Thirty years ago, the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism laid the foundation for a new model of tourism development based on respect for the environment, cultural diversity, and social well-being. Today, more than ever, its principles continue to guide destinations, businesses, and travelers toward more responsible and resilient tourism, aligned with major global sustainability challenges.

This March 28, 2025, we celebrate a milestone that transcends borders and generations: the thirtieth anniversary of the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism.
In 1995, the tourism world took a historic step toward sustainability, establishing a commitment that continues to guide destinations, businesses, and travelers across the globe.

More than just an anniversary, this milestone offers an opportunity to reflect on the path traveled, the achievements reached, and the challenges that still lie ahead in building responsible tourism.

What Is the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism?

The World Charter for Sustainable Tourism, proclaimed in Lanzarote in 1995, was the first major international declaration to integrate the concept of sustainability into tourism activities.

Its primary objective was—and still is—to promote a tourism model that preserves the environment, respects local cultures, fosters social well-being, and generates economic benefits in an equitable manner.

The Charter established essential principles such as the need for sustainable planning, active participation of local communities, ecosystem conservation, respect for cultural heritage, and shared responsibility among all tourism stakeholders.

These principles laid the groundwork for a paradigm shift now reflected in public policies, business strategies, international certifications like Biosphere, and the decisions of millions of conscious travelers.

Evolution toward tourism aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Over time, the Charter has been enriched and strengthened. In 2015, coinciding with the adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it was updated in the Second World Charter for Sustainable Tourism during the summit held in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

This update incorporated new fundamental approaches such as the fight against climate change, responsible digitalization, the circular economy, social innovation, gender equity, and the empowerment of local communities as key pillars of sustainable tourism.

The Second Charter explicitly recognized tourism’s potential to contribute to all 17 SDGs, positioning the sector as a strategic tool for eradicating poverty, promoting quality education, achieving gender equality, driving climate action, and building peaceful and inclusive societies.

Today more than ever, this evolution shows that sustainability in tourism is a living, dynamic, and shared process.

The current relevance of the charter and its role in 2025.

The World Charter for Sustainable Tourism remains fully relevant in 2025.
Its principles are more necessary than ever in a world facing climate crises, biodiversity loss, economic and social inequalities, and profound demographic transformations.

Applying its values means:

• Promoting tourism that respects and strengthens local cultures.
• Minimizing the environmental footprint of tourism activities.
• Promoting inclusion and equity across all areas of tourism.
• Supporting small communities and local entrepreneurs.
• Transforming business models toward regenerative development.

Every traveler, every destination, and every tourism business has the power to become an agent of change. Every tourism experience is an opportunity to educate, raise awareness, and positively transform local realities.

Renewing our commitment to the future.

Celebrating thirty years of the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism is not merely an act of historical remembrance but also an opportunity to reaffirm a determined look toward the future.

Sustainable tourism is not a passing trend—it is a structural necessity to ensure the well-being of the planet and all its inhabitants.

At Biosphere and the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), we reaffirm our belief that the Charter remains an essential guide for building a more conscious, inclusive, and resilient tourism model.

Three decades later, its principles continue to serve as an ethical and practical compass for those of us who believe that tourism can and must be a force for positive transformation. We invite the entire international community, tourism sector stakeholders, and every global citizen to renew their commitment to these values, joining the global movement for tourism that protects, values, and positively transforms our environment and societies.

Let’s keep traveling—and let’s keep building a better future together.