Sustainability and resilience are fundamentally different concepts (Holladay 2018). Sustainability is characterised by stability, tendency for long-term planning and achieving normative goals (Powell et al. 2018), while resilience is presented as nonlinear system, which calls for quick reactions wherever and whenever needed (Lew et al. 2016). Holladay (2018) conceptualises the resilience as component of tourism sustainability, comprising of capacity to change, healthy social and natural capital, economic potential and concern for environment. In this communication, I explore the inverse relation between these two concepts, namely how implementing sustainable tourism model (through sustainable certification) assists destinations in becoming more resilient.
I focus on the case of Slovenia, where sustainable paradigm is not integrated only in the national tourism policy, but put in practice also through the certification scheme Slovenia Green (using GSTC recognised Green Destinations Standard). This certification is performance-based, encouraging destinations to constantly improve and set higher sustainability goals. One of the crucial elements of the certification is inclusion of local community in this process.
Analysis is based on triangulation methodological approach (Bowen 2009). I'm comparing national tourism policy documents, certification standard (criteria) and results of community-based survey in destinations. In attempt to follow the multiple community approach, this survey includes two groups of actors: local residents and representatives of local businesses.
Slovenia Green certification serves as framework for conceptualising the sustainability. Through analysing its criteria, I first identify different theoretical elements of resilience emerging from the certification standard. In the next step I look for practical evidence of these elements in studied Slovenian tourism destinations.
Keywords: resilience|sustainable tourism certification|labelling|triangular method|Slovenia
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