中国主题景区发展态势分析_基于国家A级旅游区_点_的统计_吴必虎.pdfVIP

212 Frederico Neto / Natural Resources Forum 27 (2003) 212–222 Natural Resources Forum 27 (2003) 212–222 A new approach to sustainable tourism development: Moving beyond environmental protection Frederico Neto Abstract Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world. It is an increasingly important source of income, employment and wealth in many countries. Its rapid expansion has, however, had detrimental environmental (and socio- cultural) impacts in many regions. In this article, I examine the main economic benefits and environmental impacts of tourism, and review the development of the international sustainable tourism agenda. While much of international tourism activity takes place within the developed world, this article will focus on the (economic) development of the industry in developing countries I conclude that new approaches to sustainable tourism development in these countries should not only seek to minimize local environmental impact, but also give greater priority to community participation and poverty alleviation. I argue, in particular, that more emphasis should be given to a ‘pro-poor tourism’ approach at both national and international levels. Keywords : Tourism; Sustainable development; Natural resource management; Poverty reduction. 1. Introduction: Recent and future trends in world environment as a precondition for sound socio-economic tourism development. While domestic tourism currently accounts for approx- Tourism can be considered one of the most remark