Sustainable Tourism Law

FROM TOURISM TO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 71 And it has been this way for centuries. But the expansion of tourism in recent times was bound to inevitably collide with a new global concern: pollution, climate changes, overbuilding, landscape exploitation and, therefore, environmental protection. Tourism was exponentially growing at the same time in which sustainability was colliding with development. In order to follow the path that leads to the modern concept of Sustainable Tourism, we have to trace the evolution of the relation between man and nature, up to the crisis that has been characterizing contemporary times. The relation between man and nature has always been controversial and is a part of the history of mankind and civilization. But only in modern times has this relation become critical, leading to the development of the branches of ecology and environmental attention. This new approach has affected Economic, Business Administration, Strategy, Management and, finally, Tourism. For a long period of the history of mankind, growth and progress were the goals of human activity. But, at a certain moment in recent years, unlimited growth and sustainability began to collide. Sustainability is considered a limit and a burden to progress and development. Development and progress are considered a threat to sustainability. “Sustainable Development” is trying to reconcile the two conflicting interests: economic development and sustainability. In other words, “Sustainable Development” researches a reasonable compromise between progress and the preservation of nature. Tourism and Sustainable Tourism Earlier in our history, Tourism growth was considered a positive element of development. Tourism was considered “green”, and the Tourism Industry was a “Green Industry”. Mass tourism, with millions of people moving and visiting locations worldwide undoubtedly affects the environment. Hotels and resorts are built. Planes are flying. Secret, previously inaccessible, places are now visited and exploited. And the mere fact of millions of people moving, eating, sleeping and leaving tracks of their passage affects the ecosystem. Mass tourism creates wealth. But “ naturally, since it is a complex phenomenon, tourism produces effects on the host region that are not exclusively or always positive: since a long time the strong increase of tourism flow through principal tourist destinations has already brought to light some of the undesirable aspects of the impact