Sustainable Tourism Law

690 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM LAW III.4. ASSISTANCE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS In case of assistance obligations upon unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances or an emergency situation. In Annex I, an emergency situation is defined as: “unusual, extraordinary or unforeseeable circumstances, whether natural or man-made, beyond the control of the host country, that have resulted in the need for assistance on a large scale”. In emergency situations the host country shall make its best efforts to ensure that primary, basic and related needs of tourists are met. It is important to have cooperation between the host country and the tourist’s country. In case of serious and dangerous situations, where the life, health or the personal integrity of the tourists is exposed to direct danger, the host country has to take measures on: coordination of evacuation, emergency staff, health and medical services and security staff. This Annex of the UNWTO contains general measures to apply in case of emergency situations. CONCLUSIONS This paper presents an overview about UNWTO Draft Convention on the Protection of Tourists and on the Rights and Obligations of Tourism Service Providers. This is an important Convention in terms of protecting the rights of tourists and their protections as travellers, and sometimes as consumers or users of tourist services. But some questions arise: the connection with the Package Travel Directive for the Europeans countries; the problems to be harmonised regarding some questions and rights under a global point of view, for instance when facing different systems of contract law or questions such as the insolvency of the organiser. On the other hand, it is important to take into account that not all the rights are covered in the UNWTO Draft Convention; as perhaps the title: “UNWTO Draft Convention on the Protection of Tourists and on the Rights and Obligations of Tourism Service Providers” is too far-reaching.