
The concept of sustainable tourism aims at ensuring tourism has minimal effects on the environment and the culture of the local people, while at the same time establishing future employment for the people in the region. Ashley and Roe (2002) state that the primary objective of sustainable tourism is to ensure that tourism development helps in establishing a positive experience and development for the local people, the tourist organizations and the tourists. Basically, it can be argued that the aspect of sustainable tourism draws from the concept of sustainability, which focuses on development that helps in meeting the human needs in the present time without compromising the capacity and ability of meeting the human needs of people in future. In comparison with the CSR model suggested by Ashley and Roe (2002), Blancas et al (2010) notes that sustainable tourism aims at maintaining a suitable balance between the mentioned dimensions in order to ensure its sustainability in the long term. In the light of this, sustainable tourism is required to make optimal use of the natural resources, maintain respect for the socio-cultural authenticity of the local communities and ensure that there is viability of long term economic operations in order to ensure distribute the socio-economic benefits to all the stakeholders in the tourism industry (Castellani & Sala, 2010). For instance, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the larger Thai tourism industry are embarking on green initiatives with the main objective of maintaining the balance between tourism promotions and protecting the environment in order to guarantee long-term sustainability (Blancas et al., 2010). The Tourism Authority of Thailand lays emphasis on CSR among the tourism operators through encouraging the tourism firms to give back to the communities that they are conducting business. Some of the Green Beaches in Thai include the Bileh Beach found in Krabi Province and Koh Lidi found in Satun Province. An analysis of the definition of the concept of corporate social responsibility reveals similarity with the guiding principles of sustainable tourism in the sense that they both lay emphasis on the identification and acknowledgement of the stakeholders and how initiatives should be evaluated to assess the effects on others. Epler (2002) notes that this kind of association reveals that corporate social responsibility play an integral role in the establishment of sustainable tourism. The main purpose of this paper is to assess how corporate social responsibility can be used for monitoring and evaluating the achievement of sustainability in tourism. Specifically, the paper evaluates how describe how CSR can be applied to monitor and evaluate sustainability of participation.
Corporate Social Responsibility in sustainable tourism
Hall (2008) views tourism as a feasible alternative for ensuring economic growth and emphasizes on the criticality of the sustainable process in the industry; however, the existing tourism practices that are deemed unsustainable have the capacity affecting health and imposing negative consequences on the environment, cultures of the local people, society and the economy. A widely accepted approach to Corporate Social responsibility is that it entails the integration of corporate self-regulation into the business model; it usually serves as a self-regulation mechanism that is integrated into business operations and processes in order to monitor and comply with the law, moral and ethical considerations and international standards. The main objective behind CSR is to ensure that there is responsibility for any actions undertaken by the company and foster a positive impact on the consumers using its activities to larger community, environment, stakeholders and employees (McCool & Moisey, 2001).
An example of a successful tourism company that has managed to integrate CSR in its business operations is the Venus Company, which has won numerous awards for green business performance while at the same time delivering positive customer experience in the beach café business and tour operator business. Its website (http://www.lovingthebeach.co.uk/) reports that it aims to be the greenest beach café in Europe. In order to achieve this, the Venus Company has embarked on strategies to enhance its environmental performance, improve customer satisfaction and emphasize on staff support.
Mc Cool and Moisey (2001) assert that CSR denotes the relationship between the firm and the communities that the firm undertakes its operations. Proponents of corporate social responsibility claim it is applicable in establishing sustainability in the tourism Industry through fostering destination appeal that is green. A notable difference between corporate social responsibility and sustainable tourism is the role that the government plays in ensuring the state of the tourist destinations (Krutwaysho, 2010). In the light of this view, Blancas et al (2010) argues that the role of government intervention in ensuring CSR in tourism implies that CSR alone cannot result to the establishment of sustainable tourism practices. Tourism operators are required to adopt business practices that similar to the self-regulative practices of corporate social responsibility is needed to guarantee the sustainability of tourism. The government and other regulative bodies have the primary role of bridging the gap between corporate social responsibility and tourism practices that are sustainable (Blancas et al., 2010). If tourism is not managed properly, it has the capability of wiping out the natural and social resources and cultural sustainability that form the basis of its foundation. In order to make sure that tourism does not impose significant constraints on the core pillars of sustainable process, which form the basis that tourism industry is established, it is important the principles of sustainable development be applied to the industry under the disguise of corporate social responsibility. This means that the tourism operators can use the guidelines of corporate social responsibility to achieve a sustainable process in tourism.
Components that make up sustainable tourism
The concept of sustainable development refers to the development that aims at meeting the human needs of the current and host regions and ensuring that it protects and offers opportunities for future development. Ashley & Roe (2002) provides the criteria for the achievement of sustainable tourism and notes that they are similar to the goals of sustainable tourism. In this Ashley and Roe (2002) model, the criteria for sustainable tourism includes the conservation and safeguarding of sustainable natural resources, incorporating a multi-stakeholder strategy, environmental responsibility, sustaining the well being and participation of the local or host community, offering productive employment for the host community, ensuring that there is economic benefit, using a long term strategy, reinforcing equitability, deploying a triple bottom line strategy that integrates the environment, social and economic factors and ensuring that there is maximal satisfactions of the guests through education of the tourists concerning the environmental and social variables (Miller, 2002).
Effectiveness and challenges of corporate social responsibility in monitoring and evaluating sustainability in tourism
Castellani & Sala (2010) affirms that there are diverse indicators that can be used to assess the level of sustainable tourism in relation to corporate social responsibility. Notable indicators include site protection; pressure, which the number of tourists visiting the site on an annual or monthly basis; intensity of use; development control, which entails the methodological studies of the environment and waste management. Other indicators include the planning process, fragility of the ecosystems, the satisfaction of the customers and local host community and the contributions that tourism makes to the economy of the host. Mitchell and Ashley (2010) notes the similarity in elements that make up corporate social responsibility and sustainable tourism in the sense that they both lay emphasis on the methods that can be used to identify the stakeholders and ensure their participations while measuring their impacts on others. CSR mainly centers on accountability of an enterprise to its stakeholders during its business activities with the primary objective of attaining sustainable development in terms of economic, social and environmental factors, sustainable tourism on the other hand lays primary emphasis on environmental sustainability, social and community responsibility. It can be argued that this can be effectively deployed to enhance sustainability in tourism. Currently, sustainable tourism extends beyond environmental conversation to include the quality of life of the people around the tourist site or facility. Basing on this framework, it can be argued that corporate social responsibility can be effectively deployed to facilitate the development of sustainable tourism, provided the tourism operators adhere to the criteria for sustainable process (Miller, 2002).
The development of sustainable tourism aims at ensuring that tourist activities are well-matched with the human needs and the natural resources present at a tourist site. Tourism operators can achieve this through the use of corporate social responsibility, which takes into consideration a holistic and an all-inclusive approach aimed at balancing tourism development with other sectors of the economy.
Sustainable tourism in itself poses the need for corporate social responsibility in the sector. Just like any other economic sector, societal and environmental concerns are increasingly becoming significant in order to conduct successful business (Blancas et al., 2010). For instance, consumers in the tourism sector usually place much emphasis attractive destinations characterized by clean ecosystems and cultural attractions that have been well preserved. This poses the need for the major players in the tourism industry to safeguard the authenticity of the local culture in order to enhance experiential tourism. Such trends in the tourism industry pose the need to deploy corporate social responsibility in order to increase its sustainability (Sharpley, 2002). Ineffective implementation of corporate social responsibility within all tourism and allied sectors has the potential of reducing the sustainability of tourism, which in turn imposes significant constraints on the achievement of sustainable development. Corporate social responsibility in the tourism sector plays an integral role in affecting consumer decisions basing aspects such as the state of the environment, the wellness of the host populations and the efforts by the tourism company towards the achievement of sustainable development. A notable example is the view that green products usually influence consumer decisions due to the increasing trends in environmental awareness (Reid, 2003). As such, corporate social responsibility lays groundwork for the development of sustainable tourism that serves to benefit all the participating stakeholders including the host community and the enterprise. For instance, it is universally accepted that well preserved nature and wildlife requires that tourists pays a premium towards their conservation. Corporate social responsibility also plays an integral role in facilitating responsible hospitality, which mainly focuses on the establishment of environmentally safe and attractive places for people to live and visit (Blancas et al., 2010). Within the limits of the legal frameworks, businesses have the primary responsibility of generating revenue for its shareholders, the extension of these limits regarding the responsibility of the business has been in existence for a long time are usually embodied in the concept of corporate social responsibility. There are diverse approaches that business enterprises can deploy to participate in activities that are not aimed at benefitting the business shareholders and its management (McCool & Moisey, 2001). In the context of hospitality, corporate social responsibility aims at the establishment of sustainable tourism that lays emphasis on the improvement of energy efficiency and ethical consumerism. According to the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism, it is important to take into consideration the fact that responsible hospitality should be sensitive and responsive to culture (Honey, 1999). Corporate social responsibility plays an important role in ensuring sustainability in tourism through ensuring that business enterprises in the tourism sector adopt tourism practices that meet the criteria for responsible hospitality and responsible tourism, which mainly entails focusing on benefitting the host communities first and then the visitors. This is due to the fact that sustainability in tourism is only attainable through adoption of responsible tourism approach. Responsible tourism and hospitality helps in the betterment of tourism through creating a situation whereby tourists enjoy their visits and holidays while respecting the culture and environment of the host region (Krutwaysho, 2010). This implies that the host communities are given a chance to exercise their influence on tourism and also receive some economic benefits from the tourism initiatives in the host region.
A case study that can be used to denote the effectiveness of CSR in the development of sustainable tourism is the sustainable tourism in the region of Crete, Greece. A horizontal governance set up characterized by policy measures like increasing public awareness, the creation of markets and the transition of the management towards the use of CSR is needed in order enforce the interaction among the stakeholders and the government at local level. Greece and the region of Crete have a potential for the establishment of sustainable tourism. In Crete, there is emphasis on ensuring that best tourism practices are sustained that linkages are established through ensuring harmonious existence of culture and the natural environment. To encourage more CSR, there has been the enforcement of what is referred to as “Kalikratis” which meant to transform the capacity of local societies when dealing with sustainable issues in the area of Crete with tourism being key part of it (Blancas et al., 2010). There has been a formation of a regional innovation council which is aimed at promoting innovation in Crete’s tourism sector through proper CSR policies. The local government’s role as a mediator and the institutional supporter for projects funded by the European Union and for establishing deals with tourism operators in the region is essential. CSR in the region mainly entails a commitment by the tourism operators towards maintaining the environment, owing to the fact the potential tourist activities in the area relies significantly on site attraction. Therefore, CSR can be used to foster environmental sustainability, which is required for creation of a sustainable process. Another way of promoting CSR in Crete is through organizing of Culinary Sanctuaries as a form of responsible travel (Blancas et al., 2010). These are educational programs which are aimed at promoting and preserving culinary cultures and preservation of the heritage to benefit the local communities and tourists.
Blancas et al (2010) asserts that a challenge in the use of CSR for sustainable tourism is multifaceted nature. The tourism industry is usually fragmented and multi-faceted industry, implying that monitoring of elements that make up CSR is difficult. This is because the supply chain in tourism industry is under the control of multiple stakeholders. The nature of the tourism industry increases its vulnerability towards the establishment of tourism that is unsustainable. In the light of this view, it is important that major players in the tourism industry take into consideration the social-cultural and economic well being of the host community, as part of their corporate social responsibility strategies. Telfer & Sharpley (2008) states that using this methodology helps in ensuring the development of sustainable tourism because the tourism industry significantly relies on the strengthening of culture and economic well being of the host community. The business model should ensure that it aims at distributing the economic benefits to all the participating stakeholders, including the host communities. Therefore, CSR can make use of this framework to offer productive employment to the members of the host community as a means towards the attainment of sustainable tourism.
Blancas et al (2010) further outlines that labor issues within the CSR poses as a significant challenge towards the use of CSR to establish sustainable tourism. When agreeing with Blancas et al, Castellani and Sala (2010) outlines a number of labor issues that are rampant in the tourism industry including the rights of women, fair pay, long durations of the working hours, qualifications and the skills needed, and restraints from joining trade unions. A notable trend is that workers in the tourism sector are reliant on tips and other associated service charges; their pay is low that they cannot earn a living from it. In aIDition, most of the workers in the tourism sector are subject to longer working hours with most of them being placed in low skilled departments like house cleaning and waitressing (Castellani & Sala, 2010). The International Labor Organization reports that workers in the tourism sector usually imported by major players in the industry such as the large international hotels and the leisure chains. Sustainable tourism in such a context is constrained by the fact that the host populations are placed in semi-skilled and low paying jobs and difficult working conditions (Blancas et al., 2010). Tourist operators should make use of CSR to aIDress the challenges associated with labor issues in the industry through tourism practices that conform to international agreements in order to distribute economic benefits equally between the business enterprises and the local community. Such an approach in tourism can guarantee the betterment of the tourism industry.
An analysis of the case study at Ningaloo in the North western region of Australia by Castellani and Sala (2010) concluded that the challenge is that for CSR alone cannot be effective without government intervention and regulation. A case study that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of CSR in the establishment of sustainable tourism is the tourism development of Ningaloo in the North western region of Australia. Within the regional level, it entails intense government intervention and regulation with regard to planning and management, something which is beyond the domain of corporate social responsibility. During 2003, the Premier of Western Australia claimed that the tourism development in the region would not go on due to the fact that the proposed Coral Coast Resort was environmentally unacceptable. In aIDition, the informal camping at the Ningaloo coast had little economic benefits for the local communities. Having an understanding of the local imperatives required for the sustaining of communities and towns is a vital step when deploying CSR in tourism. Tourism development projects must base on the sustainability criteria if it is to equally benefit all the participating stakeholders. In cases whereby the tourism enterprises engage in practices that do meet the criteria for sustainable tourism; the government must intervene, as in the case of Ningaloo government intervention that resulted to the development of sustainable tourism. The basic inference that can be made from this case study is that CSR alone is not sufficient in the development of sustainable tourism, rather it requires government intervention.
The government should play a significant role in the establishment of accepted practices in the sector in such a way that business entities operating in the host region should take into consideration the needs of the host community basing on the principles of sustainable development (Krutwaysho, 2010). Blancas et al affirms the importance of business enterprises in the tourism industry to take into account the fact that labor and community involvement imposes significant effects on the business success of the tourism product and the tourists’ experiences.
According to Castellani and Sala (2010), lack of international regulatory frameworks in the global tourism industry is also a significant challenge in the use of CSR to establish sustainable development. A small portion of countries are making use of the economic and regulatory frameworks to effectively regulate international tourism practices. Honey (1999) notes that universal standards and certification in the tourism sector are yet to gain ground in most countries. In aIDition, the used regulatory frameworks within the most countries are not based on an international consensus. Krutwaysho (2010) agrees with these views by asserting that this makes it difficult to establish the frameworks for the deployment of CSR in the tourism sector.
Conclusion and Recomendations
The paper has evaluated the role that corporate social responsibility plays in the establishment of sustainable tourism. The underlying goals and objectives of corporate social responsibility are similar to the goals of sustainable tourism, which denotes the significance of CSR in guaranteeing the sustainability of tourism. The development of sustainable tourism aims at ensuring that tourist activities are compatible with the human needs and the natural resources present at a tourist site. This can be achieved through the use of corporate social responsibility, which takes into consideration a holistic and an all-inclusive approach aimed at balancing tourism development with other sectors of the economy. For a successful establishment of sustainable tourism, CSR should be integrated with government intervention and the enforcing of other regulative frameworks in order to be effective.
As a means of making tourism better and enhancing its growth, it is recommended that tourism operators incorporate CSR in their business model, which serves to ensure the continuity of tourism through the establishment of a sustainable process in the sector. The government also has a significant role in ensuring that the tourism operators and the tourists have an obligation of establishing a sustainable tourist process. In the light of this view, it is recommended that the government has a role in enforcing CSR compliance and the establishment of CSR frameworks for the tourism operators.

References
Ashley, C. & Roe, D., 2002. Making tourism work for the poor: Strategies and challenges in southern Africa. Development Southern Africa, 19(1), pp.61-82.
Blancas, F.J., González, M., Lozano-Oyola, M. & Pérez, F., 2010. The Assessment of Sustainable tourism: Application to Spanish Coastal destinations. Ecological Indicators, 10(2), pp.484-92.
Castellani, V. & Sala, S., 2010. Sustainable performance index for tourism policy development. Tourism Management, 31(6), pp.871-80.
Epler, W., 2002. Ecotourism: Principles, Practices and Policies for Sustainability. Washington: UNEP & the International Tourism Society.
Hall, C., 2008. Tourism Planning: Policies, processes and relationships. Harlow: Pearson.
Honey, M., 1999. Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? New York: Island Press.
Krutwaysho, O.B., 2010. Tourism Policy Implementation and Society. Annals of Tourism Research, 37(3), pp.670-91.
McCool, S. & Moisey, R.N., 2001. Tourism Recreation and Sustainability: Linking Culture and the Environment. London: CAB International.
Miller, G., 2002. The development of indicators for sustainable tourism: results of a Delphi survey of tourism researchers. Tourism Management, 22(4), pp.351-62.
Mitchell, J. & Ashley, C., 2010. Tourism and Poverty Reduction: Pathways to Prosperity. London: Earthscan.
Mowforth, M. & Munt, I., 2009. Tourism and Sustainability: Development, globalisation and new tourism in the Third World. 3rd ed. Abingdon: Routledge.
Reid, D.G., 2003. Tourism, Globalisation and Development: Responsible Tourism Planning. London: Pluto.
Sharpley, R., 2002. Tourism development and the environment: beyond sustainability? London: Routledge.
Telfer, D. & Sharpley, R., 2008. Tourism and Development in the Developing World. Abingdon: Routledge.
Tribe, J. et al., 2002. Environmental Management for Rural Tourism and Recreation. London: Continuum.