Mission, philosophy and values

Discover the principles and values that inspire our work

Our Mission

As a final goal, the RTI promotes the development of the tourism industry in a sustainable manner and promotes the social and cultural authenticity of each destination and community. To achieve this goal, the Institute collaborates with tourism business associations, non-governmental organizations and destination governments with an important cultural and natural heritage component, in both developed and developing countries.

The Responsible Tourism Institute is concerned about the protection of the environment and the improvement of the quality of life in tourist destinations, considering the local economy, fostering employment and local culture and, in general, taking care of and preserving the cultural and natural heritage within the tourism industry. We do this through the promotion, dissemination, and application of the Responsible Tourism System to guarantee sustainable tourism.

PRINCIPLES

The principles that the Responsible Tourism Institute promotes are based on the following declarations, conventions, decisions, codes and most important agreements that have inspired the global movement towards sustainable tourism.

THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION

Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1972 / Link

MANILA DECLARATION ON WORLD TOURISM

WTO, 1980 / Download

THE HAGUE DECLARATION ON TOURISM

Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) / WTO, 1989 / Download

WORLD CHARTER FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

UNESCO, UNWTO, UNEP, European Commission. Lanzarote, Canary Islands, 1995 (EN, ES, FR) / Link

THE BERLIN DECLARATION ON  BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

International Conference on Biodiversity and Tourism, 1997 / Link 

INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL TOURISM CHARTER: MANAGING TOURISM AT PLACES OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE.

ICOMOS, 1999 / Download

UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DECLARATION

UN - Resolution adopted by the General Assembly, 2000 / Link

THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM.

UNWTO / ECPAT, 2000 / Download

GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS FOR TOURISM

UNWTO, 2001 / Download

THE NANDA DEVI BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND ECO TOURISM DECLARATION

Nanda Devi Campaign, 2001. Link 

CODE FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

PATA/APEC, 2001. Link 

QUEBEC DECLARATION ON ECOTOURISM

UNEP/UNWTO, 2002 / Download 

BABIA GÓRA DECLARATION ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN MOUNTAIN AREAS

CEE/UNEP/UNESCO, 2002 / Download 

CAPE TOWN DECLARATION ON RESPONSIBLE TOURISM IN DESTINATIONS

Responsible Tourism Partnership, South Africa, 2002 / Download 

DJERBA DECLARATION ON TOURISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE

UNWTO, Tunisia, 2003 / Download

CONVENTION FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

UNESCO, 2003 / Link

TOURISM FOR ALL:  DECLARATION ON TOURISM, CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

Universal Forum of Cultures / RTI - Barcelona 2004 / Download

DECLARATION - HARNESSING TOURISM FOR THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS.

UNWTO, 2005 / Download

PROTOCOL ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ALPINE CONVENTION OF 1991 IN THE FIELD OF TOURISM.

Alpine Convention, 2005 / Download

CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF THE DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS.

UNESCO, 2005 / Link

DAVOS DECLARATION. CLIMATE CHANGE AND TOURISM: RESPONDING TO GLOBAL CHALLENGES.

UNWTO, UNEP, WMO, WEF, 2007 / Download

THE KERALA DECLARATION ON RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

Kerala Tourism & ICTR, 2008 / Download

LUSAKA DECLARATION ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND PEACE.

IPPT-International Institute for Peace through Tourism, Zambia, 2011 / Download 

SIHANOUKVILLE DECLARATION ON MULTILATERAL COOPERATION FOR ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT

WEC, Cambodia, 2011 / Download

FUTURE WE WANT

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, 2012 / Link

RÉUNION ISLAND DECLARATION ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN ISLANDS

UNWTO, 2013 / Download 

THE NINH BINH DECLARATION ON SPIRITUAL TOURISM FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

UNWTO, 2013 / Download

PHNOM PENH DECLARATION ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TOURISM

PATA, UNESCO, UNWTO, 2014 / Download

NASSAU DECLARATION ON TOURISM AS A KEY SECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT IN ISLAND STATES.

SIDS, UNWTO, 2014 / Download 

PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM, INCLUDING ECOTOURISM, FOR POVERTY ERADICATION AND ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION.

Resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly, 2014 / Download 

SAN MARINO DECLARATION ON ACCESSIBLE TOURISM.

DPOs & UNWTO / San Marino Republic, 2014 / Download 

BETHLEHEM DECLARATION ON RELIGIOUS TOURISM AS A MEANS OF FOSTERING SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF HOST COMMUNITIES.

UNWTO, Palestine, 2015 / Download