Sustainable Tourism Law

162 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM LAW sustainable tourism is “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”. 3 Thus, sustainable tourism should: Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity. Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their living and created cultural heritage, as well as their traditional values and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance. Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment, income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, contributing as well to poverty alleviation 4 . Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them 5 . II.2. United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development The United Nations General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 6 , highlighting the potential of tourism to advance the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 . UNWTO’s five pillars regarding the UN’s International Year 2017 of Sustainable Tourism for Development are: (1) inclusive and sustainable economic growth; (2) social inclusiveness, employment, and poverty reduction; (3) resource efficiency, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation and mitigation; (4) respect for cultural values, diversity, and heritage; and (5) mutual understanding, peace, and security. Translating this concept into developing a sustainable tourism or sustainable 3 http://sdt.unwto.org/content/about-us-5. 4 http://sdt.unwto.org/content/about-us-5. 5 Making Tourism More Sustainable – A Guide for Policy Makers , UNEP and UNWTO, 2005, p.11-12. 6 http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2017-01-03/2017-international-year-sustainable-tourism-development. 7 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld.