Sustainable Tourism Law

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN ARGENTINA 527 II. PROTECTED AREAS Argentina is the first Latin American country to start the process of creating protected areas, the first Ranger Corps (group of people in charge of the protection and preservation of all aspects of wilderness, historical and cultural sites) was formed in 1928. Our natural beauty began to be preserved as tourism, research, as well as environmental education through scholarships and university volunteer systems, began to be encouraged. In 1934, with Law Nr. 12.103, the National Parks Authority and the national parks of Nahuel Huapi and Iguazu were created. Likewise, in 1970, Decree Law 18.594 reorganized the system of protected areas, formally distinguishing between national areas – areas whose conservation in the natural state is dictated by their phytozoogeographic representation and scientific interest –, natural monuments-areas, things or living species of animals or plants, whose value is aesthetic, historical or scientific, which deserve the protection of absolute ownership and national reserves, which are of interest for the conservation of ecological systems, without the special protection granted to national parks. In 1978, Law Nr. 21.836 approved the “Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage”, whose text is part of the law and was adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Organization for the Education, Science and Culture, on its seventeenth meeting held in the city of Paris, on November 16, 1972. This law explains the concepts of natural and cultural heritage – “cultural heritage” will be considered: Monuments: monumental architecture, sculpture or painting works, elements or structures of an archaeological nature, inscriptions, caves and groups of elements, which have an exceptional universal value from the point of view of history, art or science. The sets: groups of buildings, isolated or assembled, whose architecture, unity and integration into the landscape give them an exceptional universal value from the point of view of history, art or science. Places: works created by Man or joint works of Man and nature, as well as areas including archaeological sites that have an exceptional universal value from a historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view”. “Natural heritage” shall be considered: Natural monuments constituted by physical and biological formations or by groups of these formations that have an