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Abstract
The pursuit of sustainable development through tourism represents a profound governance challenge within the contemporary international system. This paper critically examines how the global tourism industry engages with the three pillars of sustainable development—economic viability, environmental integrity, and social equity—within the fragmented architecture of global governance. From an International Relations (IR) perspective, tourism is not merely an economic sector but a transnational vector of environmental change and socio-cultural exchange, making its governance a critical test case for global sustainability. The paper argues that the existing international governance regime, characterized by soft-law instruments from bodies like the UNWTO and UNEP, voluntary corporate social responsibility initiatives, and certification schemes, is fundamentally inadequate to align tourism's growth with the imperatives of planetary boundaries and intra- and inter-generational equity. It investigates the inherent tensions, such as the prioritization of economic growth over ecological conservation, the displacement of local communities for tourism development, and the unequal distribution of tourism's benefits and costs between the Global North and South. Through a critical analysis of global climate policy (e.g., tourism's carbon footprint), biodiversity conservation efforts, and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this paper reveals significant governance gaps and power asymmetries. It concludes that without a transformative shift towards binding international regulations, equitable financing mechanisms, and the meaningful inclusion of local and indigenous voices in tourism governance, the industry will continue to exacerbate the very sustainable development challenges it purports to solve.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, Tourism Governance, Environmental Integrity, Social Equity, Transnational Regulation.