Acceso usuarios
El artículo analiza el debate ambientalista con el fin de determinar de dónde surgen los métodos e instrumentos de normalización y certificación y el porqué de las nuevas apuestas en turismo sostenible. Propone un enfoque metodológico para el diseño de un Sistema de Gestión para la Sostenibilidad en los destinos turísticos, el cual da respuesta a cada uno de los componentes de las normas técnicas sectoriales en esta materia, y las conclusiones generales de estas experiencias participativas que apuntan a que Playa del Muerto en el Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona en el departamento del Magdalena, Puerto Nariño en el departamento del Amazonas y, recientemente, el Centro Histórico de Cartagena, sean destinos turísticos sostenibles certificados en turismo sostenible en Colombia.
En este contexto, el Ministerio de Comercio Industria y Turismo de Colombia ha venido impulsando, desde finales de los noventa, una política de competitividad sectorial (Min.
Comercio, 1998), dentro de la cual se ha considerado la creación de las Unidades Sectoriales de Normalización �usn� conducentes a la mejora de la oferta turística del país. Dentro de ellas, se propuso la Unidad Sectorial en Turismo Sostenible, cuyo objetivo es diseñar normas que incorporen criterios ambientales, económicos y socioculturales para que, tanto los empresarios como los destinos, asuman un compromiso con el desarrollo sostenible.
El enfoque metodológico que se presenta a continuación, incorpora los elementos para la formulación de un Sistema de Gestión para la Sostenibilidad de los destinos, el cual contempla la declaración de la política de sostenibilidad;
la definición de la estructura de la organización responsable del funcionamiento del sistema; la formulación de programas de gestión a partir de la identificación de los impactos ambientales socioculturales y económicos que se generan en el destino; la identificación de acciones que incorporen el uso turístico sostenible en el desarrollo territorial de la zona; los procedimientos de monitoreo y seguimiento, y la formulación del sistema de evaluación para planear, ejecutar, implementar y mantener continuamente acciones y estrategias encaminadas al mejoramiento continuo, identificando los factores que han impedido la consecución de sus objetivos, metas y acciones.
The article describes the main results of the design process of the Systems Administration for the Sustainability of the tourist destinations, the methodology applied to each of its components and the general conclusions of these participatory experiences suggest that Playa del Muerto in the Tayrona National Park and Puerto Nariño in the department of the Amazonas be sustainable tourist destinations are certified under sustainability standards for destinations in Colombia.
It is considered that tourism must be developed based on principles of sustainability in the environmental, socio-cultural, economic and tourist development, having established a proper balance between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability as is accepted from the definition proposed by the World Tourism Organization.
Sustainable tourism development requires the involvement of all stakeholders, included the host community, as well a strong political leadership in order to achieve a comprehensive cooperation and to establish aconsensus.
The achievement of a sustainable tourism is a continuous process and requires the constant monitoring of impacts, so to advance in the preventive or corrective measures needed to mitigate the negative effects on the tourist territory. The tourists� satisfaction is also another component of sustainability.
The sustainability is projected in tourist territory seen as a planning and management unit in a defined geographical area, which forms a dynamic structure around the tourist reality which is generated in place.
In order to create a culture of excellence for the tourist area which includes quality and sustainability criteria for both service providers as well as destinations, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, through its Vice Ministry of Tourism, created the Tourism Quality Program in order to dynamize actions and instruments which in this order support the competitiveness . In this frame the Certificate of Tourist Quality as a tool for the promotion and recognition of products and services which meet the quality criteria and sustainability. In this order, and as support instruments d Sectorial Technical Standards have been designed for the Sustainable Tourism, nts ts, aimed at destinations and tourist services providers so as to enable the adoption of sustainability criteria.
The Systems Administration for Sustainability of the destinations is defined by the nts ts 001-1 as every political, legal, administrative, research, planning, protection, coordination, promotion, interpretation and education action in search forthe best use and retention of a tourist destination for future generations.
Among the most important elements it provides the declaration of the sustainability policy, the definition of the organization responsible for the operation of the sustainability of thedestination, the establishment of managerial programs for sustainability, from the socio-cultural and environmental and economic impacts, the monitoring procedures and follow-up, identification of actions which incorporate the use of sustainable tourism in regional development in their area, from the planning instruments (development plans) and the formulation of the evaluation to plan, execute, implement and maintain continuous actions and strategies, aimed at the continuous improvement , identifying the factors which have prevented the achievement of its objectives, goals and actions
