INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM, TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY LAW III. THE WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SECTOR The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable tourism, recognizing the importance of considering the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism. At events such as FITUR (International Tourism Fair) 2023, the UNWTO has emphasized its commitment to building a more diverse (UNWTO, 2021), resilient and sustainable tourism sector, demonstrating the importance of collaboration between public and private leaders to advance this goal. The UNWTO defines sustainable tourism as tourism that takes into account current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, meeting the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities. (UNWTO, 2021) This concept is applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and niche segments. The principles of sustainability refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and an appropriate balance must be established between these three dimensions to ensure its long-term sustainability (UNWTO, 2021). Thus, the UNWTO is committed to various initiatives to promote sustainability in tourism. This includes joining the Water Action Agenda at the 2023 United Nations (UN) Water Conference, where tourism's commitment to contributing to the acceleration of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on Water and Sanitation was emphasized (UNWTO, 2023). UNWTO has also joined forces with tourism stakeholders to promote sustainable water management at all levels of the tourism value chain. In addition, the UNWTO has promoted tourism development that supports, in equal measure, biodiversity conservation, social well-being and the economic security of host countries and communities. Tourism is highly vulnerable to climate change and at the same time contributes to it. The UNWTO recognizes the diverse threats to the sector, including direct and indirect impacts such as extreme weather events, rising insurance costs and security concerns, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity and damage to assets and attractions in destinations, among others. A global effort, spearheaded by the UNWTO, is underway to create a Statistical Framework for Measuring Tourism Sustainability to fill the gap for harmonized data at international, national and sub-national levels, highlighting the need for harmonized data to ensure that tourism actions on the ground truly respond to a shared vision (UNWTO, 2020).
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