Sustainable Tourism Law

PLANNING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM RESOURCES 333 The creation of effective coordination mechanisms for a spatial planning should convey a regulation suitable for tourism, allowing a proper quantification of the use by tourists and the local population of a certain area, which must be associated with a tourism model by establishing preferential zones for tourism development. In conclusion, those will be effective in the consolidation of tourist destinations. We believe it is necessary to strengthen the local touristic planning initiatives through a greater participation of the stakeholders directly involved in the design, promotion and marketing of the tourism product. For this purpose, spatial planning is fundamental. In this regard, tourismmust have a paramount importance in spatial planning. This may range from the possibility of proclaiming a “Touristic Municipality”, to the creation of a Commission to study, jointly with the Ministries of Environment and Spatial Planning, spatial planning with touristic purposes on the grounds of the importance of this activity. We are sure that the joint planning and organization of tourism resources and tourism territory with the participation of its stakeholders will ensure the development of a tourism resource according to the community’s economic expectations and protection requirements, contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of the populations in tourist areas and to the social and cultural improvement of the region. This would be strengthened by the adaptation of the local urbanization, building and restructuring plans with the participation of those developing and promoting the activity. The design of spatial planning measures specifically created for the tourism sector is something complex and specific to each area. The difficulties posed by differentiating between tourism usage in numerous activities connected to tourism causes, in many occasions including the lack of coherence between tourism and spatial planning, can hamper the attainment of a sustainable tourism development. The climate changes affecting the earth and numerous countries where tourism is a main industry cannot, in any way, hamper tourism activity. Climate, lack of planning and resource management, plus the lack of incentives to businesses may cause tourism to be associated exclusively to one season in numerous countries. This may result in a huge imbalance between the demand for goods and services and its supply.