Furthermore, the meaning and practice of sustainable tourism cannot be separate
from the cultural values and the context in which they exist (Liburd, 1999). As argued by
Harrison (1996), simply considering socio-cultural issues as part of the wider system, or
as an inconsequential backdrop, does not solve the problem. All systems are maintained
around equilibrium. The fundamental idea of sustainability and the system is to uphold
balance. This functionalist approach fails to acknowledge that elements of continuity and
change are the norm for culture, the environment and the economy, just as change does
not automatically equal destruction. This calls for a collaborative interpretation of what is
to be sustained for whom and how by the people whose habitat is, or may become, the
object of tourism. In other words, the uncritical acceptance of economic growth, the naïve
assumption of inter-generational equity and the fundamental imbalances of power and
knowledge must be centered into the heart of sustainable development and sustainable
tourism (Liburd, 1999).