Abstract
The paper traces 30 years of commitment to environmental values of tourism by the intergovernmental World Tourism Organisation. Such commitment was almost unfashionable in the 1950s but gradually what began as an article of faith was vindicated by results of market research showing that the protection, enhancement and improvement of man's physical and human environment were among the fundamental requirements for the harmonious development of tourism. The establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme at last gave WTO a partner with the necessary authority with which the world body could walk towards mutually agreed goals.