Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria and tourism management in cultural sites

      The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria were developed to provide an understanding of sustainable tourism, with an emphasis on developing tourism that meets or satisfies the needs of tourists and locals, managing resources to meet economic, social, and environmental needs, and preserving local cultural identity and ecosystems.  

     GSTC has developed a guideline for tourist attractions to manage tourism in cultural attractions by establishing a tourist management system that covers the management of locations both within and around cultural sites, taking into account the characteristics of the area, carrying capacity, vulnerability of the area, and the need to optimize tourist movement and reduce potential negative impacts.

     Furthermore, tourist sites must have guides on duty for tourists when visiting vulnerable attractions, such as cultural exhibits, and printed guides must be distributed to tourists, tour operators, and guides prior to the visit.

Indicators for various aspects of cultural tourism management

• The movement of tourists and their impact on cultural attractions is tracked and shared with other destinations;
• There is evidence of tourism-related actions occurring within or near cultural attractions;
• Tourist behavior guidelines for visiting fragile tourist sites and cultural events are published, and tourist behavior is monitored on a regular basis;
• There are codes of conduct for tour operators, guides, and those involved in tourist management in cultural sites;
• There are training sessions for guides.

Source : Global Sustainable Tourism Council

Information as of 28 February 2023