The Verkhovna Rada has passed a bill on joining to the Protocol on Sustainable Tourism to the Carpathian Convention, a treaty to foster the sustainable development and the protection of the Carpathian region.

A total of 239 lawmakers backed bill No. 0131 on Wednesday.

The Protocol on Sustainable Tourism to the Carpathian Convention was signed in Bratislava on May 27, 2011.

According to the explanatory note to the bill, its adoption is required for the signing of the protocol. This will allow developing tourism in the Carpathian Mountains, influencing on the economic development in undeveloped regions, helping to diversify economic operations on these territories, creating a possibility of using resources to preserve diverse natural resources and their effective use and influencing on maintenance and restoration of the historic and cultural heritage of the region.