Sustainable Tourism Law

32 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM LAW and production; Goal 14: conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, and Goal 15: protect land life”. Tourism is the economic sector that has grown the most in recent years, with a growing supply of services spreading all over the country and affirming itself as a key instrument to enhance territorial development. This tourism dynamic benefits from our natural conditions, cultural values, security, geographic positioning and from the entrepreneurial capacity of our economic agents. Tourism is also an instrument for the promotion of regions and communities’ development, as well as their economic and socio-cultural values, if supported in host countries by a foundational sustainability strategy. The Tourism State Secretary, through its Regulatory Order nr. 16/2016 from last December 30, launched the Support Line for Tourism Improvement of the Interior, which will create opportunities to achieve the stated goals and challenge the capacity and imagination of the territorial players involved in development strategies. New tourism products linked with nature and the rural world are not necessarily a potential threat, but they can be an opportunity for nature preservation and sustainable local development of natural areas, provided that a set of rules are fulfilled. This activity should not, however, be seen as a panacea able to solve all the problems faced by the rural world, just as the desire for “development” should not be synonymous with the destruction and depletion of existing natural and cultural added value. This is the great challenge of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development! And this challenge simply cannot be ignored by the INATEL Foundation, which has established its reputation in tourism and related fields as social innovators and providers of sports and culture for all. Our rich 82 years of history in Portuguese society means we have a greater responsibility of choosing the right path towards the future! José Manuel Alho Member of the Board of Directors of the INATEL Foundation