The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Cruise Lines International Association, the Municipality of Kotor, and the Port of Kotor collaborated on a destination assessment in the historic port city of Kotor, Montenegro. The agreement was announced during CLIA’s Port and Destination Dialogue in Hamburg, Germany, last year.
The GSTC Destination Assessment took place between September 2023 and July 2023. Conducted by the GSTC and co-funded by CLIA together with the Municipality and Port of Kotor, the assessment included consultations with local stakeholders. The process helped the city identify priorities for destination management and highlighted potential gaps and key risks.
Kotor is a prominent cruise destination in the Adriatic Sea. Surrounded by dramatic mountains, the city is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a history that predates Homer, Kotor continues to reflect its rich cultural and historical heritage. The assessment was intended to provide a foundation for a future sustainability action plan for the city.
The GSTC Destination Standard (GSTC-D) framework covers four pillars of destination sustainability: destination policy and planning, community involvement and benefits, management of cultural assets, and management of environmental and natural resources.
The assessment was led by GSTC Destination Assessor, Dr. Ioannis Pappas, who evaluated tourism activities and management practices in the city. The process included a four-day on-site visit, during which the assessor conducted eight stakeholder group meetings and 20 site visits, engaging a total of 64 key stakeholders. Participants included representatives from national and local government, the private sector, NGOs, academia, and local residents. The assessment also featured a kick-off meeting with the mayor, as well as opening and closing workshops.
Dr Ioannis Pappas, GSTC Director for the Mediterranean Region said “As the GSTC Assessor for Kotor, I commend the strong commitment of the local authorities and stakeholders in undertaking this important assessment. The collaboration between the Municipality of Kotor, the Port of Kotor, and CLIA has been invaluable in establishing a baseline against the GSTC Criteria. This assessment provides a clear understanding of Kotor’s current position and identifies the necessary actions to enhance sustainability performance in the coming years. By respecting its unique status as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Kotor is well-positioned to design strategies that preserve its cultural and natural assets while advancing sustainable tourism development.“
“I want to congratulate the city and port of Kotor for the successful completion of the destination assessment. The beautiful city of Kotor has a unique cultural heritage, and this study will set the foundation for a sustainable action plan for the city. We are pleased to partner on this study as we believe that collaboration is key to responsible destination management. Cruise tourism brings positive social and economic benefits to communities, and we want to help destinations to manage tourism responsibly so that they remain great places to live and to visit,” said Julie Green, Deputy Director General, Europe, CLIA.
“As the Mayor of Kotor, I am pleased to say that Kotor is one of the few cities in the region that has undergone an important sustainability assessment process as a tourist destination. Together with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and CLIA, we brought together various stakeholders from public life to gather their input. All participants from public life, city government bodies, state authorities, universities, the civil sector, the economy, and entrepreneurs took part in this process. The assessment results provided us with a clear insight into the impact of tourism on our city, which will help us develop effective strategies for sustainable tourism – that is, how we should move forward regarding tourism. The study also helped us take a much more objective look at our problems, as well as our advantages. This assessment represents a significant step towards improving the quality of life in Kotor and preserving our destination,” said Vladimir Jokić, Mayor of Kotor.
Ljiljana Popović Moškov, President of the Board of Directors of the LUKA KOTOR company, pointed out: “The Port of Kotor, as a socially responsible company, was very devoted partner on this important project creating the strategy for the sustainability of Kotor as a tourist destination. Our company wants to raise its services to the highest level of quality that it provides to shipping companies or cruise companies, and this project will help us greatly to do so. Kotor is a city under the protection of UNESCO and I want to express my gratitude to CLIA for recognizing the importance of our destination and including us in what is an extremely important project for us. We expect that implementation of project’s recommendations will be challenging as in its creation, but also in its realization, considering that Kotor is a city located in the most beautiful fjord in this part of Europe, has only 22,000 inhabitants, and with close to 500 cruise ship calls annually, bring over half a million passengers to our city.“
But no matter the challenges, the most important thing is that with this partnership with CLIA and the Municipality of Kotor, we want the same thing: to make Kotor a sustainable tourist destination and comfortable for the citizens in the long term. And I am convinced that we will succeed in that.”
Download the full report of Kotor’s Destination Assessment here.
More information about the GSTC Destination Assessment is available here.
Statements expressed in this announcement are presented for informational purposes only and should not be taken as an endorsement or recommendation by GSTC, unless clearly stated.
