International tourist organizations: legal status, classification, significance

The constant growth of international tourism exchange has led to the need for its legal regulation at the international level and the establishment of various international tourism organizations. The relevance of the study is due to the growing role of international organizations in the development of cooperation in the field of tourism. The study aims to determine the specific features of the functioning of international tourism organizations as subjects of international tourism law. To conduct an objective study, the following methods were used: analysis and synthesis; deduction and induction; structural and logical generalization; and systematization. The article identifies the specific features and peculiarities of international tourism organizations. It is established that international organizations play an important role in the formation and application of international law, both in the process of its formation and in its implementation. International tourism organizations are formed through voluntary accession and participation of tourism sector representatives from different countries, operate continuously by the adopted charters, and have already proven to be an important instrument of international cooperation. The author defines the legal status of international tourism organizations. The author establishes that the most common international tourism structure is an association that brings together national organizations, tourism industry enterprises, and individuals voluntarily to solve specific tasks in the field of tourism. Approaches to the classification of international tourism organizations are generalized. The classification of international tourism organizations by types of activity, spheres of activity, national­territorial basis, and socio-state basis is considered. International tourism organizations are usually divided into the following main groups: global of a general nature; regional of a general nature; regional of a sectoral nature; specialized; and special. The article examines the role of leading international tourism organizations in developing tourism. The United Nations has recognized the leading role of the World Tourism Organization in the field of tourism and travel, assigning it the key responsibility for promoting responsible, sustainable, and accessible tourism, designed to foster economic growth, international understanding, peace, and prosperity, as well as mutual respect and unconditional observance of civil rights and fundamental freedoms.