Urban Tourism: Perspectives on Sustainability

Sustainable tourism represents a challenge within urban environments just as it does within wilderness and rural environments. This paper considers the concept of sustainable urban tourism from four general perspectives. First, the essence of urban tourism is characterised, including the nature of scholarly activity in this area. Second, the relevance of the concept of sustainability in relation to the tourism function of the city is argued. Thirdly, sustainability is examined in the context of the built, natural, and cultural dimensions of the urban environment. Finally, a framework is presented that identifies four basic organisational approaches to sustainable urban tourism, including (1) open market, (2) public control, (3) industry leadership,and (4) regulatory partnership.