GSTC 2019 Global Conference in the Azores

The GSTC 2019 Global Sustainable Tourism Conference “Navigating the Way Forward” that took place on December 4th-7th in Terceira Island, the Azores, brought together 250 delegates from 42 countries, along with hundreds of viewers that watched the live broadcasting of the conference. The Conference themes were: (A) Sustainable Destination Management; (B) Market Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Products; and (C) Tourism Response to Climate Change The conference brought together 250 delegates from 42 countries, along with hundreds of viewers that watched the live broadcasting of the conference. The opening ceremony celebrated the Azores as the first archipelago to be certified as a sustainable destination by EarthCheck. Speakers from across the world shared insights and discussed the following topics: Applying the GSTC Criteria in a national scheme; Certification as a driver for destination stewardship; Seasonality: Under- and Over-tourism; (3) Marketing sustainability and influencing travelers’ preferences; Stopping the Flood of Plastic; Sustainable and Responsible Procurement; Destinations adaptation to and mitigation of climate change; Energy, water, and waste in travel and accommodations; Island & Marine Tourism; Slow travel and changing consumers demand. Recordings of the conference’s sessions can be found on GSTC Facebook page and GSTC Youtube channel. Presentations from each session can be accessed here. Participants included international and regional tourism stakeholders involved in the development and promotion of sustainable tourism; including the public sector, hotels, tour operators, academia, development agencies, NGOs, consultants, and more. Along with Azorean and mainland Portuguese participants, international participants came from Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. As with previous GSTC Conferences, the carbon footprint of the event was offset through tree planting on the island of Terceira. Other sustainable event practices were carried out, such as reducing paper and plastic usage to a minimum: printing to the minimum, badges were made of recyclable paper, and no single-use plastic was used during the conference. Vegetarian meal was the default meal option, with no lamb and beef (that have the highest carbon-footprint). Prior to the confernce, a training class of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP) took place in Terceira Island, with 40 industry professionals from across Europe and beyond who joined. Using the GSTC Industry and Destination Criteria as the foundation, the training class covered various topics relevant to our industry and the sustainability challenges and opportunities we are facing today. Presentations from each session can be accessed here: https://www.gstcouncil.org/gstc2019/program/ Recordings of the conference’s sessions can be found on GSTC Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXWozjesFsGOTIkKBP84tsQ