Can tourism in ‘the Global South’ ever be truly sustainable? UCB students have a say
Can tourism in developing countries ever be truly ‘sustainable’ when it deepens inequality? Rethinking SDGs 8, 10 and 12.
Using one destination in the Global South, argue whether tourism there genuinely advances SDGs 8, 10 and 12, or whether it reproduces inequalities behind a ‘sustainable tourism’ label.
University College Birmingham Senior Lecturer Simon Faulkner posed that question as a challenge to his students, limiting them to 300 words each according to the “Good Tourism” Insight Bite guidelines.
For further context and guidance, Mr Faulkner added:
“Tourism is often promoted as a pathway to sustainable development in the Global South, particularly for poverty reduction and job creation.
“However, evidence suggests that tourism can actually deepen inequalities, with benefits leaking to international corporations while local communities face rising costs, displacement, and precarious employment.
“Your task is to take a clear position on this debate using evidence from one specific destination.”
Three students rose to the challenge. Their responses are presented here in a special “GT” Insight Bites compilation.
Bites menu
Travel & tourism is creating a ‘critical paradox’ in the Maasai Mara
Calliope Elwood, Student, University College Birmingham, England
The Maasai Mara is presented as a sustainable haven. Yet beneath the illusion, exploitative inequalities paint a different picture.
The Maasai Mara is one of Kenya’s largest game reserves and has become quite the tourist hotspot over the years.
Marketed as an iconic, luxury destination for safaris, international organisations such as Emirates have even initiated ‘Executive Private Jet Safaris’ for the wealthiest clients.
Inequalities are stark, though, with economic leakage meaning that profits do not benefit the Maasai community.
Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) from UN Tourism targets the promotion of inclusive and sustainable economic growth for all, whilst SDG 10 aims to reduce inequality within and among countries.
Although travel & tourism accounts for 6.8% of Africa’s GDP, the United Nations (UN) estimates that only $5 out of every $100 spent by tourists in Kenya goes back to the local economy.
This violates both SDG 8 and SDG 10, as travel & tourism becomes non-inclusive of the Maasai community and deepens inequalities through unsustainable economic growth.
Meanwhile, SDG 12 ensures that sustainable consumption and production patterns are followed; something that is also neglected.
There are 23 five-star luxury hotels in the Maasai Mara. One tourist staying in five-star accommodation generates approximately 1kg of waste per day and consumes between 170 and 440 litres of water.
Uncontrolled growth from travel & tourism is creating a ‘critical paradox’ and causing significant damage to the ecosystem.
The problems presented above are paramount. Radical change from government bodies is needed to ensure that travel & tourism in developing countries is truly sustainable.
Sustainable for whom? The reality behind Zanzibar’s travel & tourism boom
Prashanna Katuwal, Student, University College Birmingham, England
Zanzibar looks like paradise. Turquoise water, white sand, and luxury resorts line the coast. Travel influencers promote it as an ‘untouched’ Indian Ocean escape. But behind the image, a different reality is unfolding.
Travel & tourism is booming. The Tanzanian archipelago recorded over 736,000 international visitors in 2024 and continued growing to more than 900,000 arrivals in 2025. This rapid growth has made travel & tourism the backbone of the economy, contributing around 27 – 30% of its GDP.
On paper, this looks like success. In reality, many locals are still struggling. So the question remains: sustainable for whom?
With reference to Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8), travel & tourism has created jobs across hotels, restaurants, and hospitality services. However, much of this employment is low-paid, seasonal, and insecure. The World Bank highlights that although travel & tourism supports tens of thousands of jobs, the benefits are uneven, and many workers remain economically vulnerable.
Inequality is also increasing, undermining SDG 10. Rising land and property prices, especially in coastal areas, are pushing local residents out of their communities. At the same time, the industry is dominated by foreign-owned resorts, meaning much of the profit leaves the island rather than benefiting local people.
Environmental pressures raise further concerns under SDG 12. Travel & tourism places a heavy strain on natural resources, particularly water and coastal ecosystems. Rapid visitor growth is increasing pressure on infrastructure and fragile environments, especially in small island destinations like Zanzibar.
Travel & tourism undoubtedly brings investment and economic growth. But when nearly a million visitors generate a large share of the GDP, while many residents remain in insecure work and face rising living costs, the idea of ‘sustainability’ starts to look selective.
If sustainability protects beaches but not communities, can it really meet the SDGs?
Real sustainable tourism would mean fair wages, greater local ownership, and resource use that supports the people who actually live there, not just the visitors who pass through.
Travel & tourism ‘struggles to be truly sustainable’ in Morocco
Regan Rushton, Student, University College Birmingham, England
Travel & tourism in developing countries can never truly be sustainable if it deepens inequality socially, economically, and environmentally; the three pillars of sustainability.
For example, Morocco has seen a steady increase in international tourist arrivals since 2021, and this is expected to continue rising year on year.
Despite this, the city of Marrakech faces profound inequalities and is nowhere near being a sustainable destination.
One major issue is economic leakage from tourist spending.
Economic leakage occurs when a portion of tourist spending leaves the local economy and goes to foreign-owned businesses, meaning local people do not benefit from travel & tourism.
This is prominent in Marrakech, where foreign direct investment is encouraged.
So, despite higher visitor numbers and more spending, much of the money is not going to local people and businesses, causing further inequality between the working and upper classes across the city.
Furthermore, since 2022, the number of luxury accommodations being built in Morocco has increased by 63%.
This contributes to inequality in local communities through residential displacement — locals are forced to leave their neighbourhoods as housing becomes more expensive — and perhaps other forms of displacement (as evidenced in Mexico).
Combined with the economic leakage of tourist expenditure, this shows that travel & tourism struggles to be truly sustainable when the local community bears the cost.
What do you think?
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Featured image (top of post)
A Gemini-generated image. Can tourism in the Global South, or anywhere, ever be truly sustainable?
