Sustainable Tourism Law

LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS OF THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 453 especially those in the municipality of Aljezur, are aware of the diverse impacts that such movement can bring to the local community, and of the necessity of managing it through regulations in a sustainable way. For this purpose, a research team from the Algarve University was hired by the municipality of Aljezur. In Portugal, sustainability constitutes a general principle of the public tourism policy (art. 3 of Decree-Law 191/2009, published on 17.08.2009 in the PRD). The law defines three fundamental axes (art. 4). First, the enjoyment and use of environmental resources with respect for ecological processes, contributing to nature and biodiversity conservation. Secondly, the respect for the sociocultural authenticity of local communities, with a view of preserving and promoting their traditions and values. Thirdly, the economic viability of organizations as a basis for job creation, better private and public infrastructures, and entrepreneurshipopportunities for local communities.Afavourable redistribution of sustainability benefits to local communities is advocated as both a principle and a necessity for the intervention by the local authorities, in their roles as legitimate representatives of communities. The three-dimensional perspective of sustainability based on the principles of ecological prudence, social equity and economic efficiency helped to design the investigation using triangulation techniques (Contreiras, Machado, & Duarte, 2016). In a world characterized by universal heritages, such as biodiversity and environmental conservation, education for world citizenship, peace, the fight against poverty and the strategy of smarter power, should all be based on forms of “soft power” (Nye, 2010). These call for a shared and committed exercise of power by a plurality of agents through the persuasion of common principles, causes and values (Moreira, 2014). Many international organizations focused on tourism, environment and sustainability (e.g., European Commission, 2011; UNWTO, 2004) have issued “soft law” instruments (e.g., charters, recommendations, codes of conduct, manifests) that aim to inspire up to date statements on sustainable tourism. The World Charter on SustainableTourism+ 20, launched in 2015 in the city of Vitoria, Spain (ITR, 2015), inspired the investigation. Such manifestations of goodwill have in common the fact of being a form of “gobermedia” (Nadales, 2012). Based on a narrative of “soft power” (Nye, 2010), the interested parties (stakeholders, in the sense remarked by Freeman, 1984) are invited to adhere to its propositions and aims, expressing a proposal of intention and projecting collective paths for the future.