Turkey is the first country in the world to sign an agreement with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) at the national level and develop a national sustainable tourism program.
The program, prepared in accordance with international standards and starting in 2022, aims to strengthen cultural heritage, protect biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes, and conserve resources. Thanks to it, Turkey not only fulfills its obligations under international agreements, including the Paris Climate Agreement, but also sets the tone for sustainable development in the global community and other sectors of the economy.
The program encourages the efforts and commitment of accommodation facilities and tour operators to sustainable development through the issuance of an appropriate certificate. Enterprises wishing to undergo certification can apply to accredited international audit firms, contacts of which can be found on the website of the Turkish Tourism Development and Promotion Agency.
This takes into account activities in four priority areas: sustainable management, environmental sustainability, cultural sustainability and socio-economic sustainability.
Thus, accommodation facilities must meet 14 criteria of the first stage of certification, 29 criteria of the second and 42 criteria of the third stage of certification.
Information about all objects that have passed verification for compliance with the criteria for sustainable tourism is posted on the official websites of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, the Agency for the Development and Promotion of Tourism of the Republic and the tourism platform GoTürkiye . Their documents include the logo of the Global Council for Sustainable Tourism.
As of September 2023, over 500 properties have been certified by Turkey's National Sustainable Development Authority.
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