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Sustainable tourism and responsible tourism are equivalent terms for the application of the principles of sustainable development in tourism.

These terms hats include many forms of alternative tourism.
The notion of sustainable tourism takes up the three pillar concepts of sustainable development, namely the environmental aspects, social and economic aspects of life in society, adapted to this particular sector.

Birth of a concept
The term sustainable development only appears in 1980, but reflection on the impacts of development and economic growth had already been underway for a decade, particularly with the publication in 1972 you report Meadows (“Stop growth”) of the Club of Rome. However, the concept of sustainable development takes time to be accepted. A new definition is given in 1987 in the Brundtland Report, then in 1992 the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro finally allows the general public to discover the concept.

Towards more sustainable and responsible tourism
The term sustainable tourism appears for the first time in 1993 in a guide published by UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) and UNEP : Guide for local authorities – sustainable tourism development. The book presents the concepts and techniques of tourism planning and development as well as the management of its impact on the environment and its socio-economic effects at the local level.. It states that “the environment is the basis of natural and cultural resources that attract tourists. Therefore, environmental protection is essential for long-term tourism success. »

1995 : Sustainable tourism charter
En 1995, UNWTO meets in Lanzarote (Canary Islands) with Unesco, UNEP and the European Commission. At the end of this meeting, a Sustainable Tourism Charter is published and gives a first precise definition of this concept. She recalls that “tourism, due to its ambivalent character, since it can contribute positively to socio-economic and cultural development, but also to the deterioration of the environment and the loss of local identity, must be approached from a global perspective. » According to the UNWTO, tourism “must be sustainable in the long term from an ecological point of view, economically viable and ethically and socially equitable for local populations. .

And Label Atr (Acting for Responsible Tourism)
En 2004, several French tourism operators come together and create the Association of Thematic Tour Operators (Att). Their objective is to formalize tourism practices with common values ​​based on respect, solidarity and quality. They publish the Traveler's Ethics Charter which is inspired by the principles of CMET and set up the Acting for Responsible Tourism certification. (ATR).
The main objectives of the ATR label :
– encourage the development of qualitative tourism for an authentic discovery of the host regions ;
– ensure that the economic benefits are most fairly distributed among travel stakeholders ;
– respect the customs and cultural differences of the host regions ;
– respect the environment and cultural and natural heritage ;
– inform transparently and sincerely.

ATR certification is delivered by the AFNOR organization after checking compliance with the Charter. Certified structures commit to four main points :
1. Provide the customer with clear information and raise awareness about responsible tourism : before each departure the tour operator provides customers with the Traveler’s Ethics Charter. Its dissemination is one of the conditions among many others to obtain certification.. This Charter has an educational vocation (advice, behaviors and attitudes to encourage to respect cultures, the lifestyles and environment of the countries visited).
2. Accompany the customer to the destination according to the responsible tourism spirit : for example, by voluntarily limiting groups to 15 people for adventure travel and 25 for cultural trips.
3. Select local service providers according to the ATR spirit and strengthen the quality of relationships with them through, contractual commitments on the basis of a lasting relationship and the creation of destination sheets.
4. Commitments of the tour operator for its own structure (train staff according to the responsible tourism spirit, apply an environmental management policy within your company, actively and financially support the development of local populations…).

The founding members of the ATR network : Atalanta, Allibert, Chamina, The Balaguère, Adventure Lands.