Green Tourism

Green tourism is a tourist process that uses energy-efficient transportation, purchases recycled products at destinations, lives in hotels with green labels, and participates in natural activities, realizing environmental friendly and zero-waste. Tourism development and management would encounter a multitude of sustainability-related challenges. These challenges include high energy consumption, food waste, waste management, weak business environment (especially in developing countries), shortage of skilled labor, limited access to finance, and low levels of investment. As a result, several innovative technologies including renewable energy, energy-efficient buildings, intelligent mobility, green infrastructure, and internet things (IoT) platform should be developed to achieve the green tourism. In addition, the integrated management regarding establishment of governance, policies and framework for sustainable tourism: reliability and security, enhancement of institutional networks and public–private-people participation, provision of adequate economic instruments, construction of smart technology industry with tourism sector, and creation of cultural (heritage) responses and public awareness also should be established. Several case studies of green tourism in Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre, Italy; Tofino, British Columbia, Canada; Byron Shire, New South Wales, Australia; and Green Island in Taiwan are also introduced for demonstration. Targeting on realizing green tourism practically, a “5P scheme” representing public education, public awareness, public participation, public support and public partnership, should be introduced to enhance green tourism. Finally several green solutions on sustainable tourism, including green economy, circular economy, water-energy-food (WEF) nexus, and transformative power of sustainability are also illustrated.