Institutionalization and legitimization of sustainable tourism standards: The role of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council

Milagros Álvarez-Verdugo

doi:10.35295/osls.iisl.2740

Autores

Milagros Álvarez-Verdugo Universitat de Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5897-0267

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.2740

Palavras-chave:

GSTC, private governance, sustainable tourism, multistakeholder partnerships, standards

Resumo

Tourism is a complex activity involving multiple stakeholders, both public and private. Consequently, the transformation of the sector, in any sense, requires the collaboration of multiple actors and the consideration of its various dimensions, including in regulatory terms. The Goals established in the 2030 Agenda and their embodiment in the concept of sustainable tourism particularly highlight this need. It is within this context that our object of study, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), is situated. Alongside its relevance to the theme of this special issue, its analysis provides a valuable opportunity for a concrete exploration of the potential and limitations of this type of governance mechanism in a sector characterized by its complexity, its transnational scope, and its growing relevance in sustainable development agendas. The details of GSTC institutional configuration will reveal the strengths and limitations of its legal nature and the foundations of its legitimacy, both from the perspective of its composition and internal functioning as well as its mandate. On this basis, we identify the GSTC’s contribution to the construction of the notion of ‘sustainable tourism’ and its international application. The final section presents an overall assessment and a series of proposals arising from the analysis.

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Biografia do Autor

Milagros Álvarez-Verdugo, Universitat de Barcelona

Full Professor of Public International Law at the Universitat de Barcelona; email: malvarez@ub.edu

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