Education for Sustainability in Tourism: Coaching Tourism Businesses

It is often espoused that micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are the engines of growth of a country's economy. There are, however, considerable barriers that they face in start up and operations that are compounded by their inability to utilise the necessary resources to assist them. As such more targeted information delivered directly to MSE owner/managers, supported by flexible, personalised programs for capacity building and person support in combination with peer networks, could provide a more effective and sustainable approach to encourage MSEs to incorporate sustainable tourism development responses into their business practices. This chapter will explore the practice of business coaching as an education tool and participatory learning method for tourism MSEs adopting a sustainable development approach to their business practices. In particular, how business coaching can best integrate economic, environmental, and social concepts into core tourism business activities is examined. The chapter will conclude with a practical guide on how to implement coaching programmes for tourism MSEs.