Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria on environmental sustainability and water quality

      Water is an essential component of every industry, including tourism, and the use of water in tourism is a major factor in the success of many locations. Aside from water quantity, which must be sufficient to meet demand, water quality is also an important consideration.

      Water of high quality must be clear, devoid of color and odor. The naked eye can tell us only so much about the quality of water, and even looking for specific characteristics can’t always tell us. For example, clear water can be contaminated with acids, which are also colorless chemicals. As a result, several indicators should be used in tandem to assess water quality.

     The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has formulated several criteria for water quality, especially in terms of environmental sustainability. The criteria apply to tourist attractions where the quality of drinking water, recreational, and ecological water should be monitored using water quality standards, and publicly reported. There must be a response system in place that can respond to water quality issues as they arise. The indicators are defined as follows:

• Implementation of water quality monitoring;
• Water quality data and reports are available;
• Bathing water is inspected using certified standards, and bathing locations are identified using established standards;
• Actions are taken to improve the quality of the water;
• Information on local drinking water quality is provided to tourists to promote its use as an alternative to bottled water.

Source : Global Sustainable Tourism Council

Information as of 28 February 2023