When France assumed responsibility for coordinating the preparation of the tourism component of the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production - (the Marrakech process conducted by the United Nations department of economic and social affairs and the United Nations environment programme) - its intent was to make a useful contribution to the joint international effort to promote the controlled development of tourism. Sustainable tourism must maximize its positive economic, social, cultural and environmental contributions, while minimizing its negative impacts. Tourist activity in and of itself is ambivalent : for want of an appropriate policy framework, it can destroy the very resources that underpin its success. The commercial exploitation of natural resources must include their protection or remediation. What is at stake is by no means a "niche" market, but on the contrary, the future of a major economic sector. This future must be based on sound public policy and a tourism strategy consistent with national sustainable development and anti-poverty strategies, as well as with climate change and biodiversity programmes, in particular. With this perspective in view, this document describes practices and proposals that illustrate the range of available solutions that can contribute to making the tourist industry a fundamental pillar of sustainable development. This contribution stems from the work of the international task force on sustainable tourism development, which held three meetings in Paris between september 2006 and december 2007. It was prepared with support from a French committee comprising the main public and private stakeholders, enterprises and NGOs involved in tourism and sustainable development in France.