Sustainable Tourism Law

THE PRINCIPLES OF TOURISM LAW AS A BASIS FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 483 evidence of the potential contribution of tourism to the achievement of one of the most urgent goals of the UN for the millennium: the reduction of poverty. It is likewise convinced that tourism can be used as a major lever in reducing poverty and protecting the environment, since it confers economic value to cultural heritage, it creates jobs and it generates foreign currency revenue. The WTO “ is already taking a number of strategic steps to improve the possibility of this happening, including engagement in world trade negotiations, promoting the concept of sustainable tourism to all policy makers and establishing a special initiative on poverty (ST-EP) in partnership with others ” (WTO, 2004). “ But poverty is far more than a lack of income. The challenge of development is to improve the quality of life. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) argues in their Human Development Report that development is ultimately a process of expanding people’s choices, not just raising national incomes. (...) Many of the poorest countries are actually at a comparative advantage over developed countries in this sector. They have capital assets of enormous value to the tourism industry – culture, art, music, landscape, wildlife and climate. This can include, for example, World Heritage Sites, where visits by tourists can generate employment and income for surrounding communities, as well as helping in their conservation . Tourism contributes to a geographical spread of employment. It can be particularly relevant to rural areas where the above assets are often found. Three quarters of people in extreme poverty live in rural areas, usually remote from the main centres of economic activity or with least productive land. Tourism can sometimes provide a source of income in such locations while few other industries can do so . (…) Tourism employs more women and young people than most other industries. Providing economic benefits and independence to women is very important in terms of supporting child development and breaking the cycle of poverty Tourism provides not only material benefits for the poor but also cultural pride, greater awareness of the natural environment and its economic value, a sense of ownership and reduced vulnerability through diversification of income sources ” (WTO, 2004). In the above context, one can attempt to explore Positive Law in order to point out legal texts along the lines of Social Tourism Law. The topics of planning and regional development stand out as uniquely relevant, along with education and tourism-related training, co-responsibility, free time and recreation, non-discrimination, involvement, access to public tourism information, the integrated management of natural resources, respect for multiculturalism, intangible heritage, sovereignty over natural and cultural resources, among others.