At the end of 2022, the Agenzia territoriale d’area (“Territorial Agency of the Area” – A.T.A.) Città, laghi e altipiani has decided to accompany the three Aziende per il turismo (“Tourism agencies” – A.P.T.) belonging to its area on a path to improve the sustainability of the tourist systems in the following areas : Trento and Monte Bondone; Altipiani Cimbri and Vigolana; Rovereto, Vallagarina and Monte Baldo. At the same time, in the A.P.T. Valsugana, Tesino and Valle dei Mocheni (a destination already certified GSTC as of 2019) will pursue the involvement of a group of accommodation facilities in the application of the GSTC standard reserved to operators.

The problem

In the world of tourism, sustainability is becoming an imperative. Quality becomes a secondary factor if it is not accompanied by a strong component of care for the environment and local communities. To be credible to the market, sustainability must be certified, with internationally recognised third-party standards such as the GSTC standard.

In the A.T.A. Città, Laghi e Altipiani, the commitment to improving impacts is intended to become a distinctive added value of the entire tourism offer of the area, with a the goal to establish a sustainable tourism district.

The project

The GSTC criteria provide an assessment framework that considers all spheres of sustainability, not only environmental, but also social, economic and governance. The project aims at aligning the various destinations and accommodation facilities in Trentino in the adoption of an authoritative standard, which is born out of tourism for tourism, and which represents not a point of arrival but a starting point for the constant exercise of sustainability. Etifor will accompany destinations and facilities using its experience in GSTC and participatory approaches.

Our contribution

Etifor will support, in cooperation with Trentino Marketing, the A.P.T. involved and the accommodation facilities in the implementation of the GSTC standard. Specifically, Etifor will be responsible for:

• Stakeholder participation and involvement: organisation of participatory meetings divided by category of stakeholder (public, private, associations), to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the destination with respect to the various criteria of the standard and collect qualitative data;
• Pre-assessment and accompanying audit: collection of documentation, analysis of qualitative and quantitative data for all criteria and indicators of the standard. Assessment of weaknesses and preparation of an improvement strategy;
• Sharing the strategy: Etifor will support Trentino Marketing in the drafting of a sustainability strategy for the individual A.P.T. and the A.T.A. Città, laghi e altipiani.