The 4th Annual Edition
The fourth annual Destination Stewardship Yearbook is a compilation of articles from the 2023–2024 Destination Stewardship Report (DSR), co-produced by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), and Destination Stewardship Center (DSC).
What’s Inside
- Certified destination leadership — Showcasing destinations such as Singapore, Park City, and Baião that have achieved certification through GSTC-Accredited certification bodies and are embedding sustainability into long-term planning.
- Holistic governance models — National and local stewardship frameworks, including initiatives in Türkiye and community-based councils in The Bahamas.
- Community empowerment & inclusion — Examples of cultural preservation, Indigenous leadership, and inclusive tourism strategies that prioritize resident well-being alongside visitor experience.
- Collaboration for conservation — Innovative partnerships such as the Royal Djurgården model in Stockholm and youth-led stewardship initiatives in Rapa Nui.
- Resilience & adaptive solutions — Responses to overtourism, disaster recovery, and visitor management, including strategies along the Great Ocean Road and rebuilding efforts in Nepal.
What experience, lesson, or innovation can you share that might inspire or guide others? We’d love to hear your story — reach out to us with your ideas!
About the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC) establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Standards. There are five sets: The GSTC Destination Standard for public policy-makers and destination managers, the GSTC Hotel Standard for hotels and accommodations, the GSTC Tour Operator Standard, the GSTC MICE Standard for Venues, Event Organizers, and Events & Exhibitions, and the GSTC Attraction Standard for tourist attractions such as theme parks, museums, and national parks. They are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism.
The GSTC Standards form the foundation Accreditation for Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators/transport providers, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services; but provides an accreditation program to accredit Certification Bodies.
The GSTC is an independent and neutral organization, legally registered in the USA as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGO’s, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism. It is a virtual organization without a main office, with staff and volunteers working from all six populated continents. Financial support from donations, sponsorship, and membership fees allows us to provide services at low costs and to create, revise, and make available the GSTC Standards. The GSTC is an ISEAL Community Member, a global membership organization for ambitious, collaborative, and transparent sustainability systems; as well as an Association Member of The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and an Associate Member with the InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC).
About the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)
The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)is a global nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC dedicated to increasing the positive global impact of responsible tourism. CREST provides evidence-based research and analysis to governments, policymakers, tourism businesses, nonprofit organizations, and international agencies to solve the most pressing problems confronting tourism, the world’s largest service industry. CREST initially focused on the role of small-scale ecotourism in empowering communities and conserving precious resources. Over time, our work has evolved to consider how all tourism can be more responsibly planned, developed, and managed across all sectors and geographies. Through innovative field projects, research, consultancies, and advocacy, CREST is taking action to address our world’s key threats to securing a sustainable future.
About the Destination Stewardship Center (DSC)
The Destination Stewardship Center (DSC) is a volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the world’s distinctive places by supporting wisely managed tourism and enlightened destination stewardship. Founded as a program at the National Geographic Society, the DSC gathers and provides information on how tourism can help and not harm the natural, cultural, and social quality of destinations around the world. We seek to build a global community and knowledge network for advancing this goal.
