This chapter critically examines the UNWTO ST-EP (Sustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty) programme. The programme encourages (social, economic and ecological) sustainable tourism with the aim of alleviating poverty by bringing development and jobs to people living on less than one dollar a day. The chapter argues that sustainable tourism may not be the best way for large-scale alleviation of poverty. It points out that the UNWTO ST-EP programme is, in its actual presentation, too optimistic on the potential of tourism for the LDCs. It is taking a micro level view, without looking at global structural realities, impacts and limitations of international tourism. The structural political, environmental, economic, and cultural constraints attached to West-South tourism are discussed.

This chapter investigates environmental narratives and discourses surrounding air travel. Four major lines of argument are identified and discussed. First, air travel is energy efficient. Globally, it accounts only for marginal emissions of CO2. Second, air travel is economically and socially too important to be restricted. Third, environmental impacts exist, but technology will solve the problem. And fourth, air travel is treated 'unfairly' in comparison to other means of transport. It is shown that these existing discourses are shaped mostly by the industry, leaving few opportunities for alternative messages to reach the public. The developments induced by these discourses are evaluated with respect to their short- and long-term consequences for tourism and sustainability.

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“Tourism’s very existence depends on transport. Still, researchers in transportation and logistics do not show much interest in tourism whereas travel and tourism researchers pay more attention to accessibility than to transport.” These were the opening sentences of the call for papers for the TTRA European Chapter Conference “Transport and Tourism: Challenges, Issues and Conflicts” held in Rotterdam and Breda, The Netherlands from 22 to 24 April 2009.

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