Dr. Ioannis Pappas
The sustainable development of the tourist destination requires a concerted effort by local stakeholders, entrepreneurs and the local community.
It is obvious that lately, the interest of representatives, inside and outside the tourism sector, has turned to the contribution or even the effort to promote a destination in which they operate, exist, plan or even manage in a sustainable way.
Obviously, for all of them, this necessity is not accidental. It is a result of a global trend for travellers to place great emphasis, not just on the accommodation, not even on the experience associated with various activities such as gastronomy or the possibility of visiting places of cultural interest, but on how the destination itself can be more Sustainable and therefore offer a total experience.
We all understand that the designation or ultimately the assessment of the level of sustainability of a destination by the traveller or an external and independent body (for example a large vertically integrated tour operator) is not a simple matter, nor is it just an award or a simple promotion process. It is certainly much more than that!
It is the result of an effort that probably comes through a Strategic Planning and some steps that come to reward a destination as Sustainable. In other words, it is the recognition of a long journey, a preparation, to enable one to head towards a sustainable future.
But who could ultimately define what a Sustainable Destination is and how could one be directed towards this goal?;
So, this is what the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is trying to do through the creation of some basic guidelines, we would say, for shippers, i.e. bodies and managers who have the obligation to manage a destination, through the appropriate institutions, so that they take the necessary steps towards sustainability.
So where would one start to be able to plan such a transition?;
Before we answer this question, let's start with the basic information about the destination. How a destination is defined is key elements of this discussion. Based on the definition from GSTC, ‘A destination is a geographical area that consists of all the services and infrastructure necessary for a particular tourist or part of the tourism chain to stay. Destinations are the competing units of inbound tourism.’
And following on from that, the process of evaluating this destination for its level of sustainability, obviously has to be based on evidence, on data, which is not locally applicable, but has a global recognition. That is why we need Criteria. Criteria that ultimately assess what the position, the “score”, how a destination ultimately “scores” against a process that is sound, that is transparent, that is globally recognised. Also, this process should obviously be repeatable, regardless of who is going to apply it internally, as a self-assessment or externally by various - named - bodies, either certifying or even preparing a destination for assessment against some Criteria.
So the first thing a destination must prepare in terms of sustainability is perhaps the most important element: its human resources, the people who run it. It is the basic initial preparation process for a long-term journey, which needs institutions, people, officials, so that they can carry out the requirements of this sustainability journey.
So, therefore, we have to prepare the team of people and the shell through which they act, decide and manage. This shell can have different characteristics depending on the destination, it does not always have to be a very complex mechanism (e.g. a management and promotion body - DMMO), but it should certainly be composed of people with a vision of how it will work, through strategy and expertise. A body that stands up to its mission, understanding that it will be at the heart of this long-term journey and for that very reason it should also be part of the local community, part of the local business community, part of the elected administration of whatever destination at the governance level, part of the business community. So, a part of the community itself, with the necessary training, ready to be able to deliver. Only if such a team exists in a destination, coordinated, can it guarantee that success can come.