Sustainable Tourism Law

Sustainability as a strategic vector of tourism Castanheira Lopes President of Pousadas de Portugal I. FRAMEWORK Given all that we see, hear, read and sense, sustainability is gaining importance and is managing to inscribe its issues on our daily agendas, and it is important to knowwhether this circumstance corresponds to a temporary trend or if, conversely, we could be facing a new paradigm in terms of mentality and living in society. In fact, in various forums, be they academic, professional or institutional, the topic of sustainability has been gaining visibility, as its growing impact on our everyday experiences and coexistence has become indisputable. Indeed, certainly because of this new reality, even in the context of Portuguese politics, there has been a significant conceptual and focus change. Particularly considering how the old Green Party, “The Greens”, whose concerns seem to relate mainly to matters of an environmental nature, saw the birth of a Party of People, Animals and Nature alongside it, which emphasizes the relevance gained in the public domainof themes linkedtorespectingandconservingspecies, aswell as theirarticulation. This growing significance, as it stands, and which will hopefully be shown below, is a trend with a propensity to deepen, not a passing fad, unlike the positions stated by some opinion-makers to the media. Without any ideological agenda or the intention to persuade, nevertheless we should underline the importance it would have had in our societies if the political parties in power would effectively andadequately incorporate intheirpolitical andgovernanceprograms considerations for a long-term collective future, and not just what they intend to do in the next political cycle, or even in the next legislative session they will participate in. II. SUSTAINABILITY IN TOURISM I – Often, tourism has been accused of being a major consumer of resources, using the best locations and withdrawing them from general fruition, as well as forcing the waterproofing of soils in locations that should remain “green”.