The problematic nature of sustainable tourism: some implications for planners and managers

Sustainability is a principle and practice expected of tourism development and management. The uneven performance of sustainable tourism policies and strategies is generating increasing attention and concern, along with a need to better understand sustainability and the problems it presents tourism planners and managers. In this article, we investigate the notion that traditional tourism problem-solving paradigms and approaches are not effective for all of the problems arising in sustainable tourism and explore what new approaches may be required. After a brief, but necessary definition of key concepts, we take a look at the range of problems which can arise in sustainable tourism and review what research has to offer in terms of understanding why some of these problems seem resistant to traditional problem-solving approaches. Following that, we consider the problems of sustainable tourism through a series of three analytical lenses, the Cynefin Framework, Complexity Science and Wicked Problems, to explore what would be required to address the more intractable problems of sustainable tourism. Examples of problems from sustainable tourism are used to illustrate how each analytical lens frames problems, incorporates stakeholder perspectives, and identifies alternative causes, processes and outcomes of problems. We conclude with implications for both theory and practice.