We are in the midst of a transition into a new age of travel and tourism based on the convergence of several key disruptive influences in the form of new technologies, periodic chaos in markets and economies, health and safety concerns, and environmental crises. How we navigate these disruptive influences is important for the enjoyment of tourists, the success of tourism service providers and other local people, and the integrity of the natural world. The purpose of this research note is to discuss a surrogate ecotour experience that allows tourists to remain home while employing local guides to facilitate personalised, interactive, real-time tours (PIRTs). It is argued that there is a market for this type of experience for persons with disabilities and the elderly who have accessibility needs, and for the sustainable citizen who wishes to minimise his/her impact on the planet.

Animals are used in tourism in many ways. Some uses are more benign such as ecotourism (e.g., viewing elephants in natural settings), while others induce significant levels of suffering, pain and distress with the denial of dignity and respect (e.g., elephants performing at a circus). What is missing is a comprehensive overview of how just these uses may or may not be. Justice, as a concept, is complex and controversial—even more so when applied to animals. In this paper, we propose a “scales of justice” framework for animals used in tourism (deep, intermediate, shallow, and no justice) based on two different normative ethics models. The first model is based on the conventional normative ethical domain that includes deontology and consequentialism (i.e., what we are told to do), while the second model is rooted in virtue ethics (i.e., what we ought to do as individuals). The intent is to “weigh” the just and unjust use of animals in the tourism industry based on these contrasting theoretical perspectives. Elephants are used as an example through the paper. We view this approach as a springboard for more intensive investigations on how animals are used in tourism in a variety of contexts.

This article introduces the idea of sustainable transformation at a time when sustainability science is crucial to the future development of the tourism industry. Here, we discuss background topics including sustainability, social-ecological systems, technology and innovation, resilience, and transitions, how each relate to each other, as well as how they interface with the new science of transformation. Based on a comprehensive overview of the literature, we developed the Tourism and Sustainable Transformation Framework and applied it to the current problems around food waste produced in restaurants, with the ultimate goal of reducing food waste in these establishments altogether. The framework is general enough to apply to any sector in tourism, or indeed any industry, and is built according to the value that the UN places on transformation as a prominent theme in their Sustainable Development Goals.

This article uses animal ethics theory to address the issue of whether zoos are a morally acceptable form of ecotourism. Arguments in favour of the zoo as ecotourism have justified this stance according to education and conservation factors. However, a survey of literature on zoos points to the fact that they are not as effective in the area of conservation as they contend, nor do they educate visitors at a level that would be deemed meaningful and long-lasting. In the absence of success in these areas, it is argued that zoos should not be viewed as a morally acceptable setting for ecotourism; a contention supported through the use of animal ethics theory – in particular utilitarianism, animal welfare and animal rights. The article concludes by offering a first principle for ecotourism that may be useful in determining what constitutes the acceptable use of animals for ecotourism, and what does not.