Abstract:
Tour operators appear to be prominent intermediary partners in the tourism sector. Tour operators
highly consider the trend of being responsible and sustainable in their tour operations
due to market demand for these aspects. The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution
of tour operators in ensuring responsible tourism within their operations, as reflected on
their official websites. The study employed two research objectives: to identify the commonly
highlighted key themes in tour operators’ websites and to determine the undervalued aspects
of responsible tourism on tour operators’ websites in Sri Lanka. The study employed a qualitative
approach, focusing on a sample of 30 official websites of tour operators in Sri Lanka.
Data were collected by thoroughly reviewing the content of these websites, and the gathered
data were analysed through deductive thematic analysis. Six key themes were extracted from
the 2002 Cape Town Declaration, which characterises responsible tourism in terms of: (i) minimizing
impacts, (ii) generating economic benefits for host communities, (iii) involving local
people in decision making, (iv) conserving natural and cultural heritage, (v) providing meaningful
connections between tourists and local people, and (vi) being accessible and (vii) being
culturally sensitive. After exploring the web content, the sub-themes and evidence were identified
during the data analysis. The findings reveal that tour operators in Sri Lanka focus on
minimising impacts, providing meaningful connections between tourists and local people, conserving
natural and cultural heritage, and generating considerable economic benefits for host
communities. Themes such as being accessible, cultural sensitivity, and involving local people
in decision-making are identified as undervalued aspects of responsible tourism in tour operators’
businesses. The tour operators mostly emphasise the richness of culture and the beauty
of natural resources and destinations, catering to market demand. However, responsible travel
to natural areas and cultural settings should be further emphasised in web content. The study’s
findings offer deeper insights into the imbalanced attention given to crucial dimensions of responsible
tourism, particularly cultural respect and preservation, which can lead to the depletion
of authentic cultural resources, as well as the extreme commodification and touristification of
tourism products over time. The study provides insights for practitioners in the tourism industry
to apply a holistic approach, integrating environmentally, socio-culturally, and economically
responsible strategies into their websites’ presence.
