Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for cultural sustainability and intellectual property

       Sustainable tourism aims to develop the country’s economy while also preserving local resources, livelihoods, and cultures, and one way to accomplish those aims is to have the tourism sector operate in accordance with the GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) criteria. Focusing on intellectual property rights protection and preservation is an important tool in creating a local community’s identity and cultural sustainability in each locality.

       Intellectual property can be expressed in tangible forms, such as various local products, or intangible forms, such as folk wisdom, various tourist services, and so on. All of this is the result of invention or human creation, which emphasizes the emergence of creativity and expertise. Promoting sustainable tourism under the GSTC criteria provides guidelines with which tourist sites may organize their participation in the protection and preservation of communities’ and individuals’ intellectual property rights, based on the following indicators:

• The existence of laws relating to intellectual property rights in a tourist attraction (version, section, date);
• Tourism stakeholders, including operators, communities, and citizens, are given access to intellectual property information;
• There is evidence that intellectual property is being created and protected in order to provide cultural experiences for tourists.

Source : Global Sustainable Tourism Council

Information as of 28 February 2023