In Guatemala, tourism is one of the activities allowed in protected areas, but for this to happen, the person concerned must sign a contract with the National Council of Protected Areas. In order to reconcile and optimize the development of tourism in protected areas, the law requires the coordination of INGUAT, the Institute of Anthropology and History and CONAP. Tourism is listed as one of the activities that can be allowed in protected areas. In Guatemala, there is a policy of tourism activities in protected areas to ensure that tourism contributes to the self-sufficiency of protected areas and improves the quality of life of neighbouring communities. The tasks of the institutions responsible for tourism focus in particular on the promotion of tourism and the regulation of tourism activities as an income-generating activity, some of which only exceptionally relate to the other dimensions of sustainable tourism, in particular the protection of protected areas and other tourist attractions. This is despite the fact that tourism in most Central American countries is directly linked to the use and enjoyment of natural resources. It should be noted that tourism legislation has promoted the protection of scenic beauties for tourism purposes in Central American countries, long before they were established as protected areas of scientific and ecological interest. 1. The concept of sustainable tourism must be adopted by the governing bodies of the tourism sector in the different countries and on the basis of this revision of the legislation in force, in order to carry out the necessary reforms and derogations and to adopt the necessary legislation to place this concept at the forefront of their policies and activities. 7. Although it varies from country to country, UNESCO sites are not always sufficiently protected by law to ensure their effective protection at the international level.
Nicaragua has a national system of protected areas, the objectives of which include the promotion of tourism while respecting the restrictions of each category; However, in some categories (biological reserves and reserves of genetic resources), discretionary or tourist uses are not allowed. There is a contradiction here, because later the law of incentives for the tourism industry includes these areas in those with the possibility of tourism and low-impact ecotourism activities. Nicaragua is also preparing a strategy and action plan for traditional tourism and ecotourism in protected areas. Costa Rica has abundant legislation on tourism and with a lot of details. The Tourism Business and Activities Regulation stands out, which requires a declaration of „tourism“ for all activities dedicated to tourism, which can give them access to certain advantages such as institutional support and current incentives. There are also laws that regulate accommodation establishments, casinos, travel agencies, tourist ports, car rental companies and tour guides. However, the sustainability of the tourism product, more than anything else, has to do with the quality, price and service that these activities provide, and to protect the tourist without depriving criteria such as the protection of the environment or the benefit of local communities. Under this programme, it was found that tourism, as the largest economic sector in the world, can become an engine of economic and social prosperity, while facilitating the conservation of natural, historical and cultural resources, which are understood as the basis and preservation of this enterprise and are abundant in the region. Also in Guatemala, tourism activities such as ecotourism projects, tourist complexes, hotels, zoos, transport terminals, airports, etc. require an environmental impact assessment.
There are also environmental regulations for these activities on the topics of wastewater, drinking water, noise and the sale of food products. 4. The existing institutional framework does not favour sustainable tourism, as it is mainly focused on promoting tourism development and controlling tourism activities, while environmental aspects remain in other institutions. In addition, there is no adequate interinstitutional coordination to allow better protection of the tourism product and greater clarity and legal certainty for promoters. Municipalities have been given responsibility for tourism management, but the lack of resources and technical capacity in these governments is constant in the region, which can significantly limit their role. One of the internationally accepted definitions of tourism is provided by the World Travel and Tourism Council, the World Tourism Organization and the Earth Council in Agenda 21 for the Tourism and Travel Industry: Panama has opted for ecotourism, as well as for the creation and promotion of specialized ecotourism centres, whose facilities are located in natural areas or places. Naturalistic leisure activities enjoying the flora and fauna. Some areas have been declared as tourism development of national interest, i.e.
those which, although offering special conditions for tourist attractions, do not have basic infrastructure for the development of tourist activities, so they are also taken into account for the granting of incentives. In protected areas, administrative and service concessions may be granted to municipalities, provincial governments, patronages, foundations and private companies. Tourism activities in the post-pandemic period will require better quality and guarantees for the health and safety of tourists. The new legal framework for the tourism sector must classify tourism businesses, whether accommodation, food, transport, leisure, among others, and establish specific obligations for each of them to ensure that their services are provided in an enabling environment Belize requires hotels to register with the Tourism Institute and, if necessary, to have an environmental license. be registered. Tour operators also need a license to operate. Tour guides must belong to a professional association in addition to an operating permit.