The UNWTO has always made it a point to study each form of tourism taking into consideration the characteristics of each type of destination – urban, cultural, rural, nature, coastal, or island destinations, among others – in order to provide international institutions, national and local tourism administrations, and the private sector with useful criteria for appropriate planning, management and follow-up action to ensure the sustainability of tourism activities in each specific socio-geographical context. On the occasion of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification, 2006, this UNWTO handbook addresses the development of tourism in deserts and areas that are experiencing desertification. It is aimed at the international community, and in particular the governments of countries with desert areas within their territories, as well as the international, national and local private-sector actors that operate in them, with a view to helping them implement policies and actions, and to provide them with a resource they can rely upon in carrying out their initiatives. It presents a vision of sustainable tourism specific to these areas characterized by an extreme climate, taking into account both their fragility, as well as their richness in natural, human and cultural assets. Last but not least, this manual can also serve as a valuable reference for local desert communities, who are the main stakeholders in this process.