Sustainable Tourism

After traveling to over 60 countries and hundreds of destinations, I realized that I'm not only observing over-tourism, I'm contributing to it. So I'm helping to develop ways to both minimize the impact of tourism and maximize the travel experience through technology. The Global Sustainable Tourism Counil (GSTC) lists four pillars to their Sustainability Criteria: Sustainability Management, Social & Economic Benefits, Cultural Heritage and Environmental Conservation. By understanding the vulnerabilities and interconnectedness of these pillars, we can being to improve the sustainability of tourism.

Organizations (whether destination, hotel, hospitality, etc.) should institute a long-term sustainability management system that is suitable to its size and scope, addresses environmental, social, cultural, economic, quality, human rights, health, safety, risk and crisis management issues and drives continuous improvement. 

The  suggested performance indicators are:

•  The Sustainability Management (SM) System is clearly documented. 
• The SM System covers environmental, social, cultural, economic, quality, human rights, health and safety issues. 
• The SM System includes consideration of risk and crisis management. 
• Documentary evidence shows implementation of the SM system. 
• The SM System includes a process for monitoring continuous improvement in sustainability performance. 

 The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) aims to maximize social and economic benefits for local communities through sustainable tourism practices. The GSTC's intended impacts include:

• Community support: Supporting the local community's visitor economy
• Environmental conservation: Conserving the local community's cultural and environmental resources
• Reduced social disruption: Minimizing the social disruption caused by tourism activities
• Economic benefits: Optimizing the economic benefits of tourism

 The GSTC has criteria for enhancing cultural heritage as part of its sustainable tourism standards: 

• Intangible cultural heritage: Destinations should support the protection and celebration of intangible cultural heritage, such as local arts, music, language, gastronomy, and traditions. 
• Respectful presentation: The presentation of cultural heritage should be respectful and sensitive, and should involve and benefit local communities. 
• Authentic experiences: Tourists should receive authentic and genuine experiences. 
• Feedback: Tourists and local communities should be encouraged to provide feedback on how to deliver cultural heritage experiences. 
• Archives: Intangible cultural heritage archives should be maintained and searched. 
• Examples: Examples of cultural celebrations and tourist experiences related to intangible cultural heritage should be provided. 
• Involvement: Evidence of local communities and indigenous peoples' involvement in developing and delivering cultural heritage experiences should be provided 

There are three parts to the GSTC's Environmental Conservation pillar:

Reducing Tourism’s Climate Impacts 

• Energy Conservation 
• Water stewardship and conservation 

Managing Resources, Reducing Consumption 

• Environmentally Responsible Purchasing 
• Reducing & Managing Waste 
• Reducing & Managing Carbon Emissions 

Protecting Landscapes And Biodiversity 

• Protection of sensitive environments 
• Protecting Biodiversity 
• Wildlife Conservation