Heraklion, following an invitation from the European Commission, has been selected as a partner in the Urban Agenda for the EU partnership (URBAN AGENDA for the EU), which is being created in the new thematic area of Sustainable Tourism. Through this network of cities, Member States and stakeholders, Heraklion will play an active role [...]
Athens, 28 July 2022. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world's largest cruise industry trade association, welcomes the completion of sustainability destination assessments in the popular Greek cruise destinations of Corfu and Heraklion. The project, co-funded by CLIA in partnership with the two municipalities and port authorities, was conducted by the Global Sustainable Tourism [...]
April 2022 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) conducted a Destination Assessment of Heraklion, Greece, from March to December 2021. The Destination Assessment was led by Dr. Ioannis Pappas, GSTC Program Director for the Mediterranean Region, working closely with Heraklion’s authorities. Heraklion Tourism Overview Heraklion is the largest region of Crete and a [...]
February 2022 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) conducted a Destination Assessment of Summit County, Utah, from July to December 2021. The Destination Assessment was led by Dr. Kelly Bricker, GSTC Vice-Chair, working closely with the Park City Chamber of Commerce | Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCCVB) and stakeholders throughout the County. Summit [...]
Dubrovnik, 2nd June - The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Destination Assessment of Dubrovnik Report was presented in Dubrovnik via video by Dr. Ioannis Pappas, GSTC Director - Mediterranean Region, with the participation of Mato Franković, Mayor of Dubrovnik, and Kelly Craighead, President and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). The presentation was [...]
Santo Island, Vanuatu Tourism Overview Sanma is a province located in the Northern part of the nation of Vanuatu. It occupies the nation's largest island, Espiritu Santo, located approximately 2,500 km northeast of Sydney, Australia. Sanma Province is made up of the islands of Santo and Malo, and includes a number of smaller surrounding [...]
Belize Tourism Overview Belize offers plenty of opportunities to explore its natural resources. It has one of the largest barrier reefs in the northern hemisphere - a World Heritage Site; the Blue Hole; offshore islands; and Mayan archaeological sites, ancient cities, and sacred cave complexes. This array of ecosystems and cultural attractions has made [...]
Jennifer Wesselhoff, President and CEO of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, speaks about Sedona, Arizona's new sustainable tourism plan following their GSTC Destination Assessment in 2016. Sedona is applying the GSTC Criteria for Destinations, applying key tactics to keep their resident and visitor experience top-notch while the population *doubles* daily from tourism--a $1B business for [...]
Tourism in Roatan, Honduras Today Roatan is an island in the Caribbean located 65 kilometers from the coast of Honduras. Tourism is key to Roatan’s economy. However, it's unfortunately confronted with its own set of issues. The island’s growing popularity has resulted in increased wastewater, pollution, and other environmental threats. These are all accelerated [...]
Pattaya City Background Information Pattaya City is located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It’s about 100 kilometers south-east of Bangkok. There are several natural and cultural attractions. Attractions include beaches, Pattaya Hill, Chaloem Phra Kiat Park, Pattaya Walking Street, Koh Larn, Takhian Tia Community, Chak Ngaew Community, theme parks and [...]
GSTC Destination Assessment Opening and closing workshops in Ohrid The objective of any assessment is to see the destinations’ present status and to create a strategic plan for improvement in order for the destination to become more sustainable. The assessment is based on the GSTC Destination Criteria, focusing on these four pillars: [...]
Ms. Natalia Naranjo, GSTC Trainer and Destination Assessor In a special agreement between GSTC and Sernatur Aysen, Chile, which hosted the GSTC2017 Aysen in September, the Chelenko Destination began a new process to start their path to the sustainability. For 2 weeks during November 2017, the Chelenko Destination went through a destination assessment and [...]
September 2017 - GSTC conducted a Destination Assessment of Lago Llanquihue, Chile - comprising the four municipalities of Puerto Varas, Fruitillar, Llanquihue, and Puerto Octay, on the banks of Lake Llanquihue in Northern Patagonia. This assessment served as a follow-up to the earlier GSTC assessment of Lago Llanquihue as part of GSTC's Early Adopter [...]
Sukhothai Historical Park The Destination Assessment team interviewing the members of the Community Club Sukhothai Historical Park is located in north-central Thailand, near modern-day Sukhothai. This UNESCO World Heritage Site represents what is left of the Sukhothai Kingdom. The Kingdom ruled Thailand between the 13th and 14th centuries. The Sukhothai Kingdom is [...]
Overview of the Destination Sedona, Arizona Views overlooking Sedona Sedona is located in Arizona’s high desert under the southwestern rim of the Colorado Plateau. It’s strategically situated at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon. Characterized by massive red-rocks, Sedona is comparable to some national parks. The City of Sedona was incorporated in [...]
Overview of Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon City Panoramic views from Hwaseong Fortress Suwon City is known for its Hwaseong Fortress. It was constructed at the end of the 18th Century and was the largest urban planning project after Hanseong (Seoul). It boasts a 5.7 kilometer-long castle wall with elaborate urban infrastructure and annexes. [...]
The Cayman Islands, the GSTC's latest destination member, recently underwent a GSTC comprehensive assessment of its sustainability as part of the GSTC's Destinations Program. The procurement and organization of the assessment for the Cayman Islands were spearheaded by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) and Cayman Department of Environment. The GSTC's Destinations Program [...]
April 8, 2015- The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce the recent launch of the GSTC Destinations Program. For all destinations, even those with no previous experience with sustainability, the GSTC Destinations Program offers valuable engagement with a GSTC destination expert providing custom guidance on the world’s leading destination sustainability standard: the [...]
Washington, D.C. (October 21, 2014) GSTC Early Adopter St. Kitts is the 2014 recipient of the Caribbean Tourism Organization («CTO») / TravelMole Sustainable Tourism Award for Destination Stewardship. St. Kitts Ministry of Tourism Permanent Secretary Patricia Martin and Assistant Permanent Secretary Diannille Taylor-Williams accepted the award on behalf of St. [...]
Tourism has been a crucial economic driver on St. Croix for many years and the island has been careful to avoid over- development that might detract from its varied natural and cultural assets. As part of the island’s strategic plan to increase visitation, St Croix has been exploring ways to [...]
