1999 : the first summit The concept The first of the conferences, which takes place this year, is devoted to the ecological dimension of sustainable development in tourism. Table 3 shows the proposed organisation of the conference. In the opening stages attention will focus on the vision of the local authorities. A special address of metaphysical portent will be the prelude to the first event. Day One will concentrate on reports on the status quo together with a critical analysis of the concept of sustainable development. Follow-up workshops will involve dis-cussions on some important requirements for a critical review of environment-friendly development. There will be two round tables to debate the political consequences in a regional as well as an international context. The conference will end with a "Declaration of Chamonix" addressed to everyone responsible for the sustainable development of tourism. The opening The first conference will be expected to address a number of fundamental questions in relation to the concept of sustainable development in the area of tourism. To some extent these are questions that go beyond daily considerations. They are however questions essential to implementing the concept of sustainable development. At the dawn of a new millennium At a time of transition to a new millennium, under the celebrated emblem of Mont Blanc, we cannot help at the inauguration of such a conference but to take a visionary approach to the theme of sustainable development. Man, his needs and his aspirations must be the focus for this visionary approach. In its own crystal-ball vision entitled "Tourism 2020", the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) points out that the demand for international tourism is far from being satisfied. In the years ahead we must create the framework conditions that will make it possible, at one and the same time, to both promote tourism and to keep the related external costs under firm control. It will be interesting to see how the world's leading destination, which is to say the host country of this conference, plans to continue its development of tourism in ways compatible with the objectives of sustainable development. The sacred and magic nature of mountains As an introduction to the subject, the conference will debate the importance of nature to the traveller, and in particular the question of the traveller's relations with nature. We may begin with the idea that experiences in a natural environment help to establish ties (religere) between the individual and the whole of creation. Man begins to feel himself a part of nature. Faced with the majesty of the landscape high in the mountains ordinary men and women start thinking about their own place in the scheme of things. It is this spiritual and magical element that makes nature a "priceless" experience, and by extension adds value to travel and tourism. This interaction between man and mountain has an influence on socio-economic development. Increasingly however human technology is creating a "second nature". Chamonix Mont Blanc offers us a perfect "laboratory" in which to study and analyse this process. Essential ideas The ecological challenge as it stands today A series of papers will provide an opportunity to remind ourselves exactly what the local and global ecological threats are that we face, and their implications for the development of tourism. Whenever possible these should try to address themselves to the impact of such global phenomena as "greenhouse effect" on local tourism development. An effort should also be made to describe the conditions under which tourism-related development can help to safeguard the ecological equilibrium of the Alpine region. Bearing in mind the ecological constraints, we shall try to discover whether or not such new trends in the field of tourism as the increase in both the number of short journeys and of travel to far-away places, as well as the growing demand for sites for intensive sports and leisure activities, are compatible with sustainable development. Another aspect to take into consideration is the "eco-balance" of tourism compared to other types of leisure activity and other economic sectors. A critical analysis of the concept of sustainable development Technology has become man's second nature. The prosperity of the industrialised nations is the main obstacle to the "return to nature" advocated by Rousseau and his followers. In this context, the philosophical conundrum that needs to be resolved is as follows : what does nature mean to human society ? We also need to decide at the same time the kind of nature we want. On behalf of the generations to come, it is of crucial importance that we address ourselves to these fundamental ethical questions. Since technology first launched man into space, our planet has become the object of ecological management. The current thinking is that ecological cycles can be planned and managed. Despite this feeling of man's omnipotence however, attempts to manage nature in the real world and to chart the course of complex ecological processes soon run into limits. The time it takes to identify the true nature of an ecological problem, to try to find a solution and then to assess the results in the field is often far longer than the total development time of the ecological crisis in question. And it is no easy matter to strike an optimum balance between the growing costs of delay and the falling costs of trial and error. Above all the questions that still need answers are those relating to quantitative and quali-tative values of ecocompatible growth. Each human intervention in nature alters the remaining potential. The economy does not move in cycles. All economic activities result in the exhaustion of nature's precious resources. And furniture cannot be turned back into forests. In the long term the law of entropy produces an inherent contradiction between man's survival as an economic animal, and ecological survival. It is important therefore, in tourism as in other sectors, to make efforts to reconcile these seemingly unreconcilable imperatives, i.e. the need for economic growth and profitability and the ever more pressing need to reduce pollution and waste to a minimum. To what extent will the untouched natural environment, and existing sites, undergo development in the years ahead for the purpose of tourism? This question remains open. Increasingly the classic tourism resorts are giving way to artificial technology-based centres. A product of scientific planning and industrial production, these new tourism attractions no longer require use of "the great outdoors". The countryside and its resources are no longer essential. These new "leisure machines" do however consume a great deal of energy. The case of the Mont Blanc region A laboratory of sustainable development Since 1991, a "Mont Blanc Crossborder Conference" (CTMB) has brought together the environment ministers of France, Italy and Switzerland for the purpose of elaborating a concept for the active and at the same time the sustainable development of the Mont Blanc region, taking into account the protection of natural sites and of the countryside while promoting socio-economic activities. The idea of conducting a feasibility study was discussed between 1992 and 1997, but it came to nothing. Regional co-operation between the three neighbours has nonetheless produced some positive results including the signposting of paths, information-sharing and various studies, creating a new awarness of the problems involved. The time has now come to seize the opportunity to make the Mont Blanc region into a real laboratory for sustainable development. Management of ecological problems Such fundamental questions inevitably affect the way in which tourism-related environment problems have to be managed. Generally speaking there are four areas which require strategic measures to be taken, based on the extent of the ecological challenge and its urgency : protection of regions that are still close to a natural state ecological rehabilitation of existing tourism centres ecologically sustainable production of tourism services managing the flow of visitors Nature : protecting the last remaining large natural areas The seemingly unstoppable encroachment of "civilisation" in its various manifestations causes the number of virgin or nearly virgin regions to dwindle rapidly. At the same time the economic value of these few remaining natural areas continues to grow. The new branch of tourism known as ecotourism is one of the growth areas of this industry today. The ques-tion that needs to be asked is this - Is "ecotourism" truly ecological? The problems that arise in this area above all concern the developing and emerging countries. Also at issue however is the need to conserve the last areas of virgin territory still to be found within intensely exploited tourism regions. The site : recycling supply in the area of tourism The ecological renovation of tourism centres is a major problem, and one that must be tackled in the fiercly competitive conditions of a market characterised by global demand. The majority of classical tourism sites are currently in the process of renewing their structures. The aim is to improve competitiveness on an international level. We must seize this opportunity to come to terms with ecological problems at the same time, particularly those that arise from the growth of road traffic and the need for car parks. The ability to take on these two tasks depends on two factors: achieving optimum use of the installed capacity, and ensuring financial success. The industry : keeping up with the ecological cycles Ecologically sound production in key supply sectors is already well advanced. The international hotel trade is increasingly able to keep up with ecological cycles and to produce with a minimum of pollution. Cableways and skilifts generally operate on the basis of renewable energy sources (hydropower) and have solved the problem of waste disposal. Environmentalists have turned their critical attention to the artificial snowmakers and the increasing industrialisation of the ski slopes. Civil aviation is devoting its attention to reducing its need for kerosene, and to noise abatement. The more dynamic airlines have turned to step-by-step ecological management programmes. Events: managing the flow of visitors The larger tourism events are a growing problem. A great many tourism destinations try to achieve optimum utilisation of existing capacity by applying the methods of so-called "event marketing". Financial success being the main purpose for such events, eco-balances tend to be neglected. Insofar as the Olympic Games and "universal exhibitions" are concerned - which are awarded on the basis of political considerations -- efforts are clearly being made to bring the considerable planning and traffic problems that are inevitably associated with such mega-events under the greatest possible control. Environment- friendly tourism policies Tourism-dependent companies and tourism organisations throughout much of the world are today more aware of the environmental issue. Insofar as the development of demand and supply is concerned, efforts are being made to take potential ecological problems into account whenever possible. The world : globalisation and the sustainable development of tourism Considering how high the stakes are in terms of potential ecological damage on a worldwide scale, just how effective the various isolated measures taken are is not yet clear. Tourism is growing at an exponential rate in a number of different regions around the world. Could our planet survive the spread of Western-style tourism habits and tastes to the populations of these other regions? Given the increasing globalisation of demand in the field of tourism, we also need to find out exactly what kind of framework conditions are necessary to ensure that international tourism becomes sustainable. It would be interesting to know what the international tourism organisations think of recent developments in this context. Do they for example accept the idea that a fuel tax is a necessary step towards internalising the ecological costs of international air traffic? And what do they feel about the idea of making use of the last few remaining natural areas for the purpose of tourism? What instruments do they have available to contribute to the sustainable development of the world in the years ahead? The region : local development and the environmental policy of the Alpine region Problems are different on the local and regional fronts. The paradigm of the international competitiveness of destinations is of particular importance in the classic tourism regions. The question that needs to be asked therefore is this: does a high level of environmental protection bring with it a competitive advantage vis à vis the world market? In applying the concept of sustainable development, the location and the region are determining factors. It is here that the laws and directives of central government must be implemented. Applying innovative solutions to the type of problem already mentioned is possible only if there is sufficient margin for manœuvre at the local level. The Alpine Convention adopted by the governments of the various nations of the region recognises the importance of a decentralised approach to decision-making in tourism. It sets out specific norms for both development and environmental protection. The need for such an instrument and its usefulness are still matters of controversy. A number of questions that are central to sustainable tourism development such as the control of private traffic and effective zoning, i.e. separating areas open to intensive utilisation from areas reserved for extensive use, still need to be decided in the majority of the main tourism centres. The Chamonix Mont Blanc Declaration The conclusions of the conference will be formulated into a number of recommendations in favour of sustainable development, to be known as the "Declaration of Chamonix Mont Blanc". The authorities of Chamonix will work hard to bring the debate to life and to test the decisions taken at each of the conferences in real conditions. Chamonix, the Alps' largest resort, thus makes clear its intention of becoming a laboratory for the tourism of tomorrow.