Sustainable Tourism Law

SUSTAINABILITY: THE PATH FROM STOCKHOLM TO THE EUROPEAN CHARTER 653 integrated ticketing systems and the accessibility of air transport for people with reduced mobility close the list of seven points. I.2.11 Agenda for a Sustainable and Competitive European Tourism: the Commission’s Communication, 19 th October 2007 The Commission’s Communication, on 19 th October 2007, entitled Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism 74 accentuates again the vital connection of tourism competitiveness to its sustainability and how the quality of touristic destinations strongly depends on the natural environment’s preservation and the involvement of local populations 75 . Because of that, a global approach is imposed that simultaneously points at the economic prosperity of tourism, the social cohesion, the environmental protection and the promotion of culture, aspects that make up the objectives of the Agenda. From these objectives arise several challenges to tourism, namely: – Ensuring the security 76 of tourists and local populations; – The sustainable conservation andmanagement of natural and cultural resources; – The reduction of the usage level of resources and pollution at tourism destinations, including the production of residues; – Managing the changes that have already happened, attending mainly to the wellbeing of communities; – Reducing the seasonal character of demand; – Taking in consideration the environmental impact of transports associated with the touristic activity; – Making tourism experiences available to everyone, without discrimination; – Improving the quality of employment in the tourism sector. The accomplishment of the agenda’s objectives will be made through a coherent action supported by adequate public policies, namely the sustainable destination management – in which prevails the land use planning or the investment decisions in terms of infrastructures and services –, the integration of 74 COM (2007) 621 final. 75 “Finding the right balance between an autonomous development of the destinations and the protection of their environment on the one side and the development of a competitive economic activity on the other side may be challenging”. 76 Beyond the challenge it’s also an essential condition for the success of the tourism activity. Good practices in terms of relevant sites and mass-events through the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection give member-States a good instrument in terms of security.