From normal person to responsible traveller

During the second half of the 20th century tourism changed from a social activity to a merely economic one . Many travellers from earlier days changed into modern tourists.

However, under the influence of sustainable development principles and the urgency to conserve our environment there is a need to re-think the concept of tourism and especially the role the tourist plays in it.

By eliminating the economic separation of the tourist (client) on one hand and the tourism “industry” on the other and by joining these two forces into one major social activity called tourism, a basis can be laid for a gradual incorporation of tourists within the sustainable development process.

For sustainable tourism development to prosper we have to involve the most important actor: the tourist. However, the image of tourism as an economic activity and the tourist as Client hampers seriously any effort to get the social factors count: involving future generations.

Tourists have to start to understand that something is being expected from them. They have to fulfill a role in sustainable development and they have to be prepared for it. For us in the travel branch it is of utmost importance to push for a balanced sustainable tourist development, whereby the tourist has to be regarded as full fledged partner and not just another client.

The relationship between tourists and destination and the reflexivity that exists between them is our main focus of the reflexive approach to tourism.

The texts on this website have been developed to generate new concepts in tourism and, obviously, to arise one’s curiousity and to react to it. Additionally, this website is not commercial and does not generate income; therefore for those who actively use its content we appreciate a voluntary contribution by pressing the DONATE button at the bottom of this page.