Sustainable Tourism Law

508 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM LAW be mentioned as examples. In general, agricultural products recognized for their quality play an important role in the decision to visit a destination and live an immersive experience in the culture and territory from which they come. Another factor that helps to better understand the regulation of the appellations of origin is related to the dynamics of international trade of these products and the position that Europe has with respect to its competitors. Although, according to the European Commission for Agriculture and Rural Development, the European Union is the world’s leading producer of wine (European Commission, 2017), the rise of emerging powers is leading to changes in market shares and profit sharing. According to Ceballos (2017), on the international scenario, regulation is based on competitiveness, leaving the implementation of non-commercial public interests in a subordinate place. For this author, the globalization of the economy has entailed a reduction in the quotas for administrative intervention in the protection of public interests related to appellations of origin, thus promoting a greater privatization of their control. This circumstance reflects an imbalance between the economic, social and environmental aspects affected by this institution. Faced with this gap, it is urgent to analyse the legal configuration of appellations of origin and the areas from which they can influence the sustainable development of tourism. IV. APPELLATION OF ORIGIN: LEGAL ISSUES IV.1. Conceptual delimitation Among the different legal instruments that link products to their place of origin, this chapter focuses on appellations of origin (AO) because it is the one that represents the greatest degree of dependence between the product and the cultural elements of the territory. A link that is sublimated in the meantime as the product is usually identified with the toponymy of the geographical area of origin. There are several reasons for including a section on the concept of appellation of origin. On the one hand, among industrial property institutions, this figure has not generated particular theoretical attention. On the other hand, there are other similar institutions that have led to some terminological confusion. Appellations of origin have historically been conditioned by the wine sector. That is why its regulation has traditionally been designed to preserve the