Tourism and sustainable development, a familiar concept but difficult to apply in reality. 0pening At the dawn of a new millennium The sacred and magical nature of mountains First part The basic concept The ecological challenge as it stands today A critical analysis of the concept of sustainable development Second part The laboratory of sustainable development A critical assessment of Chamonix The case of the Espace Mont-Blanc Third part The workshops : the ecological management of tourism Nature : protecting the last remaining large natural areas The site : recycling supply in the area of tourism The industry : keeping up with the ecological cycles Events : managing the flow of visitors Fourth part The round tables : Environment-friendly tourism policies The world : globalisation and the sustainable development of tourism The region : local development and the environment policy of the Alpine region Firth part The S't' world-wide network The Chamonix Mont Blanc Declaration