Sustainable Tourism Law

SUSTAINABILITY: THE PATH FROM STOCKHOLM TO THE EUROPEAN CHARTER 643 The problems of tourism – a global phenomenon that is shaped locally – “the sustainability problems linked to it range from global ones that need to be solved globally, to local ones that require action on the ground”. Another point of the document concerns the challenges and objectives of sustainable tourism. As a main challenge, we have a sustainable activity and growth, maintaining the economic viability but assuring simultaneously the capacity to regenerate resources, meaning it does not affect the environmental, social and cultural quality. The growth will be unavoidably bigger in quality and lower in quantity. The quality of manpower, the respect for local populations and causing minor environmental impact will generate funds that improve the efficiency of resources. The specific challenges for tourism sustainability are listed in Annex 2. Challenges of key importance for the sustainability of tourism • The lack of skilled manpower for certain jobs, and the difficult social and working conditions in the sector. • The development of transport and its effect on traffic flows: as tourism necessarily depends on transport, this sector deserves specific attention also with regard to sustainability, in particular limiting its environmental impacts, including the issue of climate change. • A potential impact of tourism development on the economic and social conditions of the local population, such as price increases and cost of living, and the risk of detaching culture from its local context and divorcing it from its role for the local society, and losing local authenticity of socio-cultural expressions as a consequence of globalised tourism development and investment. • The use of heritage resources, the need to protect the environment, and increasing exposure to natural and man-made risks. • Potential shifts in the choice of destination, whether or not in high season, as a result of major consumer trends and external factors, including changing features of regional climate and extreme weather events. • Potential further trend towards the concentration and increased vertical integration of tourist services. • The adoption and incorporation of new information and communication technologies as a factor of competitiveness.