Taking Responsibility for Tourism

Abstract

This paper provides an introduction to the concept of responsibility and a brief account of the emergence of Responsible Tourism as a movement at the turn of the millennium. It then discusses the ways in which businesses and governments, acting on behalf of communities can use tourism to achieve sustainable development while avoiding being used by it. Overtourism is briefly discussed as a consequence of the failure of businesses, tourists, and governments to take responsibility. The paper concludes with some suggestions for research. The assertion that “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today” is widely attributed to Abraham Lincoln. As von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has recently reminded us “The future will be what we make it” (Riekeles, 2021, p. 4). Tourism is a form of human social activity with positive and negative impacts. “Tourism is what we make it … the future will be what we make it” (Goodwin, 2016, p. 262).