The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria were created to establish a common understanding of sustainable tourism. The GSTC Destination Criteria (GSTC-D) represent the minimum level that any tourism destination should aim to achieve. The sustainability criteria are structured around four main topics:
All the criteria included in these standards are mandatory, and compliance with these criteria is required to obtain certification.
The GSTC Criteria were developed and revised in alignment with the Standard-Setting Code of the ISEAL Alliance, an organization recognized for providing guidance on international norms for developing sustainability standards.
The criteria are divided into four sections, each consisting of two or three subsections:
(a) Management structure and framework
(b) Stakeholder engagement
(c) Management of pressures and change
(a) Ensuring local economic benefits
(b) Social welfare and impacts
(a) Preservation of cultural heritage
(b) Visiting cultural sites
(a) Conservation of natural heritage
(b) Resource management
(c) Waste and emissions management
These criteria establish the minimum rather than the maximum values that businesses, governments, and destinations must achieve to approach social, environmental, cultural, and economic sustainability. Since each tourism destination has its own unique culture, environment, traditions, and laws, the criteria are designed to be adapted to local conditions and supplemented with additional criteria specific to the location and activities.
GSTC-D is designed for destinations. The criteria apply to a designated place rather than a single entity or organization. Regardless of which institution is responsible for implementing certain aspects, the criteria ensure that sustainability measures are applied to the destination as a whole.
The scope of GSTC-D is broad and can be applied to various types of destinations worldwide, including urban, rural, mountain, coastal, or mixed environments. The criteria are suitable for both large destinations (e.g., major cities or regions) and small destinations (e.g., national parks, local community clusters).
Although GSTC-D applies to locations rather than organizations, many of its criteria must still be implemented by a destination management organization responsible for coordinating sustainability efforts. The existence of such an organization is a fundamental requirement stipulated in GSTC-D.
Some criteria are directed at businesses. These may include individual enterprises, facilities, or commercial ventures such as hotels, paid tourist attractions, museums, festivals, public buildings, and monuments.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a destination is defined as follows:
“A physical location where visitors can stay overnight, with or without clearly defined administrative or analytical boundaries. It consists of a shared set of products, services, activities, and experiences within the tourism value chain and serves as the fundamental unit of tourism analysis. A destination may form networks with larger destinations and encompass various stakeholders.”
