Following the foot and mouth crisis, the English Tourism Council has launched a 16-point strategy, encouraging a sustainable future for the industry. Aimed at both operators and tourists, the Time for Action: A strategy for sustainable tourism in England document has an action plan aimed at considering the long-term social, environmental and economical implications among the tourism sector. Time for Action is divided into three main sets of principals designed to ensure a sustainable future for tourism. These categories are; protecting and enhancing the built and natural environment of destinations; ensuring that tourism supports local communities and culture; and ensuring that tourism benefits the local economies of tourism destinations. ETC chair, Alan Britten, says the strategy makes sense to tourism businesses whether in rural areas, cities, towns or on the coast: As the foot and mouth crisis has so clearly highlighted, the balance between people, the environment and the economy is very delicate. Sustainability in tourism is not an optional extra. It makes good business sense and the challenge is to make it second nature to all tourism businesses. ETC has also established a set of 20 measures that will be used to evaluate the industry's progress on sustainability, to be monitored and updated annually. The ETC will take the Time for Action strategy to the Earth Summit next year in South Africa as 'an example to other countries' on England's commitment to a sustainable future for the tourism industry.