Sustainable Tourism Law

FROM TOURISM TO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 87 or protected areas; 5. Nature tourism and ecotourism are recognized as being particularly conducive to enriching and enhancing the standing of tourism, provided they respect the natural heritage and local populations and are in keeping with the carrying capacity of the sites ”. In 2015, the World Committee on Tourism Ethics submitted to the General Assembly of the UNWTO a proposal to convert the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, UNWTO’s main policy document, into an international convention in order to reinforce its effectiveness 114 . World Charter for Sustainable Tourism (2015) Finally, in 2015, on the 20 th anniversary of the Lanzarote Charter, a World Summit on Sustainable Tourism was held in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain on the 26th and 27th November 2015. The Summit revised and updated the 1995 Charter for Sustainable Tourism. The final document recalled the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the United Nations in the same year, stating that the Goals “ represent a significant opportunity to further guide tourism along an inclusive and sustainable course ”. The document also recalled the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism adopted by UNWTO and endorsed by the UN General Assembly. One of the suggested actions is to “ Integrate sustainability in national and international tourism policies ”. The UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics On September 2017, the member States of the World Tourism Organization approved the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics. The draft Convention, approved at the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly held in Chengdu, China, intends to transform the Code of Ethics for Tourism into an international convention 115 . As it was stressed in Chengdu, it is the first time that the World Tourism Organization intends to adopt an international convention within the framework of its General Assembly. At the moment, the proposed text is object of further discussions and definition. As it was remembered by the UNWTO itself, if a final text of the proposed Convention will be adopted by the General Assembly, “ it will be up for any 114 The Code was transformed in an International Convention in 2017. See below. 115 See http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2017-09-15/historical-decision-approval-unwto-framework-convention -tourism-ethics.