Nature, to be commanded, has to be obeyed.

Francis Bacon

For the last few decades, and more particularly for the last few years, a new kind of tourism, respectful of the environment and the local people, has been emerging as an alternative of mass tourism.

Ecotourism, community based tourism, ethical, alternative, sustainable, fair, pro-poor tourism...the terminology of tourism is extremely wide.

The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people."

The WTO, envisage Sustainable tourism as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems. The WTO has now reformulated a new and longer definition, which can be found on their website.

According to UNEP, sustainable tourism includes optimum use of resources, including biological diversity; minimization of ecological, cultural and social impacts; and maximization of benefits to conservation and local communities.

Fair Wings decided to talk about responsible tourism as a form of tourism including the various existing positive approaches, and, referring to the 2002 Cap down declaration and more recently to the new Kerala declaration established at the second International Conference on Responsible Tourism.