Sustainable Tourism Innovation: Challenging Basic Assumptions

Although much of the discussion of innovation focuses on new products and technologies, all innovation is based on challenging existing assumptions and ways of thinking. This paper argues that one option to develop new ways of thinking and innovation in tourism is to argue that there is no such thing as sustainable tourism. If we begin with the assumption that tourism cannot be sustainable in its own right but may contribute to the sustainable development of some regions under some circumstances, then a number of new approaches to tourism development emerge. In particular, it is argued that stronger links may emerge between tourism and other economic activities and development options. These potential synergies are described and illustrated with a range of examples. In addition, the paper sets out a series of additional criteria that could be used to evaluate different potential tourism developments and makes suggestions about the development of sustainability performance indicators. Finally, the paper highlights the importance of better knowledge management systems to support innovation in tourism.