Sustainable Tourism Law

500 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM LAW The use of innovation to renew some practices is another action directed to the tourism industry being fostered. This expansive concept is specified with the indication of the use of eco-efficient technologies and processes, as well as renewable energy, having as target the reduction of carbon emissions and the environmental footprint of the tourism sector 36 . Besides these actions, the integration of sustainability into policies is also indicated, as well as management practices and operations, while encouraging investors and increasing investments towards a greener and more sustainable sector. iii.2.4. Consumers A new addition of the Charter is the inclusion of responsibilities directed to consumers. This is very important because consumers must recognize their roles towards a more sustainable tourism and effectively act in favour of a better environment. They are invited to use their decision-making ability and actions to benefit a more sustainable and balanced environment. The first action indicated is to encourage the use of local sustainable products and services to generate local employment and benefits. The objective is to foster the local economy and to improve the quality of life of the local residents, as related to their economic and financial situation 37 . In addition, the consumers can contribute by making sustainable choices related to tourism services and products. This device means to use their right of choice in favour of a more eco-efficient service, since sustainability should be a great factor of preference when choosing a service/product, seeing as offers have a similar price and one may evaluate them based on another aspect 38 . Equally important is the necessity of consumers recognizing their responsibility to contribute towards a greener environment. In this case, the consumers should analyse the economic impacts of their choices and also estimate their environmental and socio-cultural footprint to reduce the different kinds of impacts they produce. This part is important because it puts the consumers as 36 KÜTTING, Gabriela. The global political economy of the environment and tourism . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. p. 79-80. 37 RAICH, Frieda; ALBER, Hansjörg. Die Verflechtung von Dorfentwicklung und Tourismus. In: ZEHRER, Anita; GRABMÜLLER, Alice (org.). Tourismus 2020+ interdisziplinär: Herausforderungen für Wirtschaft, Umwelt und Gesellschaft . Berlin: Erich Schmidt, 2012. p. 127-129. 38 On personal barriers of tourists towards greener choices, see. BUDEANU, Adriana. Sustainable tourist behaviour – a discussion of opportunities for change. International Journal of Consumer Studies , v. 31, n. 5, p. 499- -508, 2007.