Journal of Tourism & Hospitality
Open Access

Abstract

The Local Product in the Paradox of Sustainable Tourism: Unintended Impacts on Local Quality of Life

Agustín Santana-Talavera*

The document analyses the relationship between sustainable tourism and local products, highlighting an emerging paradox. There is growing tourist interest in local gastronomy and fresh products, linked to territorial and cultural authenticity. Hotel establishments play a fundamental role in this development, contributing through their corporate social responsibility. Despite the apparent mutual benefits between local suppliers and tourist establishments, a significant contradiction emerges. Tourist demand generates inflationary pressures that affect local population's access to their traditional products, especially in destinations where tourism is economically dominant. The effects intensify when tourist establishments establish contracts that monopolise local production. This primarily affects low-income residents, causing changes in consumption patterns and eroding traditional cultural practices. Effective management requires a coordinated multi-stakeholder approach, where each participant in the tourism ecosystem assumes specific responsibilities. Strategies such as shared information systems, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and governance frameworks that facilitate negotiation between stakeholders are proposed. These tools seek to balance divergent interests and maintain the accessibility of local products for all sectors of the population.

Published Date: 2025-02-20; Received Date: 2025-01-01