Sustainable Tourism and GSTC: One of Our New Projects
Filed Under: Sustainable Tourism by Daniel Noll and Audrey ScottWe’d like to think that we live our lives and travel according to a set of values, key among them respect — respect for other cultures, respect for the environment and respect for the complexities and nuances of the economic realities that face a growing planet. Until now, we just never labeled those values or the behaviors attached to them as “sustainable.”
So why are you telling us this now?
We are pleased to announce that we have been retained by the United Nations Foundation’s Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to develop and execute their social media strategy. And if you’re thinking that sustainable tourism is just about being eco-friendly, think again. The GSTC views sustainability in tourism more broadly as “maximizing social and economic benefits to the local community; reduction of negative impacts to cultural heritage; and reduction of negative impacts on the environment.”
So, what does the GSTC do to accomplish this mission?
Among other things, the GSTC publishes a universal set of language and criteria that aim to “protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.”
Wow, that’s a mouthful! Maybe you’re thinking, “Sounds great so far, but how exactly does a set of criteria help do that?”
It does this in two directions.
First and foremost, tourism companies and destinations can follow the GSTC criteria and then be certified by a third party. This in itself is a good thing. Secondly, certification enables travel consumers to sift more easily through a sea of companies offering services that are “sustainable” and “eco-friendly” and to know which are the real deal and which are greenwashed.
Given our values here at Uncornered Market, our approach to travel and the focus of our blog, we see this cooperation as a natural fit. We look forward to continuing the conversation, helping to advance the issues of sustainable tourism and evolving the discourse from the theoretical to the applied. We are also excited to promote the idea that an increased awareness and understanding of sustainability can translate into individual actions that register a measurable cumulative effect.
As stewards of the GSTC social media channels, we plan to build a stream of high quality content on the topic of sustainable tourism that further encourages discourse, awareness and action. If you have an interest in sustainable tourism or you’d like to learn more about travel organizations and companies that are actively applying these principles, we encourage you to follow GSTC on Twitter and Facebook.
For those of you already active and engaged in the sustainable tourism community, we invite you to share with us through the GSTC channels your experiences, initiatives, and impressions.
Travel well. Travel forever. We look forward to continuing the sustainable tourism conversation with you!
April 2nd, 2012 at 3:39 pm
What a fantastic project to be involved with, particularly as if it’s done correctly it can make such a difference to tourism.
April 2nd, 2012 at 3:55 pm
Congratulations guys, you are a great fit!
April 2nd, 2012 at 4:32 pm
@Warren: Thank you! We also agree that sustainable tourism done well can make a huge difference in the lives of local people and environments. This is what we’re working towards with this cooperation!
@Ayngelina: Gracias!! We’re excited about this new project!
April 2nd, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Can’t imagine anyone better for the job. Congratulations!
April 2nd, 2012 at 5:19 pm
@Adam: Too kind. Thank you!
April 2nd, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Congratulations guys!! So happy for you two. What a fit!
April 2nd, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Major congratulations, Dan and Audrey! What a great initiative!
April 2nd, 2012 at 7:56 pm
@Lola: Thanks so much! We’re looking forward to this next step with sustainable tourism!
April 2nd, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Huge congrats to you both, this fits so well with your values and the message you have consistently shared on UM and is the such a great way for you to continue spreading that awareness and building up new channels. I’m eager to see the news and information you are able to find for the Council, and how this new job develops for you.
April 2nd, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Awesome, you guys. I’m really glad to see you taking the lead on this one. I admire that you’re able to do what you do in a responsible and respectful way. Keep it up!
April 2nd, 2012 at 11:17 pm
I am so thrilled about this news — you two are perfect for this assignment. And it’s also great to see travel bloggers getting this kind of validation and recognition, too.
I have been blogging about cultural immersion, responsible travel and respecting the culture/country you are in for years; I am so glad that these values are becoming more common and supported, cheers,
Mariellen
April 3rd, 2012 at 3:46 am
Yes, let’s all support sustainable tourism. We should be good stewards of our environment. Kudos to you for doing this!
April 3rd, 2012 at 3:48 am
Great news – I really look forward to seeing this develop.
April 3rd, 2012 at 5:22 am
Well done guys! So what does this mean exactly? Will you be travelling as usual and also managing this project or will you be staying put in one place and then doing it?
April 3rd, 2012 at 10:31 am
Congratulations! Very cool! I have the coolest friends on the planet.
April 3rd, 2012 at 11:05 am
Congratulations. I am behind this concept and will follow the FB page and your future posts. Keep up the good work!
April 3rd, 2012 at 11:32 am
Congrats! Seems like a great fit!
April 3rd, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Thank you everyone for the feedback and support!
@Madhu: Good question. For Uncornered Market readers, there will be little change. Maybe an article or two more here and there regarding sustainable tourism. Otherwise, the same type and style of quality content. Our work with GSTC is a part-time contract, so it’s not as though it’s going to consume our lives, but rather be a part of our broader story.
@Brian: Laughing out loud! So do we.
April 3rd, 2012 at 3:01 pm
@Mariellen: Your point regarding this as validation that travel bloggers can be viewed as professionals is well taken. Many bloggers like us have a collection of pre-blog professional skills that we’ve added to with the new skills we’ve developed for blogging and social media.
We’re heartened to see more organizations valuing these professional skills and experiences to work towards common goals.
April 4th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Congratulations, Dan and Audrey!! It will be such a fit for you two!
April 4th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
What I meant is, the job is a great fit because you two really live up to the values of sustainability as well as others (such as respecting other cultures etc).
April 4th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
@Sutapa: Thank you! That means a lot to us.
April 11th, 2012 at 11:01 am
[...] their vision of the social media road ahead for the GSTC, and how you can get involved…In the announcement of your new GSTC challenges you wrote “Until now, we just never labeled those values or the behaviors attached to them as [...]
April 12th, 2012 at 12:08 am
Awesome gig! Can’t wait to read more about it.
April 15th, 2012 at 12:57 am
@Camels & Chocolate: Thank you for your support! Look forward to sharing more about this and sustainable tourism as we get deeper into the project.