"Potuj z mislijo na jutri – ohranjaj danes!"
Turizem je ena izmed najhitreje rastočih gospodarskih panog in ima pomembno vlogo pri razvoju mnogih držav. Ta hiter in intenziven turistični razvoj pa s seboj prinaša tudi številne negativne posledice. V državah, kjer je veliko turizma so se začeli soočati z velikimi okoljskimi, družbenimi in gospodarskimi izzivi. Kot odgovor na te izzive se je v turizmu, tako kot v drugih gospodarskih panogah, pojavil koncept trajnosti.
Pri konceptu trajnost gre za sposobnost ohranjanja ali vzdrževanja določenega procesa ali sistema. Beseda trajnost izhaja iz latinske besede sustare, kar pomeni podpirati, varovati, ohranjati in skrbeti (Costa et al., 2019).
Čeprav turizem običajno prinaša številne koristi, kot so ustvarjanje delovnih mest, gospodarska rast, razvoj podeželja, gradnja infrastrukture in povečanje bruto domačega proizvoda, ima množični turizem tudi negativne vplive na okolje, gospodarstvo in družbo. Posledično je turistična industrija začela prevzemati večjo odgovornost za vprašanja trajnosti (Costa et al., 2019).
Koncept trajnosti, uporabljen v turizmu in potovanjih, pomeni učinkovito upravljanje turističnih virov z integracijo gospodarskega razvoja ter spoštovanjem okoljskih in kulturnih vrednot vsakega območja. Prvič je bil ta sklop ciljev izražen v Manilski deklaraciji leta 1980: Zadovoljitev turističnih potreb ne sme škodovati socialnim in gospodarskim interesom prebivalcev na turističnih območjih, okolju ali predvsem naravnim virom (UNWTO, 1980).
Kasneje so definicijo preoblikovali, da trajnostni turizem zajema vse vidike trajnostnega razvoja: okoljsko, družbeno, gospodarsko in podnebno področje delovanja. Trajnostni turizem je torej odgovorni turizem; takšen, ki spoštuje potrebe okolja in ljudi, ki tam živijo, kakor tudi lokalnega gospodarstva in obiskovalcev (UNWTO 2001, 9).
Načela trajnostnega turizma temeljijo na štirih stebrih:
Vodeb (2014) opisuje, da so vedno in povsod prisotni tako pozitivni kot negativni vplivi turizma, ki so medsebojno povezani in vplivajo drug na drugega. Dodaja, da je pri oblikovanju konkurenčne prednosti, ki temelji na primerjalnih prednostih, ključno povečevati pozitivne in zmanjševati negativne vplive turizma, pri čemer mora menedžment celovito razumeti vse vidike teh vplivov.
Koristi trajnostnega upravljanja destinacije lahko vidimo v vseh treh stebrih koncepta. S pravilnim načrtovanjem in upravljanjem destinacije lahko zagotovimo njeno dolgoročno uspešnost. Svetovna turistična organizacija (UNWTO) izpostavlja naslednje prednosti trajnostnega upravljanja z destinacijo. Pod ekonomske koristi uvršča povečano konkurenčnost destinacije, saj se le te lažje razlikujejo na trgu in so posledično bolj privlačne za trajnostno ozaveščenega turista hkrati pa prinaša gospodarsko rast, ki prispeva k ustvarjanju novih delovnih mest in boljši blaginji lokalnega prebivalstva. UNWTO izpostavlja, da sta ohranjanje naravnih virov in boj proti podnebnim spremembam tudi izredno pomembna. Spadata pod okoljske koristi in prispevata k učinkoviti rabi naravnih virov, zmanjšanju onesnaževanja, ohranjanju biotske raznovrstnosti ter posledično zmanjševanju negativnih vplivov turizma na okolje. Trajnostno upravljanje ima pa tudi velike družbene koristi. To se po UNWTO kaže predvsem v krepitvi lokalne skupnosti in ohranjanju kulturne dediščine. S spodbujanjem trajnostnega razvoja destinacije se varujejo kulturna dediščina in tradicije lokalnega prebivalstva, hkrati pa se jih vključuje v turistične aktivnosti in jim s tem približuje turizem kot nekaj pozitivnega.
Za zagotavljanje vseh treh stebrov trajnostnega razvoja je destinacija Postojna vključena v Zeleno shemo slovenskega turizma. Zelena shema slovenskega turizma (ZSST) je nacionalni program in certifikacijska shema, ki pod krovno znamko Slovenia Green združuje vsa prizadevanja za trajnostni razvoj turizma v Sloveniji. Destinacijam in ponudnikom ponuja konkretna orodja za oceno in izboljšanje trajnostnega delovanja in skozi znamko Slovenia Green to delovanje tudi promovira. Namen oblikovanja tega programa je oblikovati shemo, ki bo predstavljala praktično in učinkovito orodje za uvajanje in pospešitev uvajanja trajnostnih poslovnih modelov v slovenski turizem ter obenem osnovo za trženje zelene ponudbe. Deležnikom omogoča pozicioniranje kot okoljsko, družbeno in ekonomsko odgovornih ponudnikov, doseganje sinergijskih učinkov na področju trajnostnih prizadevanj. Ključni strateški cilj je hitrejše uvajanje trajnostnih modelov v slovenski turizem, tako na ravni turističnih produktov kot destinacij.
Trajnostni razvoj destinacij je nujen za ohranjanje naravnih virov in kulturne dediščine, ki tvorijo temelj turistične ponudbe. Kot poudarja Vodebova (2014), je ključnega pomena celovito upravljanje vplivov turizma, saj le tako lahko zagotavljamo dolgoročne koristi za okolje, gospodarstvo in lokalno skupnost.
S spodbujanjem trajnostnih praks destinacija povečuje svojo konkurenčnost, izboljšuje kakovost življenja prebivalcev ter odgovorno oblikuje turistično izkušnjo za prihodnje generacije. V času vse večjega povpraševanja po zelenih in odgovornih destinacijah je trajnost ne le potreba, temveč tudi priložnost za trajnostno prihodnost turizma.
"Travel with Tomorrow in Mind – Preserve Today!"
Tourism is one of the fastest-growing economic sectors and plays an important role in the development of many countries. However, this rapid and intensive tourism growth also brings numerous negative consequences. In countries with high levels of tourism, authorities have started to face significant environmental, social, and economic challenges. As a response to these challenges, the concept of sustainability has emerged in tourism, just as in other economic sectors.
Sustainability refers to the ability to maintain or preserve a certain process or system. The word originates from the Latin sustare, meaning to support, protect, preserve, and care for (Costa et al., 2019).
Although tourism typically brings many benefits—such as job creation, economic growth, rural development, infrastructure building, and an increase in GDP—mass tourism also has negative effects on the environment, economy, and society. As a result, the tourism industry has begun to take more responsibility for sustainability issues (Costa et al., 2019).
When applied to tourism and travel, the concept of sustainability refers to the effective management of tourism resources by integrating economic development with respect for the environmental and cultural values of each area. This set of goals was first expressed in the Manila Declaration in 1980: Meeting the needs of tourists must not harm the social and economic interests of residents in tourist areas, the environment, or especially natural resources (UNWTO, 1980).
Later, the definition evolved to encompass all aspects of sustainable development: environmental, social, economic, and climate-related. Sustainable tourism is therefore responsible tourism—one that respects the needs of the environment and local communities, as well as local economies and visitors (UNWTO, 2001, p. 9).
The principles of sustainable tourism are based on four pillars:
Economic Pillar: Ensuring the competitiveness of tourist destinations and businesses for long-term benefits.
Environmental Pillar: Reducing air, water, and soil pollution, minimizing waste, and conserving nature, plants, and animals.
Socio-Cultural Pillar: Improving the quality of life in local communities and respecting cultural and historical heritage.
Climate Pillar: Reducing tourism's impact on climate change and adapting tourism to climate challenges.
Vodeb (2014) notes that both the positive and negative impacts of tourism are always present and interconnected. He emphasizes that creating competitive advantages based on comparative strengths requires increasing the positive and reducing the negative impacts of tourism, with management needing a comprehensive understanding of all these aspects.
The benefits of sustainable destination management can be seen in all three pillars of the concept. With proper planning and destination management, long-term success can be achieved. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) highlights several advantages of sustainable destination management. Among the economic benefits are increased destination competitiveness, market differentiation, and greater appeal to sustainability-conscious tourists. This also contributes to economic growth, job creation, and improved prosperity for local populations.
UNWTO also emphasizes the importance of preserving natural resources and combating climate change. These environmental benefits include the efficient use of natural resources, reduced pollution, biodiversity conservation, and a decrease in tourism's negative environmental impacts. Moreover, sustainable management also brings significant social benefits. According to UNWTO, this includes strengthening local communities and preserving cultural heritage. By promoting sustainable destination development, local traditions and heritage are protected, while local people are engaged in tourism activities and introduced to tourism in a positive way.
To ensure all three pillars of sustainable development, the destination of Postojna is included in the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism. The Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism (GSST) is a national program and certification scheme that, under the umbrella brand Slovenia Green, integrates all efforts for the sustainable development of tourism in Slovenia. It provides destinations and providers with practical tools to assess and improve sustainability efforts and promotes these efforts through the Slovenia Green label. The aim of this program is to create a scheme that serves as a practical and efficient tool for introducing and accelerating the adoption of sustainable business models in Slovenian tourism, while also providing a basis for marketing green offers. It enables stakeholders to position themselves as environmentally, socially, and economically responsible providers and to achieve synergies in sustainability efforts. The key strategic goal is to accelerate the adoption of sustainable models in Slovenian tourism—both in terms of tourism products and destinations.
The sustainable development of destinations is essential for preserving natural resources and cultural heritage, which form the foundation of tourism offerings. As Vodeb (2014) emphasizes, comprehensive management of tourism impacts is crucial for ensuring long-term benefits for the environment, economy, and local community.
By promoting sustainable practices, a destination increases its competitiveness, improves residents' quality of life, and responsibly shapes the tourism experience for future generations. At a time of growing demand for green and responsible destinations, sustainability is not just a necessity—it is an opportunity for the future of tourism.
