Gis in Sustainable Tourism Development

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Tourism Organization (WTO) define sustainable tourism as a “„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”. It requires informed participation of relevant stakeholders and strong political leadership, as well as 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 (UNEP and WTO, 2005). Sustainable tourism includes eco-tourism, green travel, environmentally and culturally responsible tourism, fair trade and ethical travel. It requires taking the impacts and needs into account in the planning, development and operation of tourism. It is a continual process of improvement and one which applies equally to tourism in cities, resorts, rural and coastal areas, mountains, and protected areas. It can apply to all forms of business and leisure tourism (UNEP and WTO, 2005).