Troubles with sustainability: An ethnographic interrogation of Rural Tourism’s sustainability claims

In a paper I recently published for the International Journal of Tourism Anthropology (Georgiou, 2021) it was argued that sustainability is not possible without a holistic approach. The research, conducted as part of a doctoral thesis on Identity in places of conflict, was a 15-month long, deep dive into the use of narratives, particularly in tourism and heritage contexts, and their power. Much of this content falls under the cultural sustainability pillar as discussed below but is indeed inseparable from any other sustainability discussions.

The introduction of Rural tourism, or Agrotourism, in Cyprus as a sustainability measure is contested in the paper as using a simplistic notion of sustainability to approach major and complex issues. These projects are usually EU funded initiatives for rural development, and they are taken on as business opportunities. However, focusing on the notion of sustainability mostly as an economic solution with added possibilities of some social, cultural and potentially environmental benefits, the projects have been only partly successful. While tourism can theoretically have transformative impact, the case of Cyprus’ rural sustainability attempts raises questions as to the lack of clarity in the term ‘sustainability’ and the concepts it encompasses.

Agrotourism in Cyprus. Image by Pauline Georgiou

Easily thrown in as part of development strategies or tick-box processes, the term ‘sustainability’ is rarely defined and interrogated, often used as an umbrella term or used to refer to what is understood as environment or climate change aims. Looking at the three pillars (social, environmental, economic) (Gibson, 2006) and the addition of the cultural pillar (Soini and Birkeland, 2014) it becomes apparent that a successful sustainability strategy must work holistically for it to be successful. Social, environmental, economic and cultural sustainability are interdependent.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) take a different approach to the word, identifying 17 thematic goals based on 5 areas of ‘critical importance’ identified as People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. These aim to achieve the ultimate goal of a sustainable world by 2030. The themes tactically eliminate siloed approaches to global problems and instead target them as interlinked, complex and systemic issues. The SDGs are used by organizations and projects across the world to align local strategies to the UN agenda for 2030.

The UN have published a topic guide to guide practitioners through the use of SDGs to target specific problems; Rural development is linked to goal 2, Sustainable tourism is linked to goal 8, sustainable consumption and production to goal 12. The case study of Cyprus’ Rural tourism efforts falls under these and other goals. As discussed in the newly published paper, for a circular economy model to be integrated, the systemic context must be considered across interrelated topics as well as targeting the issue at ground level. The sustainability discourse must become vernacular and embed itself in daily life and work.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals demonstrate the complexity of issues that interrelated to underpin a more sustainable future. Image from United Nations website.

With an increasing interest in sustainability solutions, clear government positioning as to its definition will determine their effectiveness at a national level, let alone on a global level. Our research at the Sustainability Research Institute has indicated that this lack of clarity at a governmental level trickles down to the possibilities for SMEs to take charge of their own decarbonization journeys. Eastern New Energy (ENE) is an ERDF project working with SMEs to support their efforts towards decarbonization. As well as the delivery of support, we are conducting research to understand the barriers that businesses are facing. Our findings so far indicate that many of the barriers exist in fact due to a lack of clarity and direction from the government. If you are an SME looking to explore similar challenges please get in touch via the website.

Whether a clear definition or a holistic approach is what is lacking, it can be agreed that sustainability is a cross disciplinary, co-productive objective that concerns everyone, everywhere. Cyprus’ Agrotourism market can be measured as at least partly successful, and there is much to build on by steering towards a holistic approach. The Sustainability Research Institute has itself been diversifying its expertise further to include scientists working on sustainability from all kinds of backgrounds. As an inter-disciplinary team, we work together on projects aiming at developing and delivering sustainability solutions that are themselves sustainable.

By Pauline Georgiou

References:

Georgiou (2021) Fire and smoke: savouring ethnographic encounters with sustainability in Cyprus’ rural tourism spaces, International Journal of Tourism Anthropology, 2021 Vol.8 No.4, pp.337 – 350

Gibson, R. B. 2006. Beyond the pillars: Sustainability assessment as a framework for effective integration of social, economic and ecological considerations in significant decision-making. Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management 08(03):259-280

Soini, K. & Birkeland, I. 2014. Exploring the Scientific Discourse on Cultural Sustainability, Geoforum, 51: 213-223

UN (2015) Transforming the World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, United Nations