Sustainable Tourism Law

EVOLUTION OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION TOURISM POLICY 125 EAFRD will help to improve the rural landscape and revalue the cultural heritage in order to develop rural tourism and diversify the rural economy, particularly in the new member states and the candidate countries. Furthermore, the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development may be beneficial for the tourism sector in aspects such as research on information and communication technologies, satellite applications, cultural heritage and land use. In 2007, the Tourism Sustainability Group submitted its report “Action for a more sustainable European tourism”, stating the need to include local entities in planning and developing campaigns for responsible tourism. Taking into account these indications, on October 19, 2007, the Commission presented the Communication “ Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism ”[COM (2007) 621 final]. The objectives of the agenda shall be achieved through appropriate policies such as sustainable management of destinations (for example, through planning the use of space and land or investments in infrastructure and services), making companies take sustainability issues into account and raising awareness with tourists concerning sustainability. The Commission proposes the following principles to achieve a competitive and sustainable tourism: take a holistic and integrated approach to obtain a well-balanced and integrated tourism with a whole range of activities that affect society and the environment; plan for the long term; respect the character, resources and needs of host communities and destinations; involve all stakeholders; minimize and manage risks (the precautionary principle), that is, to prevent any harmful effect on the environment or society; set and respect limits (ability to limit, where and when appropriate, the amount of tourism development and volume of tourist flows), etc. To support the promotion of Europe as a sustainable and quality destination and, as a result of the Agenda, the European Commission launched the pilot project “European Destinations for Excellence” (EDEM) 5 , in addition to the agreements made with different international organizations. The project is based on national competitions, which take place every year, resulting in the selection of a “destination of excellence” for each participating country. Each competition is based on a specific theme chosen by the Commission, alongside the corresponding national tourism institutions. Therefore, 2007 was a turning point from two different perspectives: on the one hand, sustainable tourism began to have a prominent place in the EU and, 5 European Destinations of Excellence.