Sustainable tourism

Definition of the different forms of tourism

Tourism is an activity that allows you to travel , for your own pleasure , outside your usual living environment, and to reside there temporarily. It is often perceived as an economic activity which includes the hotel industry and all the related activities linked to the satisfaction of tourists.

However, it conceals significant human and social dimensions . Originally, the displacements it supposes were justified by its benefits on the human being. In addition, considering that the impacts of tourism on the well-being of the individual and on the environment visited are numerous, it is necessary to learn about its specificities. The specificities of tourism are linked to the objectives it targets in accordance with the interests of the traveler and those of the areas visited. Thus, taking into account the interests of the various stakeholders in the feasibility of tourism, the following forms of tourism are adopted:

• Responsible tourism;
• Solidarity tourism;
• Fair tourism;
• Ecotourism;
• Community tourism;
• Etc.

All these forms of tourism have one thing in common, which is respect for the principles of sustainable development . And sustainable development is understood to mean development which meets present needs without compromising the possibility for future generations to be able to meet their own needs (Brundtland, 1987).  

Admittedly, the objective of these forms of alternative tourism,   which can be qualified as sustainable tourism , is to take into account, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), “current and future economic, social and environmental impacts”, but it should be noted that today, it is difficult to differentiate their terminologies. They are often confused because the nuances that exist between them are sometimes very subtle. How then can we differentiate them from each other?

In general, for the UNWTO, sustainable tourism is tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, meeting the needs of visitors, professionals, the environment and host communities. .

Thus, on the basis of this definition of the UNWTO we propose in the following lines the definition of some concepts in order to better define the concept of sustainable tourism:

Responsible tourism: It is a form of tourism through which the traveler chooses voluntarily to reduce the impact of his visit on the environment and on the way of life of the locality visited.

Sustainable tourism : Inspired by the objectives of sustainable development, sustainable tourism is all forms of tourism that respect the environment and care about the well-being of the host populations.

Community tourism: It is a form of tourism in which the reception of the traveler is organized and managed by the local populations. It facilitates the integration of the tourist into the host community.

Slow tourism: Through this form of tourism, the traveler discovers a destination in accordance with his own rhythm which allows him to adapt his lifestyle to that of the local populations to finally get off the beaten track.

Fair tourism: The concept of fair tourism comes from fair trade. Through this form of tourism, the visitor remunerates the host community at its fair value for the service rendered.

Participatory tourism: This form of tourism promotes the creation of new relationships between the host community and the traveler. It is an innovative hospitality which leads the traveler to actively participate in the social life of the host populations.

Ecotourism: It is practiced in a natural environment and aims to be a viable financial source for the host communities. It respects the environment and the well-being of populations.

Solidarity tourism: Promoting the creation of a bond of solidarity between the traveler and the populations, solidarity tourism allows the traveler to participate financially in the development projects of the host environment. These projects, in which local communities are stakeholders, aim to improve their living conditions.

Agrotourism: It is one of the forms of sustainable tourism that is practiced in agricultural environments. During the stay in the agricultural property, the agro-tourist is accommodated in the visitors’ room and tastes the products of this environment. It facilitates the meeting between the traveler and the producer for the sustainability and diversification of their activity.

Humanitarian tourism:  Humanitarian tourism offers an ethical and sustainable stay for humanitarian tourists who, during their stay, participate in improving the living conditions of the host community. Likewise, it is a moment for the latter to share his knowledge and help in the local development of the environment visited.

Feed Needs Without Borders, a Sustainable and Integrated Development Organization

We remain convinced that our current and future positive actions will enable us to qualitatively transform the world for better protection of the environment and the communities visited.

Thus, through our sustainable tourism program we offer you quality meetings, respectful of the environment and concerned about the well-being of the visited community.

For this purpose, we offer you tourist circuits and à la carte stays in accordance with the philosophy of sustainable development.   Let’s protect the planet for the next generation, because we are only custodians of it.