Sustainable Tourism Law

THE GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS FOR TOURISM 399 Aiming to promote responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism in the framework of the right of all persons to use their free time for leisure pursuits or travel, while respecting the social choices made by everyone. “The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism sets a frame of reference for the responsible and sustainable development of world tourism. It draws inspiration from many similar declarations and industry codes that have come before and it adds new thinking that reflects our changing society at the beginning of the 21st century. With international tourism forecast to reach 1.6 billion arrivals by 2020, members of the World Tourism Organization believe that the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism is needed to help minimize the negative impacts of tourism on the environment and on cultural heritage while maximizing the benefits for residents of tourism destinations. The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism is intended to be a living document. Read it. Circulate it widely. Participate in its implementation. Only with your cooperation can we safeguard the future of the tourism industry and expand the sector’s contribution to economic prosperity, peace and understanding among all the nations of the world.” Francesco Frangialli, former UNWTO Secretary-General (1998-2008) III. CONVENTION ON TOURISM ETHICS The English text of the UNWTO Convention on Tourism Ethics, the first convention of the Organization, was approved by A/RES/707(XXII) during the 22nd General Assembly which took place in Chengdu, China in September 2017. The UNWTO Executive Council endorsed the approach of avoiding any unnecessary changes to the nine core principles of the Global Code of Ethics in order to finalize a draft text of the Convention for its consideration by the General Assembly (CE/DEC/7(CV) Madrid, Spain, 10-12 May 2017). One of the important ethical principles in tourism is its contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies. Article 4 (in Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics) informs that: “….(1) The understanding and promotion of the ethical values common to humanity, with an attitude of tolerance and respect for the diversity of religious, philosophical and moral beliefs, are both the foundation and the consequence of responsible tourism; stakeholders in tourism development and tourists themselves