Global Sustainable Tourism Council Research Articles

SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE IN TRADITIONAL VILLAGE TOURISM: A STUDY OF POST REVITALISATION PROJECT IN HUTA SIALLAGAN, INDONESIA

The Indonesian government has allocated 30 billion rupiahs in 2020 to revitalise Huta Siallagan, a traditional village on the borderline of Lake Toba, in order to support the national development agenda. The revitalisation is carried out to increase the attractiveness of the destination by reorganising the area and improving the facilities. Traditional villages in Lake Toba are typically acres of land owned and lived on by a single-family clan, which manages tourism activities through family members. As Huta Siallagan receives significant attention from the government, this study seeks to examine the managerial modifications and adjustments following the finished revitalisation project. This study employs a sustainable tourism framework from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The findings are juxtaposed with the model of sustainable traditional village revitalisation that has been widely used as the basis for integrating rural tourism into tourism growth. The result of this study provides knowledge in the sustainable tourism literature, particularly in the context of village revitalisation for tourism purposes. It also highlights, from a practical standpoint, the subsequent challenges that arise in traditional village revitalisation projects. The study then identifies solutions to minimise internal and external conflicts in tourism governance.

European Union Funds as Stimulators of Sustainable Tourism Development in Municipalities of the Lower Silesian Region in Poland in 2014-2019

Abstract Introduction. The study assessed the impact of EU funds on sustainable tourism in the Lower Silesian region of Poland in the years 2014-2019. Material and methods. A literature review and the following research methods were used in the study: logical analysis and construction, as well as documentary and statistical analyses. A database was compiled containing statistical data on implemented tourism projects subsidized with EU funds in municipalities of Lower Silesia. Each project was then assigned to one of sustainable tourism sections in accordance with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Criteria. Statistical analysis included structure analysis, basic statistics, and the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test and post-hoc test. Results. The Kruskal-Wallis test results (H = 20.01 for project values, and H = 23.34 for the amount of EU funding) and the probability level (p = 0.001) demonstrated that project expenditures on tourism in each sustainable tourism section differed significantly. The multiple comparisons test (post-hoc test) revealed statistically significant differences between the values of projects implemented in the sections of cultural sustainability and sustainable management (p = 0.009), cultural sustainability and environmental sustainability (p = 0.009), socio-economic sustainability and sustainable management (p = 0.009), and socio-economic sustainability and environmental sustainability (p = 0.008). In terms of the amount of EU funding, statistically significant differences were found between cultural sustainability and environmental sustainability (p = 0.001), and socio-economic sustainability and environmental sustainability (p = 0.001). Conclusions. The allocation of EU funds for tourism projects did not contribute to the implementation of sustainable tourism. In the next EU programming period, i.e. 2021-2027, a more sustainable allocation of funds for tourism projects should be pursued. There is a clear need to increase the number and value of tourism projects implemented in the area of environmental sustainability.

Learning in the Biosphere Reserve in Entlebuch, Switzerland: Environmental Sustainability and Social Management

The present study corresponds to the second stage of an investigation on the diagnosis and proposal for the application of destination criteria from an environmental approach in rural communities in the State of Morelos, with the objective of designing strategies for permanent intervention through training. on the use and management of solid waste for sustainable use and strategies for the reduction and recovery of recyclable waste, including environmental awareness campaigns. The Academic Body CAMOR 145-Management of Tourist and Cultural Heritage-CONACyT, responsible for the research, has defined two major initiatives, one of training through the visit to the Biosphere Reserve in Entlebuch, Switzerland and another of action, through the organization of a congress oriented towards the definition of social management needs, with a view to proposing activities for the application of the tourism sustainability criteria proposed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in order to provide guidance to communities on management strategies and safeguarding of the tourist heritage in their regions.

Evaluating policy complexity with Causal Loop Diagrams

Methods to capture the complexity of using policy instruments would allow us to better evaluate the reasons for their effectiveness. Drawing from complexity science, we produce a Causal Loop Diagram to analyse the implementation of two informational policy instruments in a tourism destination: the Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria and the European Tourism Indicator Scheme. To interpret the emerging system structure, we use complexity theory concepts of emergence; interdependence and interconnectivity; co-evolution; self-organisation; feedback; historicity and path dependence. This qualitative methodology sheds light on the interplay of factors that facilitate and impede the continuous use of these policy instruments. It shows how adopting a complexity science approach to evaluation studies can be invaluable to making tourism policy interventions more impactful.

Ecopedagogy as an educational approach for vulnerable rural communities

Designing a curriculum or teaching about the environment is another approach that helps solve environmental problems. Providing knowledge to the citizens of a country is the utmost goal in educational studies. Tourism is the fastest-growing industry in the world, creating serious environmental problems for our planet. It has been almost two decades since the concept of sustainable tourism was introduced to create awareness of tourism impacts, educate about ecological conservation, and change tourists’ behaviour to become more responsible while enjoying tourism activities in the destinations (Global Sustainable Tourism Council, 2023). This study aims to examine the concept of environmental studies or ecopedagogy and how the Sapphaya community implements this concept in practice. Six steps were identified as effective learning experiences of ecopedagogy within the local community to develop sustainable tourism in Sapphaya. A qualitative approach was adopted from Participatory Action Research with three stages of the investigation. It included the initial stage of developing ideas and engagement over a three-month period, followed by stage two of skill development over the same period, and finally, the last phase over an eight-month period of continual assessment, which was the longest stage of knowledge generation and reflection via participation.

Civic Reporting Indicators and Biocultural Conservation: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Tourism

Citizen science (CS) within sustainable tourism is an underutilized tool for biocultural conservation. The aims of this research integrate conceptual and applied approaches to situate post-positivist and interpretive paradigms within CS and sustainable tourism. The aims are fulfilled by the creation of the new Civic Reporting Indicators (CRIs), developed through analysis of the 174 Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination (GSTC-D) criteria and indicators. It was determined that 114 indicators are perceivable audibly and/or visibly by untrained citizens. The rearticulation of GSTC-D criteria into the CRIs utilizes embodied perceptions and observations reportable by untrained visitors and residents. The CRIs are framed within ethical principles of research, CS, and sustainable tourism. The inclusion of interpretive paradigms within CS provides epistemological innovation that validates lived experiences and embodied knowledge, fostering agency and empowerment within sustainability narratives. The CRIs may harness end-user observations by utilizing information communication technologies (ICTs) to amass longitudinal and real-time data for smart, sustainable destination management and biocultural conservation. Engaging citizens through the CRIs has the potential to contribute valid observations that amass democratic, longitudinal, and cost-effective data. Designing accessible ICT platforms for destination management may enact civic agency and critical social reflection to democratize sustainability engagement.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TANGKAHAN ECOTOURISM IN NAMO SIALANG VILLAGE, LANGKAT REGENCY

Ecotourism is one of the sustainable alternative tourism developed in Indonesia, one of which is the Tangkahan Ecotourism destination. Namo Sialang Village is one of the villages directly connected to Tangkahan Ecotourism. This ecotourism destination has a history of illegal logging to the thoughts and behavior of the surrounding community for sustainable changes in Tangkahan's nature. The development of Tangkahan Ecotourism certainly has an impact on the people of Namo Sialang Village. According to UNWTO, one aspect of impact is socioeconomic sustainability. This study uses sustainable socioeconomic indicators issued by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria assessment agency on the consideration of the character of Namo Sialang Village as an area around the Tangkahan Ecotourism conservation area. Indicators of socioeconomic sustainability are used to see the benefits of the local economy and the natural environment. The subjects of this research are the people of Namo Sialang Village, to be precise in Kwala Gemoh and Kwala Buluh Hamlets. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the development of Tangkahan Ecotourism on the economy of the people of Namo Sialang Village. The research method used is a quantitative approach with quantitative analysis tools using a statistical package for the social science (SPSS) tools. The results of this study indicate the impact of tourism development in Tangkahan which has been carried out following the principles of ecotourism development. Where the percentage of positive responses from the community, which is 70%, feels the benefits of the local economy, is involved in community participation, and receives support from the development of Tangkahan Ecotourism

Preliminary Research on the Sustainable Determinants of Taiwanese Ecotourism with the International Standards.

To analyze Taiwanese ecotourism with international standards, this research employed the social learning theory (SLT) to identify the determinants of Taiwanese community ecotourism with the international standards. This basic theory of social psychology comprehensively assays the interplays and interconnections among the three analytical perspectives (ecotourism tours, destinations, and accommodations), the four essential issues (management, social, cultural, and environment) of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the six assessed dimensions of ecotourism resolution from the WCC, and the twenty-nine assessed indexes of the KES ecotourism evaluations. It was then possible to comprehensively explore the sustainable determinants of Taiwanese ecotourism with the international standards through the FA of quantitative and qualitative analyses in combination with the highest research validity, reliability, representativeness, and accuracy. After analyzing the evaluated measurements, the empirical and valuable conclusions and findings are (1) these analytical perspectives, appraised attitudes, evaluated criteria, and sub-criteria positively advance Taiwanese ecotourism with the international standards (PITEEICIS); (2) the sustainable determinants of Taiwanese ecotourism with the international standards include the Support for Capacity Building of the Local Community (SCBLC), Cooperation with the Local Community (CLC), Supports for the Local Enterprises (SLE), Local Participation and Benefits Sharing Duties (LPBSD), Tourist Management (TM), and Responsible Tourist Behaviors Inducement (RTBI). Importantly, the majority of ecotourism industrialists and experts still focus on the economic benefits, such as supporting the local community and enterprises, rather than tourist behavior inducement to stimulate ecotourism participation in order to promote and advance the Taiwanese ecotourism to the international standards; (3) in order to promote Taiwanese ecotourism to the international conventions, the Taiwanese government and organizations in ecotourism should contribute toward the local welfare and create and design various training programs and courses to enhance local community's awareness and capability of ecotourism development in order to establish a complete system that stimulates the ongoing planning and decision making of local community participation and regularly monitors, records, and reflects their opinions, based on the area's history, culture, and natural attributes, to develop and sell sustainable local products by creating fair trade principles and valuable products.

The Case of Sustainable Tourism Development in Alpine Destinations: Importance, Implementation, and the Role of the Local DMO

ABSTRACT Sustainable tourism development asks for coordinated and collective action where destination management organisations (DMOs) are considered a crucial steering stakeholder. The aim of this study is to explore the current state of implementation of the internationally renowned destination sustainability standards from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in Alpine destinations (Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Italy). Drawing from a survey (n = 80) with destination managers, it explores (1) the attributed importance, (2) the self-assessed level of implementation, as well as (3) the expected future importance of the GSTC criteria. Despite the indicated importance, the degree of implementation lags significantly behind. This lack of implementation is critical, especially since the DMOs attach even greater importance to these issues in the future. Further research needs to address how to close the identified gap between the perceived importance and actual implementation to advance in this urgent challenge of sustainable transformation.

Sustainability assessment of mangrove forest as a tourist destination: A case study using GSTC Criteria in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia

The mangrove forest has been one of the natural areas that provides the local communities with economics opportunities especially those involving tourism activities. However, over time it could face destruction if there is no measure taken to monitor the impacts. The objective of this study is to identify mangrove forest conservation efforts in Nanamun River, Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia as sustainable ecotourism destination and to propose sustainable conservation guidelines based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Criteria and Indicator (GSTC) guidelines. A total of 14 in-depth interviews were conducted with stakeholders which involved the local government authorities, community representatives and local tour operators, as the primary data for this study. Purposive sampling were deployed specifically snowball sampling technique to identify key persons that could provide relevant information. The data collecting instrument were based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Criteria and Indicator (GSTC) guidelines for destination management which comprised 4 main sections (criterias): A) Demonstrate effective sustainable management; B) Maximize economic benefits to the host community and minimize negative impacts; C) Maximize benefits to communities, visitors, and culture; minimize negative impacts; and D) Maximize benefits to the environment and minimize negative impacts. This study found that there are some efforts to conserve mangrove forest in the study area. Among the 4 criteria, section A (sustainable management) and B (economic benefits) were found to have most of the indicators for sustainability checked. However, some of the conservation efforts might still need to be formalized. Recommendations were made in accordance with the gaps found based on the GSTC guidelines used.

DEVELOPING INDONESIA SUSTAINABLE ADVENTURE TOURISM MODEL

In the Adventure Travel Development Index, Indonesia is ranked 101 out of 163 developing countries, even though it is ranked fifth in natural resources due to so many natural assets that can be developed as world-class adventure destinations. Hence, this study aims to understand the complexities of relationships between Environmental Sustainability, Social Equity & Cultural Vitality to Economic Prosperity, and Sustainable Adventure Tourism Development. This study examined 73 indicators adopted by Global Sustainable Tourism Council and Travelife to build Sustainable Adventure Tourism Model in the Indonesia context, surveyed three Adventure Tour Operators (ATOs) from 15 adventure tourism destinations, from Land Based Adventure (Nusa), Water Based Adventure (Tirta) and Air Base Adventure (Dirga), and conducted a cross-sectional quantitative study using partial least square structural equation modeling. Several findings show that although Economic Prosperity is not proven to mediate the positive influence of Governance and Environmental Sustainability on Sustainable Adventure Tourism Development, Economic Prosperity is proven to mediate the positive influence of Social Equity & Cultural Vitality on Sustainable Adventure Tourism Development. It is recommended to increase sustainable adventure tourism by creating jobs and increasing people's income.

A Framework for Sustainable Tourism Development in and around National Parks

The proliferation of tourism to U.S. national parks yields increasing demands for service and conservation programs that are well-matched with the broadening view of sustainability management in and around PPAs. As such, there is a critical need for research regarding holistic perspectives on planning and monitoring sustainable development. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a non-profit, independent organization that develops and manages global baseline standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. The GSTC Destination Criteria have not been widely applied to PPAs, yet these criteria may offer a useful guiding framework for sustainable tourism development in PPAs. Therefore, this study explores the utility of the GSTC Destination Criteria as a tool for assisting managers at Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) in developing a destination-level sustainability plan. In August 2018, we conducted a sustainability evaluation using the GSTC Destination Criteria. Specific areas of success and improvement were identified, and park managers are using this information to improve the park’s strategic plan. The results of this evaluation are reviewed and critiqued within our broader assessment of the utility of the GSTC Destination Criteria in national park planning.

Membangun Pemahaman Terhadap Tujuan Pembangunan Berkelanjutan Dan Indikator Global Sustainable Tourism Council

The development of tourism has a negative impact on the environment of new management practices in the tourism industry, namely tourism villages. Tourism villages are also a form of implementing sustainable development goals. As one of the tourist villages in West Manggarai Regency, Wae Lolos Village must be able to be managed into a tourism village that is following the goals of sustainable development, so it is essential to manage a tourist village that understands the management of a tourist village under the goals of sustainable development. There are public lectures, pre-and post-tests, and self assessment using the global sustainable tourism council criteria in community service activities—Results of increasing mean value between the pre-test and post-test indicate the understanding of sustainable development goals. In addition, based on the GSTC aspect of the destination category, the aspect of governance is the aspect that has the most percentage of met criteria, but environmental aspects are the aspects that have presentation criteria. Wae Lolos Village uses the GSTC criteria as a measuring tool for monitoring and evaluating the performance of tourism villages.

Kajian Penggunaan Kriteria dan Indikator GSTC sebagai Instrumen Penilaian Pembangungan Pariwisata Berkelanjutan Berbasis Lingkungan

The tourism sector is built based on development that prioritizes welfare, especially for people in rural areas. Not only as a sector that can provide an economic boost but at the same time providing a sense of security against concerns over the overexploitation of natural resources. Therefore, as part of the process in the management of a tourism destination, it requires an in-depth study of instruments that can assist tourism destination management in assessing the environmental resilience crisis. This instrument is needed to reduce environmental impacts, which are currently feared to damage the environment around the destination. One of the instruments used in this research is the criteria and indicators of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The method of this research used a descriptive qualitative method, comparative analysis (implementation and indicators). The purpose of this research is to answer the challenges of environmental vulnerability issues in a destination using one of the GSTC criteria and indicators. The result of this research is Tunggul Arum tourism village does not fulfill the environmental-based on GSTC criteria and indicators.

Towards the Development of Sustainable Tourism in Pakistan: A Study of the Role of Tour Operators

The literature on sustainable tourism is scant, particularly in the least developed countries. Very few studies touch upon the concept and no holistic theoretical or conceptual frameworks around the idea of sustainable tourism have been formulated. This study aims at exploring the role of tour operators in developing sustainable tourism in Pakistan and how the tour operators (TOs) conceive their role in this regard. TOs were reached through phone calls, emails, and virtual sources as face-to-face interviews were not possible due to COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel by the government. In-depth interviews were conducted to gather data. Results suggest that the TOs although realize the importance of social, environmental, and economic dimensions of tourism on the communities but have no management systems in place to cater accordingly. There are no incentives in place by the government facilitate TOs to design and implement such systems. The TOs do not select a destination based on Global Sustainable Tourism Council criterion, but rather the selection of destination is mostly demand-based and profit-oriented. The study suggests that corporate profit motive is the sole criterion for decision making and is one of the major causes impeding sustainable tourism in Pakistan. The role of TOs in developing sustainable tourism is vague as the TOs do not have any systems in place to implement sustainable models. The study recommends that efforts need to be put in place to incentivize sustainable tourism in Pakistan and proper laws should be set forth by the authorities to comply by the TOs. The role of TOs is important and understood, however, there is a need to put proper systems in place.

Monitoring of the tourism village of the mount merapi slope area through the global sustainable tourism council (gstc) snapshoot assessment system

The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Tourism has a big agenda related to the development of sustainable tourism destinations, namely Indonesia must be a benchmarking of sustainable tourism in Southeast Asia. The program began in 2015 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with 20 Districts / Cities as a form of local government commitment to encourage sustainable tourism development. This study is to find out how the monitoring system is carried out in tourism ecosystems, consists of: destinations, local governments and local universities running and in accordance with predetermine Ed standards. The monitoring system in this study focused more on the standards determined by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), namely on the management standards of tourism destinations and environmental management. A monitoring system focused on how tourism destinations attempt to reduce disaster risk. The study location took samples in the southern slopes of Merapi, namely in the Turi sub-district, which is the area that has the most tourist villages among the other sub-districts in Sleman Regency. This study method was carried out through snapshoot assessment and observation through sustainable tourism development indicators consisting of 4 standards, 42 criteria and 102 indicators. Assessment is based on the results of self-assessment. Assessment is given for each element in each standard, where each standard will be given a Likert scale value from 1-7. The criteria used are standard environmental management criteria that are in accordance with the provisions of the determined GSTC, which includes further monitoring with standard D, namely maximizing the benefits for the environment and minimizing negative impacts which consist of: D1 Environmental Risk, D2 Sensitive Environmental Protection, D4 Greenhouse Gas Emission, D11 Light and Sound Pollution, D12 Environmentally Friendly Transportation. Research results indicate that tourism destinations already have standards in destination management and environmental management, but have not carried out overall practices within the framework of sustainable tourism development, especially in standard D.

Sustainable Strategic Management Model for Hotel Companies: A Multi-Stakeholder Proposal to “Walk the Talk” toward SDGs

As we reach the fifth anniversary of the Declaration of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the tourism sector responsible for over 10% of the world’s GDP still does not have an open-source, sustainable management criteria that would enable and empower them to “walk the talk” to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The purpose of this paper is to fill the gap in the social sciences and business management literature by providing a theoretical Sustainable Strategic Management Model (SSMM) proposal for the Fourth Sector (4S), Small- and Medium-sized (SMEs) Hotel companies (4S-SM-HCs), which are committed and have the will to contribute firmly to the 2030 Agenda. Based on their corporate purpose and aligned with the SDGs, this article provides a holistic proposal with a multi-stakeholder approach, adding the SDG perspective. Through a qualitative research methodology based on two focus groups in which the main stakeholders and the management team of the 4S-SM-HC under examination took part, a theoretical SSMM is co-defined so that the hotel company can make significant contributions to the five areas of the SDGs. Basing their structure on the internationally recognized Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria and co-created through social learning, this SSMM proposes four strategic management axis and develops ten principles of ethical performance (PEP). The main contributions of this article are two: (1) to provide an ecosystemic SSMM proposal to the 4S-SM-HCs to allow them to make significant contributions to the SDGs, and (2) to facilitate a methodological framework with a multi-stakeholder approach and SDG perspective to enable them to contribute to the wellbeing of people, the community and the planet.

Sustainability Focus in Destination Management. The Case of Russia

This paper analyzes the tourism management regarding sustainability of eight Russian regions and discusses the possibility of implementing the principles of sustainable tourism development in a particular region using the performance criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
 The goals of this paper are to focus on sustainable tourism development as a function of destination management and discuss the problems of the integrated efforts of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in the field of tourism and destination sustainability.

Perancangan Sarana Mobilitas Hijau Berbasis Teknologi Tepat Guna Sebagai Ikon Ecotourism Di Desa Suroteleng, Selo, Boyolali

Suroteleng Village (Selo Subdistrict, Boyolali Regency, Central Java) is located between the slopes of Mount Merapi to the north and the slopes of Mount Merbabu to the south. This makes Suroteleng Village potentially as a strategic ecotourism destination. Nevertheless, the local government wants to have a distinctive tourism identity, and downhill biking (cycling from the top of the mountain slope to the lower point) is proposed to be an iconic nature tourism activity in the village. Therefore it is necessary to design mobility facilities, which can facilitate tourists to easily be able to get to the starting point of cycling, which is located on the upper slopes of the mountain. The mobility facility was designed based on two aspects, namely: 1) System design theory (system engineering), and 2) Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Criteria; so that it meets the requirements as a green mobility based on appropriate technologies and become icon in the ecotourism area of Suroteleng Village.

Investigating Sustainable Practices in Hotel Industry-from Employees’ Perspective: Evidence from a Mediterranean Island

Although several studies have researched the hotel employees’ environmental behavior, none has addressed the hotel employees’ perception of their respective hotels’ sustainability practices. This study aims to investigate the sustainable practices in four and five star hotels in a Mediterranean island by employing Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) hotel criteria indicators, indicators of sustainable development for tourism destinations (WTO), and the European Union’s (EU) sustainability framework for the Mediterranean hotels− “Nearly Zero-Energy Hotels” (NEZEH), and global sustainable development goals (SDG) in the context of three dimensions: social, economic and environment. The sampled hotels claim that their operation system is conformed to sustainability principles with the aim of furthering their green agenda. In this study, we aim to investigate the validity and extent of this claim. About 290 (N = 290) employees in the specified hotels were surveyed. The measurement instruments were compiled based on sustainability indicators that encompassed addressing social, economic, and environmental dimensions. The research questions contextualized around four main themes: effective sustainability planning, maximizing social and economic benefits for the local community, enhancing cultural heritage, and reducing negative environmental impacts. For the statistical and data analysis, SEM (structural equation modeling) is used. Study revealed that employees are a legitimate and credible source of information about sustainability practices. It is also revealed that as going green is becoming a means toward branding, hotels are making efforts to implement a genuine sustainability practice. Study also indicated that the majority of employees validated the sustainability practices as genuine.