Sustainable Tourism in Ecuador

Conceptual Definition (WTO, 2004)

"Sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability.

Thus, sustainable tourism should:

1) Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural, cultural heritage and biodiversity.

2) Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.

3) Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.

Sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building. Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary.

Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them."

Expressed simply, sustainable tourism can be defined as:

'Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.'

Key Objectives

• Facilitate the integration of sustainability and quality criteria into national, regional and local tourism policies, development plans and strategies through the application of policy tools, instruments and measures.
• Increase international awareness on the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and improve effective implementation of its principles by governments and the tourism industry.
• Support the further improvement and application of methodologies, models and techniques for the enhanced sustainability and quality in tourism at specific types of destinations and at natural and cultural heritage sites.
• Guidance, international harmonization and recognition of best practices, basic requirements, standards, management systems and measures intervening in the quality of tourism activities, services, products and destinations conforming to the objectives of sustainable development and requirements of consumer protection.
• Support the integration of poverty reduction agendas into tourism policies at the global and national levels and a wider involvement of poor communities in tourism operations, through developing and disseminating tourism policy guidelines, management techniques and proposals of measures that contribute to poverty reduction in developing countries.
• Enhance the responsiveness and preparedness of the public and private sector to conduct their activities so as to ensure the social and cultural sustainability of tourism, with a special focus placed on the rights and interests of local communities, including those of vulnerable groups of the population, especially children, women, seniors and persons with disabilities. Encourage positive participation of migrants in tourism development.
• Improve the understanding of the relationship between climate change and tourism, and promote the formulation and implementation of adaptation and mitigation policies and measures.

Galapagos Experience Sustainable Tourism

• Supporting local and Indian communities in Ecuador