Perspectives pratiques sur la durabilité dans l’industrie du tourisme : proposition d’un cadre procédural d’évaluation de la durabilité des expériences touristiques

The concept of sustainability has generated much discussion in tourism theory and practices in recent years. Yet, it is fair to say that a mutually accepted definition of sustainability has failed to emerge from the discussion mainly because of the multiple interpretations of the concept of sustainable development, and by extension of its application to the tourism industry. This paper provides a review of the major theoretical and empirical propositions that have shaped the definition and the measurement of sustainability, including those of tourism stakeholders. While most of sustainable tourism indicators are scientifically relevant, they are considered to be far too numerous and complex to be operational in the industry. Moreover, they mostly focus on the sustainability of tourism destinations. We conclude with a conceptual model that enables stakeholders, such as local guides and travel agencies, to understand the broader perspective of sustainability and to engage more in responsible practices based on user-generated assessments of sixteen sustainability indicators.