The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, to support the environment and struggling economies.
Tourism, for the wellbeing of people and the planet, must be an opportunity and not a problem: that is why the United Nations General Assembly decided, on 7 December 2015, that 2017 would be the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Fifteen years on from the first celebration of sustainable tourism, the need was felt to reaffirm the importance of using this market sector – which generates an annual turnover of approximately 1.260 billion dollars – for the good of the environment and people.
The concept of sustainable tourism was introduced in 1988, roughly one year after the definition of sustainable development, by the World Tourism Organization (Unwto); it denotes a way of travelling that is respectful of the planet and does not alter the environment – natural, social and artistic – and does not hinder the development of other social and economic activities. In practice, it is a form of tourism that is non-destructive, has a low environmental impact and aims to support the most struggling economies.
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The definition stands in contrast to that of mass tourism, which takes no account of the specific characteristics of territories, is invasive and certainly does not foster the economic, social and environmental development of the poorest countries.
The impact of tourists is often extremely high, as confirmed by data from the EEA – the European Environment Agency: according to a 2015 study updated in November 2016, for example, European tourists consume between 3 and 4 times the water they would normally use each day, while air transport in the EU is one of the sectors most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
The aim is to raise awareness of environmental issues and to make tourism an engine for real and sustainable development for the most struggling countries. The intention is to underline once more that environmental protection must go hand in hand with social equity.
According to the secretary-general of the Unwto, Taleb Rifai, the United Nations' declaration of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development would be "a unique opportunity to promote the contribution of the tourism sector to the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environmental," confirming the view of world leaders who, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), had considered that tourism "well designed and managed" could also contribute to job creation and promote trade.
In 1998 the United Nations General Assembly declared the year 2002 the "International Year of Sustainable Tourism", initially placing the emphasis above all on the pollution produced by mass tourism. This had been recognised by some of the most important European tour operators, who signed, under the aegis of Unesco, a Charter for Sustainable Tourism. This represents a commitment to reducing and better controlling the environmental and socio-cultural impact that the trips they offer create on final destinations.