Global Code Of Ethics For Tourism

Tourism is one of the leading economic sectors in the world, as it is a main intersection between various distinct fields. The way it has become today has allowed its promoting countries to welcome people all over the world to an insight on their lands and lives through the global mobility that has ensured its facilities. Despite the blooming aspects of tourism, most touristic countries have witnessed several consequential issues that have affected their governments, members and national lands in negative ways.

In “The Tragedy of the Commons” written by Garit Hardin in 1968, the author focuses on highlighting the concepts of public space, the environmental sector and their touristic dimensions. Hardin’s main concern was overpopulation; meaning

7). The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, known as GCET, has been made to be known by the travel and tourism industry, including the government or any form of authority. GCET is a set of guidelines done to achieve sustainable tourism. It helps for ethical decision-making when faced with ethical dilemmas since its objective is to make the most out of the profits and minor the negative effect on the environment, social surroundings. One of the GCET principles in “Article 3 – Tourism, a Factor of Sustainable Development” #5 points out that “nature tourism and ecotourism are recognized as being particularly conductive to enriching and enhancing the standing of tourism, provided they respect the natural heritage and local populations and are in keeping with the carrying of the sites”. In the book “Overbooked”, Becker explains her experience in Costa Rica, and she points out that the main reason of going there was for the ecosystem. She defines this term as a “form of travel that doesn’t spoil or disfigure a country’s landscape, people, of society” (Becker pg. 246). Costa Rica was able to protect a huge number of species present in their land; their beaches are qualified as a slice of paradise because they worked on leaving them

In the book “Overbooked”, Becker introduces the fifth chapter “Cruising: Destination Nowhere” (2013, pg. 125) by telling a personal experience when she boarded the Royal Caribbean cruise ship in Miami. She points out their advantages and disadvantages. However, Becker reveals many issues found during her experience. She starts with how cruise ships are travelling through international waters, so they are not required to follow the laws of the American legal system or any other country they belong to. Politically, this has caused many complications since cruise line companies escape federal taxes and labour laws by registering their corporations and vessels in foreign countries, for example Panama and Liberia (Becker, pg. 140). Ethically, this is wrong since what cruise ships are leaving behind them and the damage it is causing has been a disadvantage for many. Damage by human activity is another big issue occurring, dumping garbage and raw sewage, spilling oil, and a lot of endangered species are prone to extinction. This is related to the tragedy of the commons, as resources, natural habitats and ecosystems are at risk because of mass tourism and pollution, and cruise ships are completely disregarding the protection and maintenance of these elements who in fact do not belong to them but to everyone around them from nations to