Self-regulation of eco-tourism as a legal method of regulating business and other income-generating activities

Relevance . Ecotourism faces a number of challenges related to the imperfections of government regulation. Attempts to eliminate, for example, greenwashing, ensure the responsibility of tour operators, improve the quality of tourism services provided, preserve specially protected natural areas, and so on, are not an easy task, and targeted solutions to individual problems will only partially help to eliminate the accumulated consumer dissatisfaction, which is primarily due to the inability of the state and businesses in the field of ecotourism to change the situation. The purpose of this study is to formulate the author’s position on self-regulation as the most effective legal method of regulating relations in the field of ecological tourism, and to develop a model of a self-regulatory organization adapted for ecological tourism. Objectives : to identify and propose solutions to problematic issues in the field of economic tourism, to demonstrate the possibility of its operation under the auspices of self-regulation, by proposing a model of a self-regulatory organization capable of eliminating existing problems. Methodology . The work employed general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, and a systematic approach), as well as formal-legal, comparative-legal, and historical methods. Results . Self-regulation in the field of eco-tourism should be based on the obligation of membership of persons engaged in entrepreneurial or income-generating activities in this sector of the economy. With regard to selfregulatory organization in the field of ecotourism, it is necessary to supplement the classic self-regulatory organization functionality with the functions of property and non-property support for self-regulatory organization members, tracking unscrupulous entrepreneurs, and involving the local population in self-regulatory organization activities. The security function should be expanded and extended not only to protect the rights of consumers of ecotourism services, but also to protect the interests of the state. Conclusions . Self-regulation in the form of self-regulatory organization can be considered as a tool for developing the principles of sustainable green development, which will eliminate greenwashing, irresponsibility of tour operators and other participants in eco-tourism, poor-quality provision of services, as well as anthropogenic impact on specially protected natural sites.