The Cities’ Sustainability Report conducted by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) can be a reliable tool to assist tourism and cruise destinations around the world, including Greece, to become more attractive.
The latest report on the sustainability of the City of Dubrovnik was presented recently via video.
The GSTC evaluation, funded by CLIA, covers four pillars of destination sustainability: destination policy and planning, community involvement and benefits, management of cultural and natural assets, and management of environmental and natural resources. It aims to support the development of a sustainable tourism model.
“The cruise industry is committed to sustainable tourism management, and we are proud to have contributed to the destination assessment as part of our partnership with Dubrovnik to collaboratively address sustainability in the city” said Kelly Craighead, CLIA’s President and CEO, who praised the Municipality of Dubrovnik for its willingness to innovate, identify best practices, and agree on priorities for future action.
CLIA is a partner of the City of Dubrovnik and signatory to the Agreement on Cooperation in the Preservation and Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Dubrovnik. “The partnership between the cruise industry and Dubrovnik is a testament to what can be achieved through collaborative tourism initiatives to help preserve the heritage and environment of the world’s favourite destinations for future generations", Mrs. Craighead concluded.
According to the Report, presented by GSTC Chief Assessor, Director of the Mediterranean Region, Dr. Ioannis Pappas, Dubrovnik achieved an excellent 70% on the GSTC scale of sustainable performance. Mayor Mato Franković expressed satisfaction with the project and said: “I believe this report will be a new beginning of the story of a sustainable Dubrovnik and a sustainable way of managing our main industry of tourism”.
“We are open to examine a similar project in Greece in the context of our good cooperation with the Greek destinations. Greece is the 3rd most popular destination in Europe and has a great potential”, said Maria Deligianni, CLIA representative in the Eastern Mediterranean, who participated as a speaker in a GSTC seminar addressed to the Greek Tourism Market, organised as part of the GSTC cooperation with the Greek Ministry of Tourism.
“The 5 million cruise passengers visiting Greece every year are about 15% of the total visitors in Greece, but still we want to be a big part of the solution, especially since some destinations’ economies are depending on the cruise industry”, she added.
“Before COVID19 pandemic we were discussing about the need of a holistic approach affecting all visitors, in order to achieve a balance between the local community and the development of the tourism sector. In the post-COVID19 era this need remains,but gives a priority to public health. Collaboration is the key to recovery”, concluded Mrs. Deligianni.
