The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism
The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas is a practical management tool for ensuring that tourism contributes to a balanced economic, social and environmental development of protected areas in Europe. The Charter is a voluntary agreement and aims to encourage good practice by recognising protected areas, which are meeting agreed requirements for the sustainable development and management of tourism.
The Charter considers the sustainable development to be such as meets the needs of the current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The aim of the Charta is the commitment of the agents who signed it to put into practice a local strategy in favour of the sustainable tourism, which takes form of two strategic aims:
- On the one hand to foment the knowledge and the support to Europe’s protected areas, which represent a fundamental part of the world patrimony and must be maintained for the current and future generations in order to enjoy these spaces.
- On the other hand, to improve the sustainable development and the management of tourism in the protected areas, but also to take care of the environmental needs of the residents, the local companies and the visitors.
You’ll be able to enjoy some of the most valuable nature areas in Europe thanks to their outstanding scenic beauty (including national parks and biosphere reserves), and you can make the most of your visit while conserving the ecological and scenic values of each destination.