Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA)

The Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA) is a partnership of leading organizations in the sustainable tourism field working together with USAID Missions to apply a holistic and market-driven approach to sustainable tourism development. This alliance enabled its members (including leading tourism development institutions, conservation organizations, the private sector, and USAID) to combine resources, expertise and reach in exciting and innovative ways.

GSTA Sustainable Tourism Training and Document LIbrary The Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA) was created in 2006 and was comprised of 15 non-profit and for-profit organizations with significant experience in sustainable tourism development.    GSTA was made possible through funding by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the founding alliance members as part of USAID’s innovative public-private initiative known as the Global Development Alliance which brings together governments, NGO’s, foundations, and the private sector to arrive at innovative solutions only available through a collaborative effort.   Through the GSTA's partnership structure, each implementing organization contributed its unique expertise within the various aspects of sustainable tourism development.  In each GSTA country leading tourism development institutions, conservation organizations, tourism practitioners, private sector tourism industry leaders, and USAID were jointly designing, co-financing, and implementing tourism activities that adhered to the GSTA's core principles:   Make optimal use of environmental resources, conserve biodiversity, and protect natural heritage; Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities – including their traditional values and heritage; Provide fairly distributed socio-economic benefits to all stake holders; and Encourage investment in sustainable tourism products, services and related infrastructure.   GSTA Success Stories by Country   Dominican Republic Ecuador Ethiopia Mali Montenegro Uganda Full GSTA Document Collection Document Collection  USAID online courses on Sustainable Tourism     Online Toolkits and Resource Series from the Sustainable Tourism Courses Powering Tourism - Electrification And Efficiency Options For Rural Tourism Facilities Global Tourism - Achieving Sustainable Goals Project Development For Sustainable Tourism - A Step By Step Approach Tourism Destination Management - Achieving Sustainable And Competitive Results Tourism Investment And Finance - Accessing Sustainable Funding And Social Impact Capital Sustainable Tourism Enterprise Development - A Business Planning Approach Tourism Workforce Development - A Guide To Assessing And Designing Programs Tourism and Conservation - Sustainable Models And Strategies Scientific, Academic, Volunteer, And Educational Travel - Connecting Responsible Travelers With Sustainable Destinations