The UN World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism around three pillars: environmental protection, social and cultural respect, and economic viability for host communities, rather than tourism that benefits outside investors alone. Community-based tourism models demonstrate this in practice -- for example, Rwanda's gorilla trekking program shares a portion of national park revenue with neighboring communities, and cultural village tourism in countries like Ghana and Kenya channels visitor spending directly to local residents. On the environmental side, many lodges now reduce single-use plastics, invest in water and energy conservation, and work with nearby communities on conservation projects to keep the natural attractions that draw tourists intact for the long term.