Promotion of sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, for poverty eradication and environment protection A/RES/69/233 4. Emphasizes the need to optimize the economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits stemming from sustainable tourism, including ecotourism activities, in all countries, particularly developing countries, including African countries, the least developed countries and small island developing States; 5. Also emphasizes that sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, can contribute to sustainable development, in particular environment protection, and can improve the well-being of indigenous peoples and local communities; 6. Recognizes that sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, creates significant opportunities for the conservation, protection and sustainable use of biodiversity and of natural areas by encouraging indigenous peoples and local communities in host countries and tourists alike to preserve and respect the natural and cultural heritage; 7. Underlines, in this regard, the importance of establishing, at the national level, where necessary, appropriate policies, guidelines and regulations, in accordance with national priorities and legislation, for promoting and supporting sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, and minimizing any potential negative impact; 8. Invites Governments, international organizations, other relevant institutions and other stakeholders, as appropriate, to encourage and support best practices in relation to the implementation of relevant policies, guidelines and regulations in sustainable tourism, including the ecotourism sector, and to implement and disseminate existing guidelines; 9. Encourages Governments at all levels to use sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, as a tool to support poverty eradication, environmental protection and/or conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity and to base tourism components on clear evidence of market demand and on a sound economic and environmental foundation; 10. Encourages Member States to promote investment in sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, in accordance with their national legislation, which may include creating small and medium-sized enterprises, promoting cooperatives and facilitating access to financing through inclusive financial services, including microcredit initiatives for the poor, for indigenous peoples and for local communities in areas, including rural areas, with high potential for sustainable tourism, including ecotourism; 11. Encourages Governments, the United Nations and the specialized agencies to support the coordination of regional and/or international sustainable tourism development frameworks, as appropriate, in order to assist countries in promoting sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, for poverty eradication and environmental protection; 12. Underlines the importance of conducting an environmental impact assessment, in accordance with national legislation, for the development of sustainable tourism, including ecotourism opportunities; 13. Stresses that indigenous cultures, traditions and knowledge, in all their aspects, are to be fully considered, respected and promoted in policy development for sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, and underlines the importance of promoting the full and early participation and involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities in decisions that affect them and of integrating their 3/5