More than two dozen senior-level business executives and educators from around the world discussed the trending directions in sustainable tourism at a roundtable conference hosted by Cornell’s Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship and the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise on May 3 at Statler Hall.
The roundtable discussed on developing new ways to evaluate, manage and maintain destination assets around the world. Neil Tarallo, the director of the Pillsbury Institute, welcomed the participants, while co-organizers Jeanne Varney ’85 and Mark Milstein, clinical professor of management, and the director for the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise, came up with the opening remarks.
With robust tourism growth, sustainability is becoming a concern. Tourism in emerging economies is making an impact. One in 10 jobs is tourism-related, and tourism had a 3.3 percent increase around the world last year, including 4.4 percent growth in the developing countries.
But growth is giving rise to unsustainable consumption, and sewage treatment, excess water consumption and solid waste management are some of the biggest challenges faced by the emerging economies. Many tourism professionals are of the opinion that some developing countries do not meet sanitation standards for its citizens, let alone tourists.
The day-long roundtable focused on several issues, including new models for sustainable destination management, innovative business models for managing tourism growth, managing climate change and business opportunities to make tourism more sustainable.
Tags: sustainable tourism
