Sustainable Tourism Law

102 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM LAW II. SUSTAINABILITY IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM In recent years the term “sustainability” has become a fashionable, widely used word in different contexts, but in particular it has been increasingly paired up with words like “travel” or “tourism”. In general, sustainability can be defined as the idea that goods and services should be produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment 1 . Sustainable development is defined as a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs 2 . However, there are a lot of variations and extensions on these basic definitions. In regard to tourism, the UNWTO defines sustainable tourism as “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”. Nowadays, the concept of sustainable tourism has become increasingly accepted in tourism planning, which is reflected in the related planning laws in some areas. However, there is still little reference made to the idea of sustainability when it comes to individual travel or travel law, despite the impact of the travellers, which has to be taken into regard when assessing whether tourism in a particular place can be qualified as sustainable. The main focus of legislation in travel law is still linked to the protection of travellers, in particular consumers, and there is little emphasis on the responsibility of the travellers with regard to the impact of their activities. The following chapters will pick out some travel law legislation and analyse how the principles of consumer protection on the one hand and sustainability on the other are incorporated in their respective legal framework. III. DIRECTIVE 2015/2302/EU ON PACKAGE TRAVEL AND LINKED TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS In its recitals, the new Package Travel Directive acknowledges the important role tourism plays in the economy of the European Union. 3 However, the further 1 Cambridge Dictionary. 2 Bruntland Report for the World Commission on Environment and Development (1992). 3 Recital 2 of Directive 2015/2302/EU.