SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: A CASE STUDY FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC
LUCIE SARA ZAVODNA *
Department of Applied Economics, Palacky University in Olomouc, Philisophical Faculty, Krizkovskeho 12, 771 47 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the fact that the numbers of tourists in some tourism destinations generate negative impacts not only on the environment, but also on society. That is why there have been some efforts to implement a system which would decrease such effects, for example, in the form of sustainable tourism. So far, however, there has been little discussion about implementation of sustainability and its measurement systems in tourism business. This paper offers an insight into possibilities of labelling products and services in this area. The focus is on the Czech labelling program called environmentally friendly product or service and the possibility of EU labelling program the Flower. The primary case study examines one of the sustainable tourism applications run in the Czech Republic in the village called Hostetin. The uniqueness of Hostetin lies in the complexity and concentration of model projects, their interdependence and functionality in a common life of the village.
Keywords: Responsible sustainable tourism, sustainability, green tourism, case study