Will Sustainable Management be a Clear Differentiator for Tour Operators?

INTRODUCTION Tourism is influenced by various trends that result in an offer of previously unseen tourist products. Among these evolutions, we shall be focusing on those which concern a more responsible kind of tourism, involving both supply and demand. This research seeks to examine the travel offers of two types of tour operators -conventional and specialistin order to assess their "sustainability" from the viewpoint of an informed customer. There is a genuine general awareness of the negative consequences tourism may generate, notably on the environment. This is doubtlessly inherent to the debate on global warming that challenges the overconsumption of water in dry regions or highly polluting air transport. At a time in which corporate social responsibility is a preoccupying issue, most tour operators have understood it was becoming vital to display more or less pronounced commitment to reconcile leisure and the protection of the environment in the broad sense of the term. The traditional tour operators, whose expertise is often mirrored by the price of their stays or the quality of their hotels, also lend themselves to the game, even if sustainability may remain peripheral in the conception of their offer. The idea is to evaluate and compare both products from the perspective of the criteria listed in the WTO-certified definition and study the implications of such a trend for the profession in the conclusion if all forms of tourism become more sustainable in future.