Sustainable tourism innovation

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Academic Papers Sustainable tourism innovation: Challenging basic assumptions
Gianna Moscardo Received (in revised form): 1st September, 2007
School of Business, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia. E-mail: [e-mail]

Gianna Moscardo is a professor in the School of Business at James Cook University. Before joining the School of Business she had been a principal research fellow and project leader in tourism research in the Cooperative Research Centres for Reef and Rainforest for eight years managing a series of research and extension activities aimed at enhancing the sustainability of tourism activities in Northern Australia. She was recently elected to the World Tourism Organization’s International Academy for the Study of Tourism Scholars. ABSTRACT KEYWORDS: sustainable development, sustainable tourism, innovation, regional development

ities and development options. These potential synergies are described and illustrated with a range of examples. In addition, the paper sets out a series of additional criteria that could be used to evaluate different potential tourism developments and makes suggestions about the development of sustainability performance indicators. Finally, the paper highlights the importance of better knowledge management systems to support innovation in tourism.
Tourism and Hospitality Research (2008) 8, 4–13. doi:10.1057/thr.2008.7; published online 18 February 2008

Although much of the discussion of innovation focuses on new products and technologies, all innovation is based on challenging existing assumptions and ways of thinking. This paper argues that one option to develop new ways of thinking and innovation in tourism is to argue that there is no such thing as sustainable tourism. If we begin with the assumption that tourism cannot be sustainable in its own right but may contribute to the sustainable development of some regions under some circumstances, then a